Food for Thought
Baruch Hashem, our yeshiva world has come a long way in accepting different types of bachurim.
Different haircuts, yarmulkes, peyos, clothing, Chassidishe bachurim with up-hats or bekeshes, ADHD, learning disabilities—we have learned to accommodate, improvise, and make it work.
But there is one area where perhaps we still have room to grow:
Sephardim.
Yes, Sephardish bachurim are accepted into our yeshivos. But are their minhagim equally accepted?
My understanding from Gedolim has always been that we should never uproot another Yid’s legitimate minhag. I have heard that HaRav Shmuel Kamenetsky would tell Sephardic bachurim to say “Rabanan” when receiving an aliyah, because that is their minhag.
Yet somehow, a concept called “tzuras hayeshiva” can mean that a Sephardic bachur may not wear his tallis over his head—even though this is a Sephardish minhag with deep roots in halachah and mesorah.
We make room for Chassidishe minhagim. We make room for Yekkishe minhagim. Why should Sephardic minhagim be different?
There is a difference between asking a bachur to respect the culture of a yeshiva and asking him to give up part of his mesorah in order to fit in.
Perhaps our next step is not merely accepting Sephardic bachurim, but allowing them to remain authentically Sephardic while becoming everything a yeshiva hopes its bachurim will become.
True achdus doesn’t require everyone to be the same.
Food for thought.
Name withheld upon request
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13 Responses
Kol hakavod. It is about time! I would like to correct one point: it is not merely Sephardic minhagim; The Sephardim focus on halacha.
We Ashkenazim, unfortunately, were affected by the European Enlightenment and, over time, became more progressive and liberal in our approach. In the process, various NEW practices developed, sometimes under the guise of minhag we satisfy ourselves. We introduced chidushim into the peshat of the Gemara, while the Chasidic movement, in its own way, introduced a new ideology that, in my view, altered the traditional purity of Kabbalah that to this day remains in the hands of Separadim in its original pure form.
Sephardic communities had far less exposure to the European Enlightenment, and as a result, they generally maintained a more conservative continuity in their halachic practices and traditions. At the same time, within the Ashkenazic world, we have had very strong conservative Poskim who resisted these progressive developments. Among them, in my view, stand the Vilna Gaon, who challenged progressive tendencies at every turn despite many of his contemporaries moving in a different direction; the Chacham Tzvi and his son, R. Yaakov Emden; and later, the Chasam Sofer.
Had it not been for the influence of the Mishnah Berurah, we might have ended up with an even greater variety of practices and approaches. He tried very hard to abolish these new practices. Manytimes he succeded. Sometimes he did not. For example, he talks very strongly against unmarried men not wearing a Talis. A Katan as soon as has any understaning to whom we make the Blessing, his father is obligated to get him a Talis. This is the Din in the Gemarah and Rishonim. Period! It is also said that Rav Moshe Feinstein personally followed the Vilna Gaon in his own practices. Look at Machzor Vitri. If Rashi( early Ashenazi Rishom) would come back today, he would be considered probably a Sepharadi. we progressed in many different directions due to the pain of the Europen Galus!
Yet there is another problem: Sephardim themselves many times look at the Ashkenazic world and come to feel that adopting our more progressive approach is modern, acceptable, stylish, or even desirable. In that sense, they too can gradually assimilate into an ideology that is not true, and pure Halcha that has been handed down to us form the time of the Tanaim .
Perhaps we should all begin listening more carefully to the great conservative Poskim, especially the Vilna Gaon, and return to the original roots of our respective traditions. If we do so, perhaps we will discover that the differences between Ashkenazic and Sephardic practice are not as nearly fundamental as they sometimes appear.
In the meantime, we should humble ourselves and respect the Sephardic tradition—the original, conservative continuity of their pesak halacha—and the Rabbanim who preserved it faithfully for generations without allowing every new chidush to reshape established practice.
A chumra remains a chumra, and a kula remains a kula. Simple as that.
Everyone seems to like the shulchan aruch, seems sefardic was the go to. Even for the remah
My boys are in Litvish Yeshivos and have remained authentically Sephardic, minhagim and all, with respect from their Yeshiva
What prompted this letter? On the one hand, the title seems to allege a broad, multifaceted, general issue, however, only one example is given of such alleged lack of acceptance, regarding tallis over head.
“I have heard that HaRav Shmuel Kamenetsky would tell Sephardic bachurim to say “Rabanan” when receiving an aliyah, because that is their minhag.”
Not all Sephardim say it. I know a choshuveh Sephardic Rav in EY who doesn’t, I once asked him about it.
Just like there is wide diversity among Ashkenazim, similarly, there is wide diversity among Sepharadim/Eidos Hamizrach. Morroccan minhagim are not same as Syrian, as Turkish, as Iraqi, etc.
Aa far as minhagim go, Ashkenaz represents a group of 100 jews who moved to Ashkenaz. Yes, we developed a lot of different things, ahava, not all of them bad, as well as talmud bavli and sephardi rambam were innovative.
But as minhagim go, sephardim represent 90% of different ancient minhagim. If you see a general sephardi minhag, it means you encountered an Ashkenaz minhag different from all Sephardim.
Is this a problem? I haven’t seen such a lack of respect. But on a deeper level, I do not even understand the issue. There are different streams of legitimate, accepted ways of sering Hashem. We therefore have Litvishe Yeshivos, Chassidishe Yeshivos, and Sefardi Yeshivos, as well as Shuls for the same. If a Sefardi Bachur wishes to attend a Litvishe Yeshiva, then great – we welcome him. But if the R”Y feels that this means that in certain areas he should follow the Minhag of the Yeshiva, then that is not only his right, but is actually the Halachah! Lo Sisgodedu teaches, among other things, that when one Davens in a Minyan which is not his own Nusach, then he should follow the Nusach of that Minyan in all public responses, Davening his own Nusach only for the private, silent parts of Tefilah. Is there a Gadol who has agreed that this is an issue to be “worked on”?
You should speak to your own son’s Yeshiva. This problem may exist in some places but it’s very subjective. As you yourself wrote, in Philly it’s not a problem. So it depends on each individual mosad.
Is this a thinly veiled invitation for an Ashkenazim bashing session, חס ושלום? Ashkenazim have a superior מסורה, as our gedolim taught us, and must maintain it. This modern grass is greener on the side notion, that the Sepharadic/Eidos Hamizrach way is superior, is a serious error. If their way is better, why are they clamoring for acceptance in our mosdos? Let them stay in and grow their own.
your question is legit and truth to be told yeshivas should accomodate sefardi minhugim especially if it doesnt effect what one bochur does how he wraps his tefilin or wears a talis doesnt at all interfere
i have a proof from a masea rav when i was a bochur learning in eretz yisroel in the early 80’s i learnt by rav sheinberg ztl in torah ohr shabbos parshas zochor he had a sefardi baal korah lein over parshas zochor for all the sefardi bochurim this was during krias hatorah not separately
Much of the “Sepharadic”/Eidos Hamizrach way of the masses today is not ancient and “pure”, it has changed a lot in recent centuries based on Kabbalistic teachings. The Sepharadic way of gedolei Sepharad, like the rishonim of Spain, Rambam, etc., is closer to Ashkenaz I think. But what is considered “Sepharadic” now by the hamon, that is another matter. There are/were some gedolim who tried to improve things, such as Chacham Ovadia, with mixed results. We need to follow real mesorah and the gedolim that hand it down, not quick-fix hocus-pocus Kabbalistic snake oil salesmen.
The issue isn’t about sfardim. It’s about bachurim. The yeshiva system tortures bachurim.
The “no talis over the head” is another form of marginalizing bachurim and making them feel worthless.
I could go on and on. But im 30 now and done with this craziness.
They don’t let you learn. If you learn, you’re a cancer, because other worthless bachurim will start learning too and realize the Rebbeim are all a bunch of amaratzim who know absolutely nothing in Torah…
The yeshiva system PERSECUTES BACHURIM! nothing to do with sfardim.
Trust me… been there done that.
I was an ashkenaz bachur who became sfardi at 16. The yeshiva had no problem with me being sfardi. They only had a problem that a bachur was actually learning and becoming chashuv in Torah and davening (mikva, etc). The Talis over the head is a symbol of freedom. The jacket and hat while wearing tefillin is a form of making bachurim worthless.
Stop SPACING OUT during shiur!!
Start ACTUALLY LEARNING Torah. Gantz shas mishna, bavli Yerushalmi mechilta sifra sifray tosefta.
You could do it!
And you’re NOT a cancer because you love learning Torah!!
Don’t believe them!!
Have confidence!!
You’ll preservere and by 30 you’ll make a siyum on kol haTorah kula and your net worth will officially surpass $1M
500 years ago, ashkenaz represented the purest mesorah, without the corruption of midieval “rationalism” and “kabbalah”.
The chasidei ashkenaz had the original form of piyut and mesorah(preserved in Dead Sea Caves) and of Toras Eretz Yisrael (eg. ban on polygamy – R Ami and others, rice on pesach – R Yochanan ben Nuri and others) and many other examples that pre date chazal…
The chasidei ashkenaz theology of “Kvod Hashem” and other concepts, are more original with 2nd Bes hamikdash (study the yotzros and piyutim, for real), avoiding the sfardi medieval corruption- Rationalism/philosophy and later zoharic kabbalah.
Over the last 500, and especially 250, years, because of Chasidim and Enlightenment, minhag ashkenaz became unrecognizable.
But the Ashkenazi rishonim had the purest mesorah from bayis sheni…
(Yes, im saying all this as someone who was born ashkenaz, and became sfardi at 16. Ive seen it all. I understand it all…)
Lemayseh, with all due respect, I think a little humility is needed. We can be humble enough to recognize that we have much to learn from one another and to appreciate the good in each tradition.
Yes, to a great extent, Sephardic Judaism has preserved a greater degree of continuity. They did not produce Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, and the many other branches and variations that developed within the Ashkenazi world. That alone should give us some perspective and humility.
I also don’t think it is accurate to say that Sephardic practice has changed dramatically in recent centuries because of Kabbalistic influence.
a) Do you believe in the concept of Pardes? That is part of the beauty of the Sephardic tradition. Baruch Hashem, many great gedolim—including the Vilna Gaon—recognized the importance of different dimensions of Torah. We cannot conveniently eliminate an entire branch of Torah simply because it does not fit our own framework. The richness and diversity of Torah come precisely from the fact that we engage with all of its dimensions.
b) The Magen Avraham, in Hilchos Tefillin, teaches us to take Kabbalistic considerations into account when they do not contradict the peshat or established halachic principles. Both the Magen Avraham and the Rama recommend sitting for Tefillin Shel Yad and standing for Tefillin Shel Rosh. So there is clearly nothing inherently problematic with incorporating Kabbalistic teachings into halachic practice. In fact, I see Sephardim following the Magen Avraham in certain areas more consistently than we do ourselves. Shouldn’t we simply follow the poskim?
Regarding the statement, “If their way is better, why are they clamoring for acceptance in our mosdos? Let them stay in and grow their own,” I think that misses the point as well. This isn’t fundamentally about who is superior. It is about humility and being open to learning from one another.
I used to be very closed-minded about these issues. Then, at a certain point, I decided to open my mind and actually observe Sephardic practices more closely. When I do, I often feel as though I am looking at an open Gemara in front of me.
For example, the Gemara says, “Hav lan venivrich,” and that is essentially what Sephardim say. What do we say? “Rabbosai… benchin.” There are many other examples where Sephardic practice seems to preserve a direct connection to the language and practice reflected in Chazal.
As for why Sephardim in America often gravitate toward Ashkenazi institutions, I think there are several practical and historical factors at play:
a) We have historically been more organized institutionally. Kodus to us!
b) We have been much more sophisticated at marketing, packaging, and presenting our institutions and ideas.
c) When we interact with Sephardic communities, we often occupy the leadership role simply because of our institutional infrastructure and numbers.
d) Sephardim are a minority in America, and over time their communities can naturally become absorbed into the larger Ashkenazi Orthodox infrastructure.
e) There is also a historical and cultural component. In many of the countries from which Sephardim came, Western culture was presented as more modern, progressive, and enlightened. That historical experience may have contributed, in some communities, to a sense that the Western/Ashkenazi model was somehow more advanced.
This may help explain why some Sephardim look toward Ashkenazi institutions, but I don’t think we should interpret that as evidence that Ashkenazi Judaism is inherently superior.
And regarding Rav Ovadia, I don’t see his accomplishments as producing “mixed results.” His ability to unite a large percentage of Sephardic Jewry around a shared commitment to Gemara oriented halachic observance was an extraordinary accomplishment, a kind that we have not seen anywhere in recent memory. His levayah itself reflected the enormous impact he had on the Jewish world.
Ultimately, I think the lesson for us should be humility. We have much to contribute, but we also have much to learn from Sephardic Jewry. Spend two weeks davening with Sephardim and experiencing their tefillah firsthand. The kavanah, the atmosphere, and the sense of connection to the Ribono Shel Olam can be incredibly powerful.
We don’t need to decide which tradition is “better.” We can recognize the strengths of our own mesorah while being humble enough to appreciate what another mesorah has preserved