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Sefer Haminhagim: The Book of Chabad Lubavitch Customs
This translation of Sefer Haminhagim is a welcome guide to the customs of Chabad with regard to the practice of Mitzvot throughout the year. Part One, the first of a project series of four, comprises the order of the morning, selected prayers, and the daily saying of Chitat (Chumash, Tehillim, Tanya).
- GenresJewish
154 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1991
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November 21, 2012
I finished this book, closed it, and tried to remember at least one thing that I learned from it. Nothing came to mind. Uh Oh.
This was not due to there being nothing to learn, obviously, but a problem with my understanding.
There was a lot of Hebrew which I don't read.
There were many, many pages concerning which prayers are said when, on what days, at what times, under which circumstances, by whom etc. Since most of the prayers were listed by the first few Hebrew words in them I was often very lost.
In other words, the book is very technical in regards to Jewish law and what our customs are. Well I am reading about minhagim so that makes sense, but I was disappointed that I didn't understand more.
So, I started at the beginning again and started making notes. What did I feel was applicable to me? What was I already doing and where did I need work? What is simply of interest to me? And what do I have questions on? In the first couple of pages here are some examples:
page 3: "When saying Modeh Ani one should place one hand against the other, and lower the head." (didn't know that)
page 4: "...the morning blessings should not be said before one rinses one's mouth." (I always brush my teeth before I say morning brochas but did not realize that this was a minhag)
page 19: A mourner throughout the first 11 months of mourning, and so too a person who is observing a yahrzeit, kindles five candles at the time of prayer. (Is this at home or shul or both? I have never observed this in shul nor seen it done. How big should these candles be and are they let to burn out by themselves? Which prayer or prayer service? Maybe this is done with electric candles these days, like those little light bulbs on yartzeit boards - but that is just one light bulb next to a person's name, not 5. Many questions on this one)
page 20: "(The Alter Rebbe wrote:) "As an emissary of our Rabbis of blessed memory I have come to enact a decree which applies equally to all - that no idle talk be uttered from the time when the sheliach tzibbur commences the service until the end of the last Kaddish, whether it be at Maariv, Shacharis or Minchah." (I knew this although I didn't know the Alter Rebbe wrote it. I wish it were more widely practiced.)
This was not due to there being nothing to learn, obviously, but a problem with my understanding.
There was a lot of Hebrew which I don't read.
There were many, many pages concerning which prayers are said when, on what days, at what times, under which circumstances, by whom etc. Since most of the prayers were listed by the first few Hebrew words in them I was often very lost.
In other words, the book is very technical in regards to Jewish law and what our customs are. Well I am reading about minhagim so that makes sense, but I was disappointed that I didn't understand more.
So, I started at the beginning again and started making notes. What did I feel was applicable to me? What was I already doing and where did I need work? What is simply of interest to me? And what do I have questions on? In the first couple of pages here are some examples:
page 3: "When saying Modeh Ani one should place one hand against the other, and lower the head." (didn't know that)
page 4: "...the morning blessings should not be said before one rinses one's mouth." (I always brush my teeth before I say morning brochas but did not realize that this was a minhag)
page 19: A mourner throughout the first 11 months of mourning, and so too a person who is observing a yahrzeit, kindles five candles at the time of prayer. (Is this at home or shul or both? I have never observed this in shul nor seen it done. How big should these candles be and are they let to burn out by themselves? Which prayer or prayer service? Maybe this is done with electric candles these days, like those little light bulbs on yartzeit boards - but that is just one light bulb next to a person's name, not 5. Many questions on this one)
page 20: "(The Alter Rebbe wrote:) "As an emissary of our Rabbis of blessed memory I have come to enact a decree which applies equally to all - that no idle talk be uttered from the time when the sheliach tzibbur commences the service until the end of the last Kaddish, whether it be at Maariv, Shacharis or Minchah." (I knew this although I didn't know the Alter Rebbe wrote it. I wish it were more widely practiced.)
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