Q&A: Customary Continuity
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Customary Continuity
Question
- Does a convert, who was not part of the chain of custom, not have to observe customs at all, or can he only choose which customs he wants to observe? And what about someone whose chain of custom was broken, or who broke it himself—for example: a secular person who became religious, a religious person who broke the chain of custom, someone who studied and then abandoned it and then studied again?
Answer
There are local customs and customs of the broader community.
With regard to local custom, I think there are differing opinions: whether a person who follows a certain custom should act according to his own custom or according to the local custom. Maybe it also depends on whether the local custom is that he should act according to his own custom or according to theirs. What about a convert who did not observe customs in his earlier life—maybe in cases of local custom he should always follow the local custom. Seemingly, this would also apply to other Jews who somehow became disconnected from the chain of customs. Or maybe they should choose something random each time. All this is only if they are not obligated in customs because the chain was broken or because there never was one.
As for customs of the broader community, is there any possibility of not observing customs at all because the chain was broken or because there never was such a chain?