Putting on Tefillin on Chol Hamoed In a Place Where it is Not the Custom; Handwritten Response by ...

Putting on Tefillin on Chol Hamoed In a Place Where it is Not the Custom; Handwritten Response by the Maharshag 

Handwritten and signed response by the Maharshag in response to the question of whether or not one may put on tefillin on chol hamo’ed in a Chassidic community where they refrain from doing so, and whether this would fall under the category of “lo tisgodedu, ” the commandment not to differ from one another.

The Maharshag goes into a lengthy discussion on the matter and permits it.

but concludes: “…From here on, I advise him to behave like the majority of the G-d fearing Jews in his community and not put on [tefillin] on chol hamoed, especially as today all of the districts of the G-d fearing Jews in the south of our country… practice like this… and it is a mitzvah to behave like the ‘yereim’ of his district…”

Rabbi Shimon Greenfield (1860-1930), author of Responsa Maharshag, was a leading Hungarian rabbi. He studied in the yeshivah of the Maharam Shick and traveled at a young age to study by Rabbi Chaim of Sanz. He succeeded his father's position as rabbi of Somihali where he upheld a large yeshivah. Hundreds of his responsa were printed in Responsa Maharshag.

The last seven lives were written after the letter was signed and is not published in Responsa Maharshag.

Dated Semihali, 1915.

Folded stationery (3 sides) | 22 x 14 cm | Light stains