HaGaon HaRav Meir Mazuz Shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Kisei Rachamim has spoken out in the strongest terms about the Ashkenazi minhag of a yichud room following a chupah, a minhag not practiced by Sephardim. Rabbi Mazuz explains the practice of Sephardim is the correct way, as the yichud is at home following the chasenah.
The main points of his criticism include that it is incorrect by rabbonim who seek to compel Sephardim to agree to a yichud room for this is not correct for them. He laments that this practice at times becomes ‘pritzus’ as people are hanging outside the room timing how long the couple remains inside, most despicable and unacceptable. The rav further explains that the yichud compels the kallah to cover her hair, which many do not, hence a problem that was created as a result of the minhag.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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12 Responses
Some more important LASHON HARA thanks to YWN.
So his problem is the people hanging out outside and that the kalla isn’t covering her hair, both of which are against halacha, not the yichud room.
He should air his grievances with the Chief Rabbis and let them take a stance on this issue, and not air his grievances @YWN.
Thank you YWN for publishing this.
Who are the Rabonim “who seek to compel Sephardim to agree to a yichud room”?
Every single one of Harav Mazuz’s issues have been discussed numerous times. Harav Eliyahu zt”l has stated that the bride can get by with just keeping the veil on her head creating a double head covering. This is combined with other kulot. Also, most sepharadim who want to do heder yichud will just leave the door open a bit. That gives them a few minutes alone after the chuppah without requiring the bride to cover her hair after.
Regarding the Ashkenazi custom, ideally the bride should wear some type of head covering or at least the veil, however it is a well established minhag in Europe that brides left their hair uncovered after yichud and only covered their hair the next morning.
The Mesorah of the Sephardim deserves the same respect as that of Ashkenazim. No one should be compelled to follow a mesorah that is not theirs. I do not understand the pressure to push for yichud rooms for Sephardim.
So he’s upset the the Ashkenazi Rabbi’s are trying to get the Sefardi Rabbi’s to comply with the yichud minhag. What exactly is he trying to accomplish by saying what he’s saying if not to try to get the Ashkenazi Rabbi’s to comply with the Sefardi Rabbis?
“Rabbi Mazuz explains the practice of Sephardim is the correct way”
Is he for REAL?
You ‘mach avek’ other people’s minhagim just like that?
The Gedoilei Ashkenaz were all ahmeratzim?
The Noideh B’yehudah was an Ahm Oretz?
The Chsan Soifer was an Ahm Oretz?
etc. etc.
It sounds to me as though Rav Mazuz Shlita is basically saying two quite simple things: Firstly it is wrong to try and persuade Sephardi chassonim to go along with a minhag that is not theirs and secondly he seeks to explain why Sephardim do not have this minhag which he believes gives rise to halachic issues that are often ignored. The requirement for a married lady to cover her hair is halachic, the minhag of the heder yichud is just that: a minhag. Ashkenazi and Sephardi rabbonim all agree that after marriage the wife takes on the minhagim of her husband. If the husband is Sephardi, clearly there should be no heder yichud, even if he has learned in an Ashkenazi yeshiva.
Thanks Jerusalem observer and The Little I know for proper perspective and common sense. For some reason some people get extra excited when the words Ashkenazim and Sefardim are put together in the same article.
Nahara nahara u’p’shateh!