Hundreds of Years ...

A guest post by MarkSofla

While on Twitter discussing women possibly not going to funerals if both parents are alive (nonsense), the discussion morphed to people with both parents still alive leaving shul during Yizkor.

I mentioned something that I'd once heard -

@Mottel @hsabomilner Was once told that leaving for yizkor is a mistaken custom,and was told u stay & say the applicable ones like e/o else.

and received the response -

@MarkSoFla mistaken? People have been doing it for hundreds of years. Even if based on 'superstition', if people do it, it's a custom

So according to @Mottel, if people "do" something for hundreds of years, it's a custom, and that's it. I responded as follows -

@Mottel In 100's of years,leaving shul during leining of haftara to have a drink will be custom under your rules. Right? @DovBear

I think that just because someone perhaps makes a mistake, and others emulate that mistake for hundreds of years, doesn't mean that it is always right to continue doing that thing that may be "mistaken" or wrong. Even if hundreds of years have passed.

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