Why are our Minhagim so important and valuable to our lives?
The following are a few excerpts from sichos about the importance of minhagim and their profound effect on our lives.
In Lubavitch there are different types of minhagim. There are general minhagim that intended for everyone. These include minhagim for weekdays, Shabbos and Yom Tov. There are minhagim that are unique to the house of the Rebbeim. There are also personal minhagim of the Rebbe that we saw, as well as those that the Rebbe did in private. (Sefer HaSichos 5705 pg. 122).
The minhagim of bnei Yisroel are Torah. There are three explanations for what this means. One is that minhagim are an outgrowth of the Torah. Another is that the minhagim bring one closer to the Torah. And a third that a minhag is Torah. All the minhagim were given to Moshe on Har Sinai, just as the entire Torah was revealed to Moshe. In every generation deeper and deeper dimensions of the Torah have been revealed. Each generation has merited revelations of the Torah based upon its particular level. So too, Hashem has directed through which Tzaddik each particular facet of the Torah and minhag is to be revealed. Through this Klal Yisroel receives its guidance (Sefer HaShichos 5701 pg. 128) The Rebbe, the Tzemech Tzedek once said that the Alter Rebbe related to him that the minhagim of the Ba’al Shem Tov are Halacha l'Moshe m'Sinai.
Certain minhagim were established by the Ba’al Shem Tov. He had mesirus nefesh that these minhagim should be implanted in all Jewish homes for all generations. It is with these minhagim that we will go to greet Moshiach Tzidkeinu.
When the Alter Rebbe returned from Mezritch, he said that the minhagim that he received from the Maggid were received by the Maggid from the Ba’al Shem Tov. The Baal Shem Tov received them from the Ba’al HaChai, Achia HaShiloni. These include general minhagim for everyone as well as specific minhagim for the Rabbeim. (Sefer HaShichos 5708 pg. 231)
In 1936, on the 25th of Shevat (Sefer HaShichos 5696 pg. 48) the Previous Rebbe said that “Minhagei Lubavitch are set upon strong foundations. This includes all the minhagim that we have from Rabboseinu Nessienu in every generation. There are minhagei Lubavitch that we: know the reason; don’t know the reason; that only a few from the house of the Rebbeim followed. Most were received from the Alter Rebbe. From those there are two types: those that he received from the Maggid either his own or in the name of the Ba’al Shem Tov; and those from the Alter Rebbe himself.”
The minhagim of the Alter Rebbe are the main aspect and root for the minhagim that we have. They provide the basis upon the minhagim that the Rebbeim enacted in every generation. Most of those minhagim are a branch of the Alter Rebbe’s, while certain ones were specific to the Rebbeim in each generation.
In Sefer HaSichos 5702 (pg. 27) it says that minhagei Lubavitch are not just founded on halacha or hidur mitzvah, but are also dimensions of the spiritual that are important for the soul. The minhagim bring an enlightenment and a spirit of purity to the person and his family that place them on an elevated platform of service to Hashem.
In a sicha from parshas Chukas, the first day of Rosh Chodesh Tammuz 1984, (Hisvaadus 5744 pg. 2077) the Rebbe spoke about a person who said they he saw someone practicing a certain minhag (not Chabad). He thought that since he saw this that it was b'hasgacha protis, perhaps it would be proper for him to follow this minhag as well. Chassidim know that an essential part of observance of minhagim is that we follow them with a tradition. We practice only those minhagim that come directly from the Rebbe. If the Rebbe practices the minhag then you should do it. If it was not passed down from the Rebbe, then although it may be a very beautiful minhag, and we greatly admire it, we would not actually observe it.
To explain, there is a story in the Gemara about hadassim. Reb Acha the son of Rava was careful to take a hadas that had two leaves and the third leaf that was at a distance from the two, not the usual cluster of three leaves. The reason why Reb Acha took that type of hadas was because his Rebbe, Rav Kahana, felt that it was good enough to fulfill the mitzvah. It is important to note that Reb Acha did this as a hidur even though his Rebbe, Rav Kahana did not say that you couldn’t have a cluster of three. All he said was that it was permissible to have a hadas with two leaves and a third leaf that was distant. Nevertheless, Reb Acha was mehader only to take a hadas with two leaves together and the third at a distance. His purpose was to be connected to his Rebbe. He wanted to show that if his Rebbe allowed it, he was careful and only took that one and considered it the best possible way to fulfill the mitzvah. The Rebbe used this story of the Gemara to explain minhagim in many of his letters. This means that even if someone can say otherwise, it is still a bigger hiddur to do the minhag the way your Rebbe does it.