Question: Dear Rabbi Mandel,
Hi, my name is Heshy Fried. I am 12 years old. I have started following many Minhagim of the Gra, which I really understand and enjoy. However, my father doesn’t follow most Minhagim of the Gra. What is the proper way? To follow my father’s Minhagim, or the Minhagim of the Gra?
Answer: You have to speak to a Posek; not to me. I am not here for Halachos; that’s not my line. (I could say a Halacha here and there, and I can tell you, in this area, you may want to double check who you are asking, to find out what he’s going to say, because I know that there are different answers. I’m a little experienced with this. I have some things like this going on in my family, which doesn’t bother me, even though things are a little different. Big Shpeil!)
Go to your local Rabbi, and see what he says. I give you a Bracha that everything should work out great. And the Vilna Gaon should be a Melitz Yosher on you, because you like him, and that’s wonderful. You have a lot of company; he has a big spot in Gan Eden.
PS. By the way, the main minhag of the Gra is never to stop learning. (Just joking! But seriously speaking, the Gra learned a lot, and that would be the main thing to follow). So if you run into any trouble, just say: “Okay, I'm M'kabel to be a Masmid like him (according to your Madrega; don’t become meshuga). That’s a big thing. At the very least, try your best.
Do what you're doing, ask that Shayla, and I give you a Bracha that you'll have a lot of Hatzlacha.
Kol Tuv
Reprinted from the Parshas Pinchas 5785 email of Bitachon Weekly
