changing a custom - the Paroches

Change. We don't like change too much (we prefer big bills, ha ha).

For example, the bima was always placed in the center of the shul. At some point in the mid-1800s, shortly after Reform Judaism opened its doors, they moved the bima to the front of the shul. the Rabbonim were always opposed to that move and fought it tooth and nail to ensure that Orthodox shuls would not adopt that style.

Very frequently no specific reason was given. just that we cannot change a custom that has been in place for so long. I think the Chasam Sofer gave a reason for insisting on the bima being in the center of the shul, being it is compared to the mizbe'ach, altar, in the Beis Hamikdash. the Noda B'Yehuda was also famously one of the Rabbonim who lead the fight against moving the bima and he said (as far as I know) that we cannot change what has become the custom in Israel.

Ostensibly, the reason is because once we allow change, even on what might be considered something small and possibly insignificant, we do not know where it will end up and what else will be changed. Case in point is that the Reform movement changed the location of the bima and many other time honored customs fell in its wake as well, and many things that were halchic in nature and not just custom (though I have no idea if the other customs were changed as a result of their success with moving the bima or if it was not connected).

I found another such custom that I had never before been aware of.

At Friday night dinner we generally read a couple paragraphs of a book on the Halachos of Shabbos. We are using the set of books called "the 39 Melachos", and I find that even though the author is generally very machmir in his psak, the background and information he gives in his explanation is very well elucidated and very thorough.

So we are currently learning the Halachos of Mocheik (erasing). He discusses an interesting question regarding the opening of a Paroches on the aron kodesh on Shabbos. Commonly the paroches is one piece of cloth that gets pulled open to one of the sides. However, there are shuls that use a Paroches made of two pieces of cloth, split down the middle. If there are words embroidered across the two pieces of cloth, thus splitting the words in two when the cloths are opened and separated, an interesting question is raised.

He quotes the Igros Moshe who suggests, if possible, to leave the paroches slightly ajar and not closed all the way, but if that was not possible or was not left like that, then one could be lenient and close (and open) the paroches on Shabbos.

The author explains this position and then he adds,

It should be noted that it is improper for a shul to have a Paroches that is designed to part at the center, because it deviates from the customary Paroches design (i.e. to be drawn open from one side) that has been the universally accepted tradition for generations. The synagogue should correct the impropriety by sewing the separate panels as one, or by installing a new Paroches made of a single curtain.

I was not aware there was a specific custom for the Paroches design. I am pretty sure I have seen shuls with one Paroches curtain, though I cannot think of any specific shul that I am aware of offhand. It could even be that the Paroches was always designed with one curtain so as not to have this problem of separating or joining letters that form words.