Part 1: Introduction and Rav Binyomin Shlomo Hamburger

Introduction:

One of the most famous minhagim (customs) that German Jewry ("Yekkes") is known for is waiting three hours between eating meat and dairy. By far, the vast majority of the Jewish people wait six hours between eating meat and milk. The three-hour custom has been questioned by many poskim (decisors of Jewish law) to such an extent that many of Ashkenaz descent (Yekkes, in the narrow sense of the word), have abandoned this custom. What follows are various speeches and translated works that have discussed this topic. As this author has no expertise in translation, anything which is unclear should be confirmed with the original sources. The transcriber/translator can be reached at danielyadler@gmail.com.

Background information on this topic can be found in Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 89, and in any contemporary halacha book on Kashrus.

Part 1 - Rav Binyomin Shlomo Hamburger, Shlita

Rav Hamburger heads Machon Moreshes Ashkenaz, the Institute for German Jewish Heritage https://moreshesashkenaz.org/en/

It should be noted that Rav Hamburger is not a native English speaker. The following transcriptions have been slightly modified for literary ease while at the same time the transcriber has endeavored to stay true to Rav Hamburger’s style of speech.

The following transcription comes from a lecture given in the famous "Munk's Schul" (Golders Green Beth Hamedrash) located in England.

I just want to mention one more thing because it is considered "Yekkish", although I don't know if it is, or it was, but the Yekkes were big fasters. They were known for fasting. They fasted Behab [1]. There's a maaseh (story) of a friend of mine who is an ainikle (grandchild) of Rav Shimshon Rafael Hirsch. He went to Rav Elyashiv (Zt"l), and he asked him [the following question]. “All these years I have been noheg (accustomed) to fast Behab, but lately I feel I am getting old, and I…want to know if I can be matir neder (annul my custom of fasting for Behab).” So Rav Elyashiv replied, “You are a ben Ashkenaz? You can't. For you, you must continue fasting.” And he's still fasting, the poor fellow.

Why do I say that? Because the Yekkes [have so much trouble from others] with the “three hours”. They like to eat. They can't wait six hours. Yeah? They could! If they can fast from early morning until late evening, they can also last another three hours, and have their (favorite milchig item) later. So this is not the issue. So why do they only wait three hours and not six hours?

Often, I am being challenged [by people], “Where is this three hours? It has no mikor (source) in halacha (Jewish law)!” So … I once asked, and twice I asked, and three times I asked, “Tell me, do you have a mikor for the six hours? Does anybody know where the six hours comes from?” And I keep asking around, “Do you know? You? Do you know??”, but nobody knows. Because we don't have a mishnah, a braisa, a tosefta, a Sifri. Nothing. Nobody mentions anything about six hours. There's no mention about waiting between basar b'chalav altogether. There's no Gemara Yerushalmi on it. There's one Gemara Bavli on it which tells you a minhag (custom) of two great people; Mar Ukva and his father. Mar Ukva said, 'I am not such a frumma (religious) like my father. My father waited m'ais l'ais (24 hours) between basar and chalav, and I only wait m'seudah l'seudah (from one meal to the next). So, first of all, who says that if they have chasidish minhagim, let's say, what does that have to do with us? This one waits 24 hours, this waits, I don't know how many hours between seudah l'seudah, I don't know what that is … So who says it applies to us?

The truth of the matter is, among the Rishonim, the Baali Tosefos said there is no such thing as waiting between seudah l'seudah, unless you didn't have kinuach and hadacha. This is already a topic of its own, and I just want to finish the point. Fasting Behab is mentioned in Shulchan Aruch. Waiting three hours and six hours is not so pashut (obvious) in Shulchan Aruch. I would like to wish this kehila that it should continue to observe what their ancestors did and try to weigh out everything before they jump to accept new minhagim and see if it's really adaptable for themselves. Thank you very much.

[1]. An acronym for "Monday, Thursday, Monday" when Ashkenaz Jewry would add an additional six fast days to atone for sins that occurred on the holidays of Pesach and Succos.