Re: Meandering Jerri Type Post

"Mordechai T. Abzug" wrote :
> Yes, I wasn't saying that you don't need to eat horseradish because
> you're exempt, I'm saying that no one needs to eat horseradish per
> halacha[1].  It's just a minhag[2].  The real halacha is to eat maror.
> Both horseradish and romaine halachically are forms of maror.  Your
> total of horseradish (whether chunk or grated) and romaine needs to
> add up to a k'zayis.  If you're having trouble eating your minhag's
> minimum of horseradish, chunk or grated, you can (and halachically
> should) compensate with romaine rather than missing out on your
> k'zayis.  This is not a male vs. female thing -- guys can do the same
> thing, l'khat'khila[3].  We guys just tend to eat more horseradish
> because we're manly/macho/stupid.  :)

You know how it is, at some point the minhag becomes as important as
halacha 
and even if the halachic requirement says you can add the total amount of 
romaine and chrain, minhag ends up determining what you actually do even
if 
the original reason for that minhag no longer exists (i.e. no garlic on 
Pesach).

Annie