Chumra (Judaism)
A chumra is a prohibition or obligation in the practice of Judaism that exceeds the bare minimum required by Halakha. One who imposes a chumra on oneself is said to be vis-à-vis the given practice.
A chumra can be adopted by an individual or an entire Jewish community. Early allusions to chumrot are found in the Talmud, but the meaning and application thereof have evolved since the Talmudic era. After a chumra has been observed for generations, it may take on the status of a, thus becoming a halakhically binding requirement for religious Jews from families or communities that initially adopted the chumra.
Types
Safeguards
One form of chumra is a precaution to help avoid transgressing Halakha, or else a way of keeping those who have taken on the stringency separate from those who have not. This follows the recommendation made by the Great Assembly, recorded in Pirkei Avot 1:1 of the Mishnah, for Torah scholars to "make a fence around the Torah", which the Rabbis considered implied by Leviticus 18:30. Nevertheless, Nachmanides urged his audience to understand that such "safeguards" were of Rabbinic origin, not Tanakhic origin.Stringencies
A second meaning of chumra is simply a stricter interpretation of a halakhic ruling when two or more interpretations exist. Those who adopt greater stringency than the normative Halakha do not feel they are adding to the Halakha. Instead, they think they are following the baseline requirement or at least 'covering their bases'. Nevertheless, such stringency may be seen as adding to Halakha by someone who believes the lenient—or —interpretation is correct. In many cases, a rule followed by the majority of halakhically observant Jews today is a stringency compared with more lenient rabbinic opinions that have existed in the past or continue to exist today.Voluntary observance
Some individuals may adopt strict practices, even if they are not mandated, to prevent transgression, believing these practices carry spiritual or devotional significance. This approach is associated with Nachmanides, who, in his commentary on Leviticus 19:2, posited that individuals should conduct themselves in this manner as a general principle, steering clear of excessive physicality even when operating within the law, as a method for attaining holiness.Risks and dangers
Adopting a chumra is not necessarily considered a positive thing in Judaism. Adopting an unnecessary chumra can lead to negative consequences, according to Hershey Friedman of CUNY Brooklyn College, including:- An "attitude of imprecision", which might lead one to become improperly lenient in other circumstances;
- Implicit disrespect or rejection of Halakha;
- Leniency in another area, the result being that one's attempt at stringency can cause violation of the law;
- Arrogance, as well as the embarrassment of loved ones;
- Implicit rejection of the practice of previous generations that did not prescribe the stringency;
- The imposition of stringency on another individual
Related terms
lifnim meshurat hadin midat chassidut- ''hiddur mitzvah''