In other threads where we have discussed chumrot and whether they can be public, I have said that it can violate the rules of yuhora if your personal chumrot are known and that this violates the concept of tzniut. Note the MB here in s'k 14 regarding obscuring that you have taken a fast upon yourself. Other poskim use this siman to explain that it's not just in regard to private fasts, but that in general your chumrot and personal gedarim should be private and not publicized, and perhaps even from your family members.

What in the world is the point of a chumra if no one knows about it!?

What do you mean by one's personal Chumrot? If one doesn't eat Chalav Akum would you consider that a personal Chumra? It seems that what is being discussed here are pious acts more than machmir halachic positions. Also, there is a difference between one's personal Chumrot being known and making them known. The main problem is making known one's personal Chumrot - particularly when this is done for the second of self-aggrandizement. That's why the Mishnah Brura says that it is good or proper not to tell people you are fasting even when they ask - which I understand to mean that technically speaking you are allowed, but it's best not to do it.

It is also important to note that there are times when one is suppose to publicize his religious observance - as the Mishnah Brura himself mentions in the same paragraph. The example he gives is of a community which is lenient regarding an established fast. In that situation the Mishnah Brura says that it is a Mitzvah to publicize one's fast. Now, that's not a personal Chumra, but it is an example of one making known his adherence to the Mitzvas in a public manner.

Also, the Beer Hetiv states that if one is fasting in order to do Teshuva that he should publicize that fact so that other people will learn from him to also do Teshuva. And the Piskei Teshuvot also notes that if his sin was a public one then he should also publicize his fast so that people will not suspect him of not doing Teshuva on his sin.

Finally, the Piskei Teshuvot notes that one is allowed to publicize his fast or other pious acts in order hat the members of his household or his students learn from his actions.

The general principle seems to be that it is forbidden to publicize his pious acts/personal chumrot in order to self-aggrandize oneself, but it is acceptable (and some times a Mitzvah) to do so for educational purposes or to protect one's reputation (such as fasting for teshuva).

No, that's not a chumra, that's halachah. It's in sha's.



Yes and no. If you are asked directly, you're in an awkward position because as a general rule we are not supposed to lie. So you may be allowed to tell people you are fasting if you are asked directly because otherwise you would be lying. But it's still laudable to obscure your chumra observance. You can't derive from this MB whether or not you are allowed to speak of your chumra. The MB is only speaking of a case where someone asks you. But in the absence of someone asking you, even according to the MB it may still be prohibited to speak of it and to volunteer the information.

And even though the Mechaber says you are punished only if you publicize it for reasons of self aggrandizement, that doesn't mean it's permitted if your reason isn't self aggrandizement, it just means you aren't necessarily punished. Take a look at the Mechaber's comments in the Beit Yoseph where he is quoting the Tashbetz.


That in fact is the common answer of the [certain demographic] for effectively ignoring the rules of yuhora - we are locked in a battle with the anti-halachasists and therefore we need to bend over backwards to encourage mitzvah observance and apparently that means, in this day and age, showing off our adherence to chumrot.


Yes and no. Take a look at the entire Piskei Teshuvot on this inyan - I would characterize it as it being not forbidden to let your family members know of your chumrot if it's for didactic purposes. And the Piskei Teshuvot says essentially what I said in the opening post, "that in general your chumrot and personal gedarim should be private and not publicized, and perhaps even from your family members."
Note my careful use of the word, "perhaps". The exception being, as you mentioned, if it's for didactic purposes.


Right, I was speaking to the general principle. Of course there are exceptions.