Which Halachic Opinion to Follow in the Family?
Question
Answer
Shalom!
As a general rule, a woman, upon marriage, adopts the customs of her husband.
The reason for this is that upon entering marriage, a woman becomes part of her husband's family and accordingly follows its traditions. From a halachic perspective, the wife is considered an extension of the husband, as expressed in the principle "ishto kegufo" — "his wife is like himself." A woman adopts her husband's customs regardless of whether they are stricter or more lenient than her previous customs.
However, it should be noted that while the wife should adopt the general customs of her husband, this does not obligate her to take on all his personal stringencies (chumrot). For example, if the husband is stringent and ends Shabbat 72 minutes after sunset (while most end it about 45 minutes after sunset), the wife is not obligated to follow him in this matter and may adhere to the commonly accepted time.