Ledovid Hashem Ori - Making sense out of Minhag

Forwarded with permission from the Author
to me the issue can be sujmmarized as below

I suppose that one's attitude to this will be a function of one's attitude to minhag in general. Do we follow minhag no matter what, or does it need to make sense to me before I adopt it.

KVChT
RRW

We have been discussing the minhag of reciting l'Dovid Hashem Ori at this time of year, and specifically whether it should be said after mincha or after maariv.

<>

I think the divergence in minhagim (after mincha vs.after maariv) is linked to the different minhagim with regard to when to daven maariv. In Ashkenaz, where mincha and maariv were davened together before dark, the end of the service was after maariv. Aleinu was not recited between mincha and maariv. Therefore, l'dovid was added after maariv. This also explains why kehillos Ashkenaz blow the shofar after maariv. In our shul, we have both an early and a later maariv, so the shofar is only blown after the first maariv. By contrast, in places where there was a break between mincha and maariv, l'Dovid was recited after mincha. Of course, my analysis does not preclude RYBS's explanation.

It has always occurred to me that the Mishna Berura, who mentions that l'Dovid is recited after mincha, was reflecting the local minhag Polin where he lived. R. YH Henkin and RMB have pointed out the AhS better reflects minhag Lita than the MB.

Another problematic aspect of the custom to say l'Dovid is that the Gra objected to incorporating any extra chapters of Tehillim in davenen other than shir shel yom, and even then, only one shir (eg on RH). Therefore, the Gaon (in accordance with minhag Ashkenaz) did not say mizmor shir chanukas habayis before p’sukei d’zimra. That being said, the same minhag Frankfurt that does not add L’dovid HaShem Ori or Mizmor Shir Chanukas bayis does add a chapter of Tehillim after shacharis (mizmor l’asaf) and others following maariv.

I stopped saying l'Dovid when I was alerted to the Sabbatean origins of the custom to say it at this time of year. R. M Gluck wrote that he will keep saying it because it has become the minhag. I suppose that one's attitude to this will be a function of one's attitude to minhag in general. Do we follow minhag no matter what, or does it need to make sense to me before I adopt it. Of course, there is a middle ground between those two poles. As far as my position is concerned, it depends which day you catch me on.

Kol tuv
Dov Kay