A newly minted rabbi was hired by a congregation. A few weeks into his tenure was the Shabbes where the 10 commandments are read. Half the congregation stood. Half remained sitting. The people who were standing began to yell at the people who were sitting, saying that the tradition in the congregation is to stand, while the half who was sitting said that no, the tradition is to sit. This went on for about half an hour, before the rabbi instructed the cantor to begin reading, and just try to read above the sound of people arguing. They eventually stopped yelling, and half stood, while half sat.
Later that week, the rabbi decided to meet with the oldest living member of the congregation, a Chaim Lippman, 98, who lived in the home for aged Jews. Surely he would remember what the congregation’s tradition was.
The rabbi went and sat by Mr. Lippman’s bedside, and explained his problem: he told how half the congregation was standing, and yelling at the half who was sitting, and half was sitting, and yelling at the half who was standing, until he finally had to ask the cantor to chant over them.
The rabbi finished with “So, I appeal to you, Mr. Lipppman, as our oldest congregant; what is our tradition?”
Mr. Lippman smiled wryly. “What you saw,” he said, “IS our tradition.”