אֵין מְשַׁנִּים מִמִּנְהַג הַמְּדִינָה

ביטוי (אנגלית)

Do not deviate from the custom of the land

הגדרה (אנגלית)

One should not behave differently from what is customary in the country where one is present. When arriving in another country, one should act according to the laws and customs practiced there. 'When in Rome, do as the Romans.'

("One who hires a worker to prune with him or to weed with him with spikes. In a place where the custom is that the produce belongs to him, it is his; and where it belongs to the homeowner, it belongs to the homeowner. And one does not deviate from the custom of the land" – Tosefta Bava Kama (Lieberman), ch. 11. Also: "Even if there is another custom that is better, one must not change from the custom of the land" – Responsa Maharik, siman 9. Also: "A stonecutter – who squares, polishes, or finishes the stone, all according to local custom" – Rabbi Ovadia of Bertinoro, Mishnah Shabbat, ch. 12)