The Jewish Eye
Zecher L'Churban: Leaving A Wall Opposite The Doorway In Your House Unpainted (Amah Al Amah)
The Shulchan Aruch paskens that you must leave a space of an Amah by and Amah unpainted opposite your front door. The Mishna Brura and many recent Acharonim all try to justify the fact that most people do not keep this minhag today. All of these arguments are admittedly weak justifications and include fear of the goyim and a different kind of paint than what the gemara referred to.
Many gedolim always kept this minhag. In Eretz Yisroel most people keep this minhag as well. Rav Binyamin Zilber in his sefer Az Nidbiru notes that it is ironic how in Eretz Yisroel where we don't need any reminders about the Churban since it is always before us we keep this minhag. Yet in Chutz La'aretz where people build their lives and homes without giving thought to the possibility of Moshiach's imminent arrival they do not bother with this important minhag.
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