6 Halachic Questions (And Answers) on Missing Shul

AskTheRav, a service of the Beis Din of Crown Heights and the Vaad Hakohol of Crown Heights, is overseen by Rabbi Yosef Braun, a member of the Beis Din.

This week, they compiled a useful list of halachic questions that are being asked while people are confined to their homes and shuls are not holding minyanim because of COVID-19.

1. What is the ideal way to daven when one is in quarantine?

Teffilah Betzibur can be done by joining in and Davening at the time the Tzibur are Davening, preferably at the time you know a specific Minyan is Davening, such as via 770Live.

You can answer Amen, Kaddish, and Kedusha on 770Live, over the phone (718-682-0770) but not via the website, due to a short delay between the minyan and the broadcast. see here:

Am I able to answer to נקדישך, אמן יהא through the phone or live video?

Clarification: One can answer Amen, Kaddish, and Kedusha on 770live, over the phone (718-682-0770) but not via the website, due to a short delay.

2. May I answer Amen to a Brachah heard via Webcam?

There was a massive Shul in Alexandria, Egypt, the Gemara relates, with a hall that held over one million people. Since it was so large that it was impossible to hear the Chazzan (prayer leader) from one end of the Shul to the other, the Gabbai (Shul attendant) stood on the Bimah (central stage in a Shul) and waved a flag when the time came to answer “Amen,” signaling the entire congregation to respond.

Many centuries have passed since that Jewish community of Alexandria was decimated by Roman forces, and little remains of the ruins of their magnificent Shul. What might be learned from the unusual practice of the Gabbai of Alexandria two thousand years ago?

Radio, telephone and internet communication have advanced to the point that it is now possible to hear Havdalah, Megillah and Brachos from a distant location. Is a person permitted to answer “Amen” when hearing a Brachah from a voice that reaches them remotely?

Halachic authorities have extrapolated from the story of the Alexandria Shul that it is not necessary to actually hear a Brachah to answer “Amen”—it is sufficient to be aware that it was recited. It is therefore permitted to answer “Amen” via the telephone, webcam, FaceTime or the like, as long as the listener is certain that there is no significant delay in the transmission.

But what about Havdalah and Megillah? Is a person able to be Yotze (fulfill a Mitzvah obligation) virtually? Halachah discusses issues du jour based on existing knowledge of science and mechanics. Though in the past some Poskim allowed remote “listening” to participate in these rituals, most authorities today reject this conclusion. The previous generation worked with the information provided to them by the experts of yesteryear; now we have more sophisticated data to interpret the function of technological apparatus. Therefore, maintain most contemporary Poskim, since it’s common knowledge today that the sound emanating from an electronic device is not “live,” but converted to digital voice (or a mechanical one, in the case of a corded phone or a radio), a person cannot fulfill their religious duty of “listening” to Havdalah, Megillah or the like from a loudspeaker or a screen, but must hear it from a live human being.

3. May/should one go to Mikveh if they are in quarantine?

Women’s Mikvah:
A woman who is quarantine should not go to Mikvah. In addition, stay posted with the guidelines of your local Mikvah.

Men’s Mikvah:
A man who can not go to the Mikvah, can use tish’ah kabin of water – according to many opinions, this method can be achieved by taking a shower for several minutes. [For more information on this, see here]. A bath can also be used.

Another option would be to learn a perek of Mishnayos in Maseches Mikvaos.

4. What to do when you can’t hear Kriah?

When one does not have a Sefer Torah (or no Minyan) on a Yom Hakriah, is there an Inyan to read the Kriah from a Siddur/Chumash?

One who did not hear Krias Hatorah should read that Parsha himself from a Chumash. This applies to both Shabbos (Shachris & Mincha) as well as to Monday & Thursday.

5. How can we make up Krias Hatorah (Tashlumin) once this epidemic is over?

If a tzibur missed krias hatorah on shabbos, they can make it up on the following shabbos. The best way to do so is, by reading for the 1st aliyah the entire previous parsha (e.g. ki sisa) along with the 1st aliyah of this week’s parsha (e.g. vayakhel/pekudei).

If the tzibur missed the reading of vayakhel/pekudei, the 1st aliyah should be the entire vayakhel/pekudei, and the 2nd aliyah should begin vayikra. Subsequently, the regular order of aliyos should continue (i.e. 7 + maftir should be of vayikra).

Regarding parshas parah: On the following week they should take out 3 sifrei torah. In the first they should read as stated above (para. 1), in the 2nd they should read parshas parah, and in the 3rd they should read parshas hachodesh. Kaגdish should be said between the 2nd and 3rd.

6. My 12 year old asked me if there was ever a time like this in Jewish history where a minyan was not allowed? Have Jews stopped minyanim during the Black Plague or Spanish flu?

Although this is NOT the basis, there clearly were many such times in history.

It’s a clear Gemara and brought as a psak halacha also by the Alter Rebbe that in a time of plague all must remain sealed in their homes. Rava made sure the windows were closed too. Obviously, with all people sealed at home there was no minyan.

There were other considerations. I prefer not to share in detail as I’ve unfortunately seen the yetzer hara work overtime in creating excuses why this doesn’t apply to so and so based on far fetched arguments.

We often find in halacha that in places where there is concern that people will take lightly the edicts, we are enjoined not to disclose the reasoning.

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For more questions and answers, visit AsktheRav.com