The Crown Heights Beis Din has released a letter of Pesach guidelines for the Crown Heights community.
With regard to the closing of shules, outdoor minyanim, and men’s Mikvaos:
After further consultation with medical experts and civil authorities, we are hereby
EXTENDING THIS CLOSURE into the Yom Tov of Pesach.
Accordingly, until further notice:
1. All Shuls must remain closed over Pesach
2. No-one should gather in any location, indoors or outdoors, to make a minyan for
davening*
3. The men’s Mikvaos must remain closed*
4. Visiting family or friends over Pesach could result in Sakonas Nefashos Mamosh ו”ח
and should not be done. This especially true regarding visiting older people.
5. It is not permitted to gather for burning the chametz this year.
The Rabbonim have issued guidelines to dispose of the ten small pieces of chametz (totaling a
kezayis) found in the search by burning them in a chametz’dike toaster or (charcoal or gas) grill.
If that is not possible, the chametz may be flushed away.
Those who can safely burn their chametz in a tin can in their private backyard are reminded that
Hatzalah has many calls Erev Pesach every year because of burns ל”רח. Please keep your
children at a safe distance from any flame and do not leave the hot can where children
could pick it up.
Remember to make an Eruv Tavshilin.
Since we are not hearing Tal in shul, do we start saying it at Musaf or Mincha?
We begin at mussaf.
Musaf
I am hearing that many families here are STILL planning on family move-ins and get together sedorim. What don‘t they understand about directive #4? Stay home people, look what happened Purim.
Please discuss: Do we say yizkor even though we can’t go to shul and also vsein bracha etc…?
Yes and yes
For the reply
One can say yizkor without being in shul.
Usually there is a Hebrew translation for those who need. Also, not everyone has a smart phone- these people don’t know the updated psak from rabanim and doctors… how do we reach them?
any eitza for tannis bachorois if you don’t have a siyum personally?
my question is answered in the more detailed guide available here: https://asktherav.com/pesach-5780-guides/
You can learn pirkei ovos and make a siyum on that.
there are plenty of phone and Zoom siyumim happening
On asktherav.com, there is a more detailed guideline for Pesach that can be downloaded.
why cant there be a fire outside 770 like every year, drive by and throw it in ? no loitering. no hanging around. stop drop off and go?
Because this year is clearly not like other years.
because burning your chametz will definitely not help us al pi teva in this pandemic. and even if it wont physically endanger us (very big if) it probably will encourage some people to be lax in rules endorsed by hatzolo badatz etc. and according to halacha those rules are pikuach nefesh docha kol hatorah culo
And therefore if there is a public fire there will be large gatherings of groups
People always used to burn their own chometz at home. The only reason for the big fires was because of the fire Dept making sure it is safer…and this year a large gathering would not be safe
better to be safe than sorry…
Just because you got it, you think and assume everyone else got it, stay home! Yes we all want to be with family, it is miserable without them! But stay home! Please!! We are literally killing people by continuing to go out and spread. It is so irresponsible and beyond that.
Last year, when we made ours, the non-Jewish neighbors called the fire department. We were shocked when they showed up.
(Never mind that they run their charcoal grills with lighter fluid permeating the air, etc., but THAT’s OK….)
Why cant we daven outside 6 foot plus from each other at least for kedusha
and it doesn’t stay that way, people end up getting closer and congregating
If you need 2 people to make the eruv tavshilin and are quarantined alone what do you do? (Make it alone? Depend on the one the rav makes for the city? Something else? )
Who said you need 2 people for eruv tavshilin
It’s not actually a halachic requirement to be mezakeh (grant a share of) your eruv tavshilin to anyone else; that’s only if you’re making it on their behalf. So you just make your own, and recite just the berachah and the declaration B’dein Yehei.
And may Hashem help that in the near future you’re not alone anymore.
I hold the food and make it myself
Because it makes a chilul Hashem when people see Jews in public together-not everyone has cars. The fire department does not need to get exposed to people or risk exposing others.During a plague, one is supposed to stay indoors as much as possible.
I would have like the Rabbonim to rule out burning chometz indoors at all as a precautionary measure (the same way they ruled out davening with a minyan even outdoors even distanced) All it takes if for one person to make a mistake or do something not so smart to cause loss of life, property, and to make a chillul hashem for which there will be future repercussions.
If you have bochurim that are not home for pessach, please call to ensure that they will not make fires indoors where they live. One phone call can save a bad situation.
Long lines outside every store are no less danger
Regarding any medical issue, such as Covid+19 the Rabbonim only echo that which Dr. Rosen, Hatzoloh and other doctors say.
From a medical perspective the danger of 100 people waiting on line outside a store, is a far greater exposure level than 1/10th of that, if only 10 people Daven outside, while keeping within the safe limits approved by the CDC, of being at least 6 feet appart.