This Past Shabbos in Crown Heights…

From the COLlive inbox: How can we expect Hatzalah to give up their own safety and place their family in jeopardy to treat those who aren't taking precautions simply because they can't fathom not davening with a minyan? Full Story

March 29, 2020 – 4 Nisan 5780

Ourdoor minyan in Crown Heights, last week * Illustration photo

To my dear Crown Heights neighbors,

I am so saddened by the news each day. I’m not referring to global news but rather the news in our community. Each day, I read about the countless people taken to the hospital, the ever-growing Tehillim list, the unfortunate passings of our dear community neighbors.

But there’s something that gives me hope; the boundless chesed that goes on these days; the leadership of our community giving chizuk; the support from the different organizations; the precautions that most of our local establishments have implemented; the tireless work of our Hatzalah members and medical staff. This hope is what keeps me going. This hope solidifies my trust in Hashem. This hope assures me this will end without much more suffering.

And then comes something shocking; two people walking down the block shabbos late morning, with towels around their necks, no doubt talking chassidus on the way home from whatever mikvah they were able to crawl into. A little while later someone else walking down the street looking all satisfied as he just finished davening in a block minyan.

Now, my hope begins to fall apart. My trust in Hashem is now replaced by anger towards man. How can I expect salvation when the people are rejecting it? How can I expect Him to help when people are defying Him?

We have a clear directive from our Rabbonim, we have clear directives from our medical professionals. What more do you want?!?! I have not asked a rov about the following but maybe we need to start a list of people that are joining these minyanim, still going to the mikvah, not taking the necessary precautions and start shaming them in public. They may have a din of a Rodef and publicizing their name is the least we can do. And if this is not allowed, at the very least we should be providing these names to the Hatzalah members so they know which calls to answer and which not.

How can we expect our community members who give up on their own safety and place their family in jeopardy each time they return from a call, to respond to a community member who did not take precautions simply because he couldn’t fathom not davening with a minyan?

To conclude, in the Parshas Vayikra farbrengen of 5732 when the rebbe talked about Mihu Yehudi, the rebbe says that Chilul Hashem is even when the truth is not so but it’s only perceived that way. I can’t imagine a bigger Chilul Hashem than the media picking up on a story that Crown Heights held minyanim in spite of the situation and that’s why the Crown Heights community was hit so hard. Who will take the responsibility for this Chilul Hashem?!

I implore the entire shchuna, please listen to the Rabbonim! Stay at home, daven at home, use the opportunity to concentrate on your davening so that when this is over we will have a new appreciation for davening.

We should all merit to the Geulah immediately!

A caring resident

39

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Guest

100%

Sickening

Guest

picture

2 weeks ago

Guest

picture

before the letter from the rabonim re: minyonim
and all the mispalelim maintained social distance

Guest

ITS STILL GOING ON

THERE IS A MINYAN THAT IS BEING MADE EVERY DAY NEAR MY HOUSE AND NO ONE WANTS TO LISTEN !!!
THEY HAVE A DIN OF A רוצחים !!!!!!!

Guest

Call the police!

Rav Ashkenazi stated unequivocally that people who do not obey the law are murderers and should be reported. If you don’t care about your neighbors, Surely you care about your own family? It isn’t meisera, it’s pikuach nefesh. If you don’t report You are just as guilty.

Guest

Correction

I think it was actually r’yeruslavsky

Guest

Heter

Not that I agree…I’ve heard that the Rabbanim told multiple people out side minyanim are fine…

Guest

it's a lie

anyone that told you that is lying to justify their own behavior.
the rabbonim clearly said that it is osur to make outside minyanim or
any kind. it is not allowed. anyone that does daven at a minyan is davening to his own ego…and going against the torah.

Guest

Excuse me!

Just saying do u evee go out on your porch??? Well i know of blocks that have minyanim while evryone on their own porch! That is totally allowed under all circumstances. Tyvm

Guest

A concern resident

well written.
Please have rachmanus on those hatzalah member who have young children and put their lives in danger just because some people are careless and being chosid shote. Have rachmanus on these hatzalah members and don’t do these foolish things

Guest

social distance

One of the rabbonim verified that if the mispalilaim maintain social distance of six feet there is no issue.

Guest

Publicize the name

The Rabbonim all publicly signed a Psak stating otherwise, publicize the name of these so called Rabbonim. Otherwise as i believe there are no such Rabbonim willing to go on record stating that.

Guest

post should scare us all into compliance

the post just before this one says it all:

Today’s Levayas in Crown Heights

i think that should scare us all into compliance….

Guest

One Hashem

The same gd who told you to daven with a minyan, told you to listen to rabbonim.

Guest

small point

It is estimated that after someone recovers from the virus they are immune for at least 2 years. (Dr. Fauci has been saying this on many tv interviews). that said, it is very possible that the people davening with the minyan are in fact, people who recovered from the virus. that would actually make a lot of sense as nobody really thinks that the quarantining will end with everybody at once. it’ll be incremental with the people who were infected and recovered being the first to not distance. Because crown height was one of America’s first badly hit areas, plus… Read more »

Guest

Enough already

Enough with the chidushim and little assumptions. No minyanim means means no minyanim as simple as that

Guest

common

really? do you really think that every single person by these pop-up minyanim are people who already recovered from the virus? that’s profoundly nuts! furthermore, until you test negative you are still possibly shedding the virus and are thus capable of infecting others. you are part of the problem of the mageifa that has been literally killing us

Guest

no one special

Q: Can people who recover from COVID-19 be infected again?

A: The immune response to COVID-19 is not yet understood. Patients with MERS-CoV infection are unlikely to be re-infected shortly after they recover, but it is not yet known whether similar immune protection will be observed for patients with COVID-19.

Guest

Additionally...

Feeling better does not mean the virus completely passed.. quote from Bloomberg news: “Patients with the new coronavirus keep the pathogen in their respiratory tract for as long as 37 days, a new study found, suggesting they could remain infectious for many weeks.” Also, even in the unlikely case that someone is certain that they are no longer contagious, there is a matter of being a role model to others… our saves have enacted huge portions of our Halacha are based on the sole precept of “what if someone sees and learns from it”… anyone who learned Gemara knows that.… Read more »

Guest

Heter?

There is no heter. You ‘heard’ that the Rabonim said this? From who, someone who wants to believe it?

People have to stop thinking that they are invincible. Only Gd is invincible, and he is showing it.

Guest

100%

There are 2 types of Jews: One cares about a minyan, the other cares about Hashem! (and Hashem’s kinderlach)

Guest

Berel

Wow! Well said. Priceless!

Guest

Not immune

Even if someone who recovers from the virus is immune, all that means is he/she will not get sick again. But if they go out among people they can easily pick up the virus again and then transmit it to others without knowing.

Guest

Time to be machmir

All those who are trying to find a heter To make a minyon.even if its 2 meters away from each other, I samll wind can transfer the virus. Even if most studies show, and the chance is slim, even if most ppl had the virus. Maybe someone didn’t get it yet. When it comes to pikuach nefesh. And ahavas yisrael. Guys, this is the time and place to make chumros. More then chometz on pesach. Ppl go crazy on chumros all the time. Pikuach nefesh is doche HAKOL!!!! We know the consequences now, no one can say I didn’t realize.… Read more »

Guest

Dan l'chaf zechus

Before you decide that your neighbor is transgressing the rabonnim, at least ask the rabonnim if the specific thing they’re doing is wrong.

For example, I called the rav about a minyan I was asked to join by standing alone on my porch. Your article does not seem in line with the Rav’s response.

And the guys with “towels” around their necks: how do you know they weren’t scarves?!? It was cold and rainy on Shabbos!

Guest

Thank you so much for speaking up!!!

I feel like evryone is talking while they dont know what they are speaking about!! I know plenty of blocks which have miyanim with each guy on his own porch. Make sure you know exactly what the rabbonim said and exactly what the people are doing before you call them a rodeif!! And say they are going against the rabbonim!!

Guest

Just a thought...

If hilchos shabbos dont apply when saving a life, as we know HATZALA DRIVES ON SHABBOS…. and SHABBOS is DOIRISA, then shouldnt we see the need to give up minyan for the meantime. And ofcourse that should be hard and painful, but needs to be done…. with hope to be back to regular life with all of us!!!

Guest

Take a deep breath

many of us had the illness and got better already. Many more were exposed and never got sick. AFter being symptom free for 3 days (or quarantined for 2 weeks), these people are not putting anybody in danger. Look at Dr. Rosen’s latest updates. He said those that got better should go outside and get some fresh air. With so many cases in CH right after Purim, almost all of us were exposed to the virus already in shul, school, mivtzoyim, parties, etc. By the time those in charge started calling for social distancing, the game was over. Now, we… Read more »

Guest

3 days?

You can be a silent carrier for 2 weeks!

Guest

Fact check

2 weeks before getting sick. Once you get sick, you’re not so silent anymore… One who became sick and is 3 days post symptoms can leave quarantine. Additionally, one who was exposed should quarantine for 2 weeks in case they are a silent carrier. Afterwards, they can leave quarantine. This is what the CDC said, and our Drs are following that, and our rabbonim said to listen.

Guest

Minaynim on their own porcges

If was confirmed with many rabonim and dr.s that minyanim that everyone stays on their own porch is okay and allowed

If u say u can’t have a minyan on your own porches then that means nobody can ever go on their porches

Guest

Exactly!

People, get your facts straight!

Guest

Please read and take to heart.

And in my humble opinion, it’s important for us nowadays, to be careful to be melamed zchus on everyone and not criticize and call people names. Please — don’t judge anyone, it’s not good for anyone!! May the Aibishter have rachmanus on all of his children — and let us show Him that we unequivocally love one another!! Please!

Guest

This is the ultimate truth!

You are right about everything you wrote in the article but more correct and right is to overcome ALL that bring us to judge or chvsh look negatively on another Jew even if our logic is sound and our view point the absolute truth don’t use your truth as a dagger to kill or harm another Jew, that is the ultimate and most intricate test in all of this! Ahavas chinom, it’s so hard so tricky, we’ve been working on it for over 2000 years

Guest

Put thins into context

If people are on each of their porches and there is plenty of place in between them, then what’s the problem? it’s 100% safe. If, however, people are making a minyan outside and they are not careful about 6 feet in between them that’s not OK and it’s dangerous. I am not saying that people should make minyanim now but if people are doing it in a safe way with plenty of space in between please don’t be מוציא לעז on them.

Guest

I thought Jewish people had higher IQ

What happened to the idea that Jewish people have a much higher IQ, that we are so intelligent? I am disappointed at the level of stupidity that some Jews are showing by ignoring not only the Beis Din (which means they are not really religious) but also ignoring the law (which means they are criminals).

Guest

Everyone, Please be more careful!

It’s not worth it. Please just stay home. I don’t live in CH, and where I live it looks like we are flattening the curve, but all the shuls are closed, there are no minyanim. We need to think about others, not just ourselves. If you are immune, Baruch Hashem you recovered, but please volunteer to help those are sick. Also, I agree, this is a big chilul Hashem. We are better than this. this is not going to bring Moshiach sooner. Please everyone! It is serious! You are not immune because you haven’t got it yet! Don’t you see… Read more »

Guest

Yossel

For all those who say that a Rov said it’s OK to daven outside, please publish a copy of that psak! Otherwise we need to go by the latest letter from the Bais Din, which says outside Minyanim are Ossur!

Guest

Minyonim, groups during COVID-19

There are a few reasons why EVERYONE has to listen to the stay at home order. 1 Because you could possibly KILL somebody or yourself. 2 Because the government says so and if it doesn’t violate Torah, we NEED to listen. 3 Even if you have already had COVID 19 and think your immune, others don’t know and will follow your example. 4 The media will see what your doing and you will be front page news. Think about how DANGEROUS that would be in this volatile situation. If you don’t listen, you have blood on your hands. This is… Read more »