Rosh Yeshiva Responds
Rabbi Linzer answers halakhic questions from rabbis and community members
While davening on military duty, I was called away to deal with a security situation in the middle of tefillah. I finished Shema while putting away my tefillin. About an hour and a half later I became available to finish my tefillah.
Where should I resume?
What is the guidance for future situations like this?
Can a woman or child blow the shofar at the end of Shacharit during Elul?
I have not found much discussion of this question in the poskim. For some background, there is a widespread Ashkenazi minhag (custom) to blow the shofar at the end of Shacharit during the month of Elul (Rema, Orach Chayim 581:1). The purpose of this practice is not to fulfill the Torah mitzvah of shofar, which applies on Rosh Hashanah, but rather to awaken us spiritually as we prepare for the Yamim Nora’im (Tur OH 581). The sound of the shofar reminds us that Rosh Hashanah is
In our shul, we currently have Mincha on Shabbat right after Kiddush. I’m trying to keep it going as long as possible because our minyanim are slim, especially if it involves coming back out in the cold to a shul that currently does not offer seudah shelishit.
Due to the time of Mincha Gedola, we have a sizable time gap between Kiddush and Mincha. We have already moved Shacharit as late as possible and I give a small shiur to fill part of the gap, but some congregants are unhappy. We currently begin Ashrei in time to reach Mincha Gedola by the Amidah.
I daven in a backyard minyan that typically only meets on Friday nights. We also gather for Yom Tov Mincha-Ma’ariv. Often on motzei yom tov we cannot keep a minyan for Ma’ariv as some men don’t want to wait and end up leaving after Mincha.
Would it be permissible to daven Ma’ariv early betzibur? (The Beit Yosef OC 293 says it’s ok for a yachid when there’s tzorekh, but I believe it is clear that this would apply for a tzibur. As well, I wonder if whether or not losing a
Rabbi Linzer, would you say that states where all indoor gatherings are prohibited, to hold a minyan indoors would violate Dina DeMalkhuta?
My county just issued an order that, “Outdoor gatherings remain the only gatherings permitted, and they must only include 15 people maximum who are members of no more than 3 households.”
My shul only gathers outdoors, distanced, masks, no aliyot etc, but we are about 25 people and 20 different households. Although we are being extremely careful, would this mean that it is now
Rosh Yeshiva Responds
Rabbi Dov Linzer will be answering shailas from YCT rabbis and community members on video each week.
