coronavirus Archives | Rosh Yeshiva Responds

31 01, 2021

Conducting Medical Tests on a Corpse After It Has Expired

January 31st, 2021|Death and Dying, Science and Medical Ethics, Yoreh De'ah|

QUESTION

New York, NY

A not yet למעשה question: New York State requires that when hospital patients die with COVID-19 or influenza as a cause of death, the hospital must provide documentation of a nasopharyngeal swab from within the previous 14 days. If no qualifying test took place and there isn’t a swab collected before the patient died that can have additional testing done, the clinical team is instructed to swab the מת. Am I remembering correctly that this presents a halakhic problem? Should the family prevent this if they are able?

30 01, 2021

May a Son Say HaTov VeHaMeitiv When His Father Receives the COVID-19 Vaccine

January 30th, 2021|Berakhot, Orach Chayim|

QUESTION

Chicago, IL

A congregant’s father who has serious medical conditions is scheduled to get the COVID-19 vaccine tomorrow. When he hears the confirmed news of his father receiving the vaccine, could he say a berakhah of shevach and hoda’ah? Would HaTov VeHaMeitiv or HaGomel be appropriate?

ANSWER

As to the question itself HaTov VeHaMeitiv would not be the correct berakhah, as that is only when something directly happens to you. See my teshuva about reciting a berakhah when receiving the vaccine.

The question is do you

25 01, 2021

Checking Email on Shabbat to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine

January 25th, 2021|Choleh, Orach Chayim, Prohibitions|

QUESTION

New York, NY

Shabbat and getting vaccine question:

A person who works in a healthcare setting and thus has high vaccine status and is at somewhat heightened risk themselves, will get an email at some point telling them that the vaccine is available and to sign up immediately, first come first serve, before it runs out. They have already missed one such opportunity because the last email happened to come on Shabbat.

Can they check their phone on Shabbat, for such emails, which may or may not

24 01, 2021

Keriat Megillah With Multiple Klafim

January 24th, 2021|Orach Chayim, Purim|

QUESTION

Baltimore, MD

Rebbe, thank you for the thorough answers to my many keriat HaMegillah questions. The possibility of a Zoomer being shown a klaf over Zoom is quite intriguing and would be a huge deal for us, as we have folks (women in particular) for whom reading megillah is a major point of engagement and who are not able to attend outdoor services for different reasons. They do not own their own klaf, but the possibility of allowing them to participate would be a very big deal for them personally and for our shul to be

25 12, 2020

Reporting Jewish Businesses for Not Following COVID Protocols

December 25th, 2020|Choshen Mishpat|

QUESTION

Brooklyn, NY

Can a Jew report a Jewish business to 311 for not following COVID protocols?

ANSWER

I am assuming that the punishment for such violations is some form of fine / closure and not imprisonment. As such, it is by almost all accounts, permissible and does not fall into the category of moser. Added to this, there is an element of kiddush HaShem, given the public reporting of frum Jews violating these protocols – to have a frum Jew take them seriously is quite important.

22 11, 2020

Indoor Minyans if Prohibited by the State

November 22nd, 2020|Choshen Mishpat, Shacharit, Mincha and Ma'ariv|

QUESTION

Los Angeles, CA

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

31 10, 2020

Receiving an Aliyah From Your Seat

October 31st, 2020|Keriat HaTorah, Orach Chayim|

QUESTION

New York, NY

When taking an aliyah from one’s seat and not standing next to the ba’al korei, should the oleh read the text from their chumash? Or is it better to just stand there and listen intently?

ANSWER

I don’t see any (halakhic) benefit in reading from the chumash. I actually think it is worse if it disconnects you from the connection to the reading itself.

Not looking in the Sefer Torah is based on the discussions around a blind person, and ultimately relies

29 10, 2020

Sheva Berakhot Over Zoom

October 29th, 2020|Berakhot, Even HaEzer, Kiddushin and Ketubah|

QUESTION

Brooklyn, NY

Zoom questions: Counting in a minyan for Sheva Berakhot? Either way, leading a berakhah?

ANSWER

What a good question. I have dealt with it several times already. It depends on whether you think that the 10 of Sheva Berakhot has a din of a minyan, or of rabim. If the latter, I think Zoom could work. But if the latter, then women should definitely count, so I think you need to be consistent (you can decide which way).

As to leading a berakhah, let us assume you have

24 10, 2020

Saying Kiddush Levanah Before Tzeit HaKokhavim

October 24th, 2020|Orach Chayim|

QUESTION

Westchester, NY

Given the circumstances of not gathering in groups and not davening Ma’ariv after Tzeit on מצש״ק, would the Rosh Yeshiva recommend saying ברכת הלבנה at first sight of the new moon until ב״ה things change?

ANSWER

Absolutely. If you don’t say it in shul (as it were), no one will remember to say it. The language of Rema (Shulchan Arukh OC 426:1) is אין לקדש אלא בלילה בעת שהלבנה זורחת ונהנין מאורה – so:

The language is not strictly saying it doesn’t count, just that

7 10, 2020

Unrolling the Entire Sefer Torah on Simchat Torah

October 7th, 2020|Keriat HaTorah, Orach Chayim, Sefer Torah|

QUESTION

Maryland, USA

I see a lot of non-Orthodox shuls have a practice of unrolling the Torah entirely on Simchat Torah (I think this started with the Renewal movement). Is this a kavod to the Torah or it a bizayon to the Torah? Are there any halakhic issues with this practice?

ANSWER

Regarding holding the entire Torah open – the first and primary concern that I would have is the issur to hold the klaf of the sefer Torah directly with your hands, based on Shabbat 14a, that a person cannot hold a sefer

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