Make Mincha With a Minyan Now!

by Rabbi Yair Hoffman (a joint VINNEWS and 5TJT.com project)

Many of us are painfully missing the fact that we should not be davening with a minyan anymore.  So here is, perhaps, an innovative way of doing it

Rav Aharon haKohen Pietrokov, the son-in-law of the Chofetz Chaim wrote a sefer called, “Avodas HaKorbanos.”  The Chofetz Chaim himself had commissioned him to write it.  In his preface to the sefer, the Chofetz Chaim cites the Gemorah in Menachos 110a and in Bava Metziah 114b that learning the halachos of the Korbanos is likened to having actually brought them.

In these difficult times of the Coronavirus Pandemic, our Gedolim have told us not to have minyanim.  Based upon the above – perhaps learning two halachos a day about each Tefillah and the halachos of Tefillah b’tzibbur should make it count as if we davened b’minyan.  The goal is to have two halachos posted daily about the topic for each of the three daily Tefilos.  Please check back with us for each tefilah time.

1. A person should always be careful to daven mincha in its proper time and b’tzibbur – with a minyan.  Mincha has much importance, as the Gemorah Brachos 6b tells us  Eliyahu HaNavi was answered specifically at Mincha.  Why is this so?  The answer is, according to the Tur and the Prisha, that Mincha is often in the middle of the day when man is involved in his own pursuits and it requires dedication to stop everything and focus on the davening.  One who does so receives remendous reward.

2. Rav Elyashiv zt”l paskened (Ashrei HaIsh Vol. I p. 279) that it is permitted to lie down before mincha time unless there is a concern that he might oversleep.  In such a case it is only permitted if one appoints a shomer to watch him.  An alarm clock is a sufficient shomer – as is a responsible child.

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