Five Towns/Far Rockaway Rabbis Issue Their Ruling on Minyanim

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NEW YORK (Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com) — Enclosed is a letter from the Rabbis of the Five Towns/Far Rockaway community that is a result of a meeting that occurred this week.

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It should be noted that in another letter from Rav Chaim Kanievsky shlita – to be posted soon, he writes regarding all Chutz La’Aretz communities that they MUST LISTEN to their local Rabbonim.  Hopefully this will be posted soon!

YH

To reach the author contact [email protected]

BS”D

Rosh Chodesh I’yar 5780, 15 B’Omer / April 24, 2020

Lichvod the Wonderful Members of our Far Rockaway and Five Towns Community שיחיו,

We sincerely hope that this letter finds you all managing well under the current difficult circumstances, and we daven continuously that HaKB”H send all Acheinu B’nei Yisroel the refuos, nechamos, and yeshuos for which we all so truly yearn.

There has recently been much discussion regarding the loosening of social distancing restrictions. We would like to specifically address herein the numerous calls and requests that have been presented to all our community Rabbanim regarding outdoor Minyanim.

Many individuals have been asking Rabbanim to demonstrate leadership by issuing clear guidelines for the establishment of safe outdoor Minyanim. We all understand that Tefilla Bi’Tzibbur is a crucial imperative for Klal Yisroel, especially in a time of crisis, and that davening together could provide us the זכויות and the connection that we so desperately need. People are requesting that Rabbanim, in conjunction with medical professionals, create guidelines for safe and legal Minyanim in our neighborhoods, with all participants wearing masks at safe distances, perhaps on separate properties, with safeguards in place to ensure that there is no significant risk.

We, the undersigned Rabbanim and Roshei Yeshivos, after much thought and careful consideration, feel obligated to communicate- in unequivocal terms- our united decision to reinforce our previous mandate, and bid our community against the creation of any Minyanim, as well as to cease unauthorized Minyanim. This includes porches, front-/backyard, Minyanim– with no exceptions whatsoever. We will continue to reassess and reanalyze this decision on a regular and ongoing basis as new developments unfold.

Pikuach Nefesh is the greatest imperative in the Torah, and overrides almost any other Mitzva. Although on an individual level it may be possible to safeguard against risk, it is impossible to allow the establishment of Minyanim across a community without also accepting the unavoidable violations of safety guidelines and inadvertent health risks that will inevitably result (especially with hundreds davening three times a day, every day). כל המקיים נפש אחת מישראל…כאילו קיים עולם מלא– סנהדרין לז. Easing the prohibition would be, at the very minimum, a Sa’fek Pi’kuach Nefesh that could endanger participants, and could increase the likelihood of illness and loss of life in our community, chalila vi’chas. And this simply cannot be allowed. At this point in time, this overarching principle is docheh the imperatives of Tefilla B’tzibbur, Aveilim reciting Kaddish, and many other Halachos. We call upon each and every member of our community to adhere to the safeguards that are essential for the protection of us all. Let us do our absolute utmost in following the Torah’s mandate of ונשמרתם מאד לנפשותיכם.

Our responsibility to be proactive and vigilant against any possibility of health risk and sakanah extends to far more than just Minyanim. It should be obvious that if we have taken this extraordinary step of temporarily being mi’vatel Tefilla B’Tzibbur in order to save lives, we most certainly must be extra cautious when shopping and engaging in any other activity outside the home. We strongly urge our community to not only adhere scrupulously to all laws and protocols regarding social distancing, but also to exhibit extra zehirus and care to stay within your homes, and to limit any outside social interactions- even while wearing masks- to only that which is extremely important, absolutely necessary, and truly unavoidable. This includes avoiding trips into restaurants and other situations of potential exposure that are not truly essential.

We know that current conditions have been extremely difficult. We truly commiserate and are in constant deliberation how best to make the matzav more bearable. Please take comfort in the fact that, B’Ezras Hashem, your admirable efforts and sacrifices have made a dramatic difference: you have saved, and will IY”H continue to save, countless lives.

Yi’yasher Ko’chachem for all your tremendous concern, patience, and understanding. !חזק חזק ונתחזק

We will get through this crisis together as a unified community, with abundant Siyata Dishmaya each and every day IY”H. Let us continue to give the Ribbono Shel Olam נחת רוח in carrying out Ratzon Hashem at this time, and merit to emerge from this crisis stronger and better than ever before.

With boundless love, profound care and concern, and sincere admiration for this incredible and special community,

56 Roshei Yeshivos and Rabbanim in the Five Towns/Far Rockaway/Bayswater Community- in alphabetical order:

R’ Shalom Axelrod

R’ Yaakov Bender

R’ Dovid Bender

R’ Hershel Billet

R’ Yisroel Meir Blumenkrantz

R’ Meyer Bodner

R’ Simcha Bondi

R’ Meir Braunstein

R’ Dov Bressler

R’ Moshe Brown

R’ Pinchas Chatzinoff

R’ Shaul Chill

R’ Ariel Edelstein

R’ Menachem Feifer

R’ Aaron Feigenbaum

R’ Eytan Feiner

R’ Yaakov Feitman

R’ Eliezer Feuer

R’ Tzvi Flaum

R’ Binyamin Forst

R’ Yitzchok Frankel

R’ Aryeh Zev Ginzberg* (per his family as a zchus)

R’ Daniel Glatstein

R’ Dr. Aaron Glatt

R’ Nosson Greenberg

R’ Kenneth Hain

R’ Simcha Hopkovitz

R’ Yaakov Horowitz

R’ Naftali Jaeger

R’ Yudi Jeger

R’ Muttel Katz

R’ Moshe Zev Katzenstein

R’ Aryeh Lebowitz

R’ Simcha Lefkowitz

R’ Yoni Levin

R’ Avi Miller

R’ Motti Neuburger

R’ Uri Orlian

R’ Yechiel Yitzchok Perr

R’ Ephraim Polakoff

R’ Zvi Ralbag

R’ Isaac Rice

R’ Elysha Sandler

R’ Shay Schachter

R’ Yehuda Septimus

R’ Aaron Stein

R’ Asher Stern

R’ Mordechai Stern

R’ Moshe Teitelbaum

R’ Yaakov Trump

R’ Shmaryahu Weinberg

R’ Moshe Weinberger

R’ Pinchus Weinberger

R’ Akiva Willig

R’ Eliyahu Wolf

R’ Zalman Wolowik

R’ Mordechai Yaffe

As a P.S.

We must all do our absolute utmost– especially at this critical time, in the midst of a true “eis tzara“– to avoid any machlokes or strife in our community. One may certainly report an unauthorized Minyan to his Rav, but he should not engage in any negative behavior, malicious activity, threats, or machlokes of any kind. Let us work together to be marbeh Kevod Shamayimbi’shalom each and every day.


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69 Comments
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Boris
Boris
3 years ago

What Time should we daven shachris on shabbos? Should we all daven the same time? Or is it OK if I roll out of bed when I start seeing the kishka?

Anon
Anon
3 years ago

I see R’ Aryeh Zev Ginzberg’s name on the list. Not related to the article, but does anyone have an update on the Ravs condition? The last news I saw early this month was that The Rav needs a major Refuah. Has there been any change in the Ravs condition? Should we still be davening for the Ravs refuah?

Stevens
3 years ago

Rabbi Horowitz and VIN won’t stop posting about rabbi’s banning minyanim, and that’s fine as every rabbi has the right to pasken as he sees fit, but the attitude that everybody has to follow those specific rabbonim is outrageous, nobody in Williamsburg or in boro Park is obligated to follow the rabbonim in five towns opinions, Rabbi Horowitz which always preaches about peace and love and to diminish machlokes, what happened that now nobody can have a different opinion than him, any Rav that doesn’t go along with his line of thought becomes a rotzaiach or rodef, rabbi yechezkel Roth who is considered one of the biggest poskim says you should daven with a minyan and do many rabbonim, why suddenly all this hate and no difference of opinion? Rabbi Horowitz knows that he differs in many things with rabbonim, and it’s being respected, now suddenly nobody can disagree with him?!

huge
huge
3 years ago

Now that is the way it is supposed to be done. Daas torah, unity. Not with some random doctor coming out and screaming that your all cowards for davening with a minyan. All the best.

Simple Jew
Simple Jew
3 years ago

I send this message to you as a Hatzolah member for 25 years. Every neighborhood in NYC should get together and send out the same message. People think things are over and better and they are becoming lax. Now more then ever is the time to be vigilant or all of the deaths we have experienced will have been for nothing. Good Shabbos to all and be same and healthy.

Honest
Honest
3 years ago

No no no. One that davens in a legal safe backyard minyan on private property is a rodef and rotziach and deserves a missa mishuneh. And then we wonder why the goyim hate us!

Sam holtzberg
Sam holtzberg
3 years ago

There is no unity, there are alot of rabbis that didn’t sign and even the ones that have their name down didn’t agree (r ginzburg for 1 didn’t sign and I personal know of a few more) mashiach can come all the politics stop and the rabbis can talk for their own congregation and not put pressure on others to follow in their path

Boris
Boris
3 years ago

I feel bad for that doctor, when he called the minyanim in lakewood cowards and no one should be mishadich with them, he meant well, but unfortunately was misinformed. The lay out of our housing complexes where every house has thier own deck in the back, as well as decks from the houses around the corner, gave us the legal right, according to our poskim as well, to daven, as long as each family remained on thier own porch. There was no breach of social distancing what so ever, but he meant well, and we shower the Dr. With our blessings and best wishes (and of course we didn’t have any kiddush)

Mudcha Isaac
Mudcha Isaac
3 years ago

It’s so unfortunate that the Klal can’t be trusted to carry out minyonim with proper distancing etc. which is causing the rabbonim to come out and ban all minyonim even porch and outdoor social distancing minyonim.
May the tefilos of yechidim be evelated to those of a tzibur and may Hashem bring us all personal and collective yeshuvos bizchus us listening to our rabbonim.

Shloima
Shloima
3 years ago

I can’t believe I’m watching many people go into the mikvah now, here in b. P. don’t they realize there are some aini yehudys that live on the block as well?

Hershel
Hershel
3 years ago

Just wondering why everybody is sooo busy screaming about the minyunim and all other devurim shabikdusha and nobody mentions a word about the supermarkets (people standing on line and not keeping to social distances) the pizza shops on motzie Y’T and so on. Is it the lack of social distance that bothers them? Or perhaps the davening with minyan??

Boris
Boris
3 years ago

By the way, that’s alef bais.. If people are disturbing others from thier davening.. That’s a whole different animal. People need seichel, to realize thier not the only ones in the world. Same is if you doubt park and shter all other drivers because your ran into a Minyan, bishvili nivra holam, my rebbi reb nosson tzvi finkle used to cry out always “Mir daft trachtin vegin yenem”

Say it like it is
Say it like it is
3 years ago

As long as everyone realizes each rov paskens for his community. In GA they may have minyanim with social distancing in place for shabbos but it would not be appropriate for a rov in NYC which is TOTALLY nuts to assur it there.
We arent 1 size fits all.

Big Mosh
Big Mosh
3 years ago

Yes,

fellow yiden, please limit your going to grocery to only once a week and if possible please order by phone or online.

And when you do go to the grocery please be careful to wear your mask & gloves at all times.
try not to touch any items but the ones you’re buying

And of course don’t go shopping for things that’s possible to do without, without endangering your life.

If we don’t daven with minyen we should at least provide the same due diligence to materialistic matters.
just for the sake of giving kuvod to Hashem (besides saving lives)

Anonymous
Anonymous
3 years ago

If a group of rabbanim put out a letter allowing minyonim of some sort would vin publish it?

Big Mosh
Big Mosh
3 years ago

A true nicely written letter and they have a good point too. ( my rabbi thinks likewise)

But I respect The Rabbis who have a different view as well. And I respect their view too. (that outside minyen is ok as long you observe socia….)

The_Truth
The_Truth
3 years ago

Take yourself back to Rosh Hashona & Yom Kippur; Could you have imagined that there would be a time when the Rabbonim would say not to go out to Daven with a Minyan, but the people would not listen and still go out, putting themselves (and others) in a sakonas nefoshos to go and daven with a minyan!
Olam hafoch!

anonymous
anonymous
3 years ago

“Everybody is so busy…Dvorim sebkdusha.. Maybe in normal times, today is Dvorim Asurim by the Rabbonim. Supermarkets were not asured by any of the Rabbonim above. Any more questions? Just maybe Hashem closed down the Minyonem , Mikveh etc for a reason and not supermarkets. The loshan Hore,(men and Woman) what goes on in many Shuls is a good reason to close them. I never heard a single Loson Hore at Walmart.

Toras Moishe
Toras Moishe
3 years ago

I will just follow my Rabbis. Rabbi Dr Joseph Karo and Rabbi Dr Moses Issrelis. And what do they say? …drumbeat… You should daven with a minyan!!! No, it is not a choice of minyan or sakonas nefoshos, chas vesholom. With reasonable efforts, a safe social distancing minyan can be set up in every backyard. Another news: you can walk and chew gum at the same time.

huge
huge
3 years ago

Agreed. EVERYONE should follow their rabbi/posek…whoever they usually follow. There is absolutely no need for any machloksim on the matter. If ur rav says daven with a minyan with the proper guidelines – than do so, and if he says don’t – than don’t do so. Its that simple. For a doctor to come out screaming about it – I don’t give a flip about his emotional feelings on the matter – is totally out of place and wrong. They are not daas torah. Period. Follow ur rabbi/posek. And live and let live. All the best.

Jihad
Jihad
3 years ago

Anonymous..just wondering if you say the morning service with the sunrise or you just giving out free advice and bashing a whole Community such as Lakewood and monsey. I am also wondering if you are studying the talmud as much as the what you called leidigaiers in lakewood.i I am also wondering since you are proficient in the code of Jewish law what exactly does the Jewish laWs say pertaining to one that Slanders an entire Community such as Lakewood or monsey
???. Since in reality you are an ignorant I will tell you it says they can never obtain forgiveness unless they ask forgiveness of each and every person good luck kid

Moose
Moose
3 years ago

My comment is not about minyan, rabbis, doctors or mikvehs.
I am aghast and hurt at all the rude and shameful and gratuitous insults!!!
Rule of thumb; if u need to use insults or to raise your voice then ur argument is deficient.
And if you use it gratuitously then your character is deficient.
What ever happened to mentch-lech-kiet?!!!!!!

Moose
Moose
3 years ago

My comment is not about minyan, rabbis, doctors or mikvehs.
I am aghast and hurt at all the rude and shameful and gratuitous insults!!!
Rule of thumb; if u need to use insults or to raise your voice then ur argument is deficient.
And if you use it gratuitously then your character is deficient.
What ever happened to mentch-lech-kiet?!!!!!!!

Yaakov
Yaakov
3 years ago

@huge WELL SAID. Period.

Oberchuchem
Oberchuchem
3 years ago

Why don’t we have present day gedolim who are also doctors?? Wasn’t the RAMBAM a doctor as well? And he was the personal physician to the court of Saladin. King Richard the Lionhearted of England even wanted him to be his personal physician but he declined. Now more than ever, we need gedolim who are trained doctors as well.

Moshe
Moshe
3 years ago

Let us see a letter about housekeepers Bs nanny’s. How many rabbis on the list have cancelled their help and encouraged their communities to do the same and clean their houses.

Anonymous
Anonymous
3 years ago

Good news: R asher weiss said porch minyonim are safe

shlomo
shlomo
3 years ago

y is that good news

shlomo
shlomo
3 years ago

every one should follow there own rav