Halachic Highlights

Question: With many shuls needing extra space for proper social distancing, may a shul convene an additional minyan of men in the women’s section and request that women stay home?

Question: Is there a mitzvah to perform bikur cholim on a patient stricken with coronavirus?

Short Answer: According to the simple understanding of a t’shuvah by the Rama, one fulfills the mitzvah of bikur cholim when visiting a patient stricken with a contagious disease. However, many poskim disagree with the Rama, and other poskim rule that even the Rama agrees that one must not endanger himself in order to perform this mitzvah.

Question: May one answer Amein to a brachah that he hears over the phone or over Zoom?

Short Answer: According to many contemporary poskim, we follow the ruling of Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l and not the ruling of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l, and allow one to recite Amein when hearing a live brachah recited over the phone, and by extension, over Zoom.

Question: Should you rest your head on your arm for Tachanun in outdoor minyanim?

Short Answer: Unless you can see an aron kodesh (with a sefer Torah in it), you should not fall on your arm during Tachanun in outdoor minyanim.

Question: How should a bris milah with social distancing be performed in a COVID-19 world?

Question: Should minyanim during coronavirus only wait for six people to finish Sh’moneh Esrei before starting Chazaras HaShatz?