Fwd: Halacha Yomis - Mei'ein Sheva, Recurring Home Minyan

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: OU Kosher <noreply@ounetwork.org>
Date: Mon, Jul 6, 2020, 7:01 AM
Subject: Halacha Yomis - Mei'ein Sheva, Recurring Home Minyan
To: <agentemes4@gmail.com>

 

I have arranged a recurring minyan at home...     The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis This column is dedicated in memory of: Rav Chaim Yisroel ben Reb Dov HaLevi Belsky, zt'l Senior OU Kosher Halachic Consultant from 1987-2016 Q. My father-in-law is not well. I have arranged a minyan for his benefit in my kitchen every Friday night. Should we say Mei'ein Sheva even though we are not davening in a shul? A. In a previous Halacha Yomis, we quoted the Shulchan Aruch that one does not recite Mei'ein Sheva at a makeshift minyan, such as a shiva house. As such, one would think that Mei'ein Sheva would not be said at a Friday-night minyan. However, the Taz rules that Mei'ein Sheva is said at a temporary minyan that is established for a short term. Accordingly, a Friday night minyan which meets every week should qualify for Mei'ein Sheva. Nonetheless, there are several reasons not to recite Mei'ein Sheva in this situation: The Mishnah Berurah (268:24) quotes the Elya Rabba that Mei'ein Sheva is not said at a temporary minyan if no Sefer Torah is present (as is the case at the Friday-night minyan), and other poskim concur. In fact, the Minchas Yitzchak (10:21) quotes the Teshuvos Beis Dovid (OC 537) who writes that in the year 1708 there was an outbreak of disease. Everyone fled the city and they established minyanim in the fields. Although they would daven there regularly during this period, they did not say Mei'ein Sheva, since there was no Sefer Torah. Rav Asher Weiss (Teshuvos on Corona volume 2, page 88) writes that Mei'ein Sheva is only recited at a temporary minyan if the meeting room was designated as a Beis Hakineses. For this reason, he ruled that Mei'ein Sheva is not recited at backyard minyanim that became popular of late during the Coronavirus pandemic. They cannot be viewed as temporary shuls since their primary functions are for outdoor recreation. Presumably, for the same reason, Rav Asher Weiss would rule that a kitchen cannot be treated as a temporary shul and Mei'ein Sheva would not be said. Aishel Avrohom (Buchach) (OC 262) writes that a minyan is only considered kavua if it meets every day, which would exclude Friday-night minyanim. Nonetheless, the Pri Megadim (Noam Megadim 9) and Rav Moshe Feinstein (Igeros Moshe, OC 4:69) have a dissenting opinion and maintain that there is no need for a Sefer Torah to recite Mei'ein Sheva at a semi-permanent minyan. Additionally, Rav Moshe Feinstein discusses this exact situation of Friday-night minyanim and rules that Mei'ein Sheva is said even though it takes place in a person's home. The bottom line is that there are different opinions about saying Mei'ein Sheva at a Friday-night kitchen minyan, and one should seek guidance from his rav. More about this program and to subscribe visit https://oukosher.org/halacha-yomis-email/ View archive on https://oukosher.org/halacha-yomis/ Subscriber comments and questions related to this mailing can be sent to GerstenE@ou.org. These questions and their answers may be selected to become one of the Q and A's on OU Kosher Halacha Yomis. Dedicated by Gerald and Karin Feldhamer in memory of their parents R' Moshe ben R' Elyokim Getzel Feldhamer and Pesha bas Reb Mordechai R' Avrohom Abba ben R' Chaim Finkelstein and Taube bas R' Yissocher Dov HaKohen In memory of R' Kalman ben R' Moshe Feldhamer   **NEW from OU Press** Halacha Yomis: A Daily Halachic Companion Halacha Yomis is now available as a highly readable compendium of practical laws and customs   Forward     Unsubscribe Please do not 'reply' to this message. The inbox of noreply@ounetwork.org is not monitored.