Chaim AronofskyLooking to start a discussion of #halakhah around the challenges of #RuralJudaism. By discussion I mean to say that I’m not looking for an authoritative responsum, I’ll continue discussing these things with my rabbis, but looking for people’s understanding of the tradition. #mazeldon #RuralJews 1/
- [ ] In short, by #RuralJudaism I mean that we are not -practically- able to physically access “Jewish Community” without significant advance planning (at least days, preferably a week or more) and significant travel time, i.e., no less than 3.5 hours of driving to join a minyan. (I’d like to avoid the “why don’t you move” discussion. Suffice it to say, that’s not a realistic option in the foreseeable future.) 2/
- [ ] Here’s my question: from a halakhic perspective, what day-to-day obligations am I unable to fulfill due to my remoteness and lack of physical community? I say day-to-day because life cycle events and chagim, for instance, can be (with exceptions, of course) planned for. 3/
- [ ] Clearly the most obvious is the aforementioned lack of a minyan. But, when is that a halakhic problem? The tradition acknowledges individual prayer, one simply omits the prayers requiring minyan, but are there any minyan-requiring elements that cannot be omitted, when one -must- find a minyan? Kaddish Yatom during formal mourning is the only one I can think of. Are there others? Is there any time that I am required to daven the kedushah, for instance, so must find a minyan? 4/
- [ ] Were there any people that experience menses in our household, niddah and mikveh would come into play, but that is not the case. What are other cases requiring mikveh (and 3.5-hours of driving)? 5/
Many thanks for any and all thoughts, insights, references, debate, etc.! #halakhah #RuralJudaism /end
גלות לעולם@chaimbenaharon If you hold by immersion after Keri, this might be an issue. Or immersion before Yom Kippur or even Shabbos. Depends on your minhag.
@chanele Yeah, this is definitely a minhag/my rabbis discussion. YK immersion can be planned for. Shabbat is another story.
@chaimbenaharon I've heard from my teacher, when we learned travel halacha, that there are different opinions about the rabbinic obligation for men to daven betzibur. One opinion is that the obligation just doesn't hold when you're too far away. We didn't talk specifically about kaddish yasom, but at least for kedusha/barechu etc. you ought to be covered if you can follow that opinion.
@chaimbenaharon The stricter opinion is you ought not put yourself in such a situation lechatchila. One issue I'm thinking of is the parashiyos you're obligated to hear (zachor, for example). Megilla and shofar, IIRC you can fulfill them without minyan if you have the skills and knowledge and the respective items...
@chanele The chagim we plan for and do the necessary travel. Zachor… that I did not know.
@chaimbenaharon Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 140:3 for example (Zachor and Para). But it says if it's really impossible, you can read them with the trop for yourself.
@chanele Awesome, thanks for that!
@chanele It’s definitely unclear to me where the line is between a “preferred” practice and an “obligation.” Yes, a minyan is basically always preferred, but when is it -obligatory-? Do you remember by any chance where that “too far away” opinion came from?
@chaimbenaharon No. I'd have to look up my notes or ask the rabbi. But you said you are in conversation with rabbis too about your questions? It's definitely interesting.
@chaimbenaharon I knew someone on Twitter who is rural too IIRC, by the way. He was @ rooster613 but has deleted his account, alas.
@chanele Too bad! And I should also have asked in my thread – I’m always looking for others in similar circumstances. At least there’s virtual community.
@chanele Yes. It’s always interesting. Hence the “challenges and compromises” mentioned in my profile. 🤪