- [ ] 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/

@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.

@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.