Sources for Virtual minyanim ~ How to's

Framing
The development of technology and virtual life has lent itself to questions and interpretations within different halachic frameworks for Judaism in the 21st century. The general basis of these questions are not new but the moment of exception [sha'at had'chak] brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed what was once halachic theoretical discussions into a necessary response.
Questions:
1) How do we "show up" for a Judaism that exists online? Are there different "rules" for a praying experience, a studying experience and a social experience?What are they, in your opinion?
2) In the absence of physical connectivity, how do we maintain and cultivate kahal / community?
3) How do we envision the "end" of this? What would the "new normal" look like?
4) For those who have engaged in minyianim online, what are the pluses of your experiences? What are the minuses?

Covering basics - What is a minyan?

A minyan is comprised of enough Jews, usually ten. When the group is together, they can recite devarim shebik'dushah (lit. "words that are in holiness", generally known as important prayers). These include:

Any Kaddish
The Barechu (call for prayer)
The Repetition of the Amidah (because of the kedushah)
The Priestly Blessing when done in public
The reading from a Torah scroll
The Seven Blessings recited at a wedding and at the post-wedding feasts
The introductory prayer to the Grace after Meals which includes God's name ("Zimun BeShem": "baruch elokeinu sheachalnu mishelo")
- The regular zimun "haverai nevarech" needs only three people, but how are they connected is also a question that will impact our discussions.

Covering basics ~ adulting and who counts

A Jewish adult is a Jewish person who is 12 or 13, depending on gender and denomination.
In most Orthodox places, only men are counted. In progressive Orthodoxy or Modern Orthodoxy, you will find places that have redefined a minyan to be ten men and ten women.
While we can disagree a lot about who is counted in a minyan, almost everyone agrees that non-Jews do not count in a minyan.
The case of nine adults and a child is an interesting one.
Even though the min'hag of counting a Sefer Torah exists, this finds no basis in Jewish law itself.

Kaddish Yatom, the Mourner's Kaddish, is a prayer that people in mourning say during the year after a loved one dies and on the anniversary of their death. It can only be said in the presence of a minyan in part because communal support can facilitate healing from grief. Saying Kaddish is a really important part of the grieving process for many Jews.

Kaddish Yatom doesn't contain the name of God
While it is a prayer in the general sense, it is not technically a blessing (Baruch atah hashem).

The problem with saying blessings or prayers outside of their proper context is the "misuse" of God's name. Those blessings are called "b'rachah levatalah" - an empty blessing or literally "a blessing to be voided."

שמות כ׳:ז׳

(ז) לֹ֥א תִשָּׂ֛א אֶת־שֵֽׁם־ה' אֱלֹקֶ֖יךָ לַשָּׁ֑וְא כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יְנַקֶּה֙ ה' אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־יִשָּׂ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ לַשָּֽׁוְא׃ (פ)

Exodus 20:7

(7) You shall not swear falsely by the name of Ad-nai your God; for Ad-nai will not clear one who swears falsely by His name.

LIT: You shall not raise Ad-nai's name for a falsehood/futility; for Ad-nai will not clear one who raise His name for a falsehood/futility.

ויקרא כ״ב:ל״ב

וְלֹ֤א תְחַלְּלוּ֙ אֶת־שֵׁ֣ם קָדְשִׁ֔י וְנִ֨קְדַּשְׁתִּ֔י בְּת֖וֹךְ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֲנִ֥י ה' מְקַדִּשְׁכֶֽם׃

Leviticus 22:32

You shall not profane My holy name, that I may be sanctified in the midst of the Israelite people—I the LORD who sanctify you,

Tevye: Where did this tradition get started?

משנה מגילה ד׳:ג׳

אֵין פּוֹרְסִין אֶת שְׁמַע, וְאֵין עוֹבְרִין לִפְנֵי הַתֵּבָה, וְאֵין נוֹשְׂאִין אֶת כַּפֵּיהֶם, וְאֵין קוֹרִין בַּתּוֹרָה, וְאֵין מַפְטִירִין בַּנָּבִיא, וְאֵין עוֹשִׂין מַעֲמָד וּמוֹשָׁב, וְאֵין אוֹמְרִים בִּרְכַּת אֲבֵלִים וְתַנְחוּמֵי אֲבֵלִים וּבִרְכַּת חֲתָנִים, וְאֵין מְזַמְּנִין בַּשֵּׁם, פָּחוֹת מֵעֲשָׂרָה. וּבַקַּרְקָעוֹת, תִּשְׁעָה וְכֹהֵן. וְאָדָם, כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן:

Mishnah Megillah 4:3

They do not recite the Shema responsively; and they do not pass before the ark; and the [the priests] do not lift up their hands; and they do not read the Torah [publicly]; and they do not conclude with a haftarah from the prophets; and they do not make stops [at funeral] processions; and they do not say the blessing for mourners, or the comfort of mourners, or the blessing of bridegrooms; and they do not mention God’s name in the invitation [of Birkat Hamazon]; except in the presence of ten. [For redeeming sanctified] land nine and a kohen [are sufficient], and similarly with [redeeming] human beings.

ברכות ו׳ א:ט׳

וּמִנַּיִן לַעֲשָׂרָה שֶׁמִּתְפַּלְּלִין שֶׁשְּׁכִינָה עִמָּהֶם — שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אֱלֹהִים נִצָּב בַּעֲדַת אֵל״.

Berakhot 6a:9

And from where is it derived that ten people who pray, the Divine Presence is with them? As it is stated: “God stands in the congregation of God,” and the minimum number of people that constitute a congregation is a quorum of ten.

Becoming a community ~ the eating of the Pesach lamb

משנה פסחים ז׳:י״ב

(יב) אֵבָר שֶׁיָּצָא מִקְצָתוֹ, חוֹתֵךְ עַד שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ לָעֶצֶם, וְקוֹלֵף עַד שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ לַפֶּרֶק, וְחוֹתֵךְ. וּבַמֻּקְדָּשִׁין קוֹצֵץ בַּקּוֹפִיץ, שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ מִשּׁוּם שְׁבִירַת הָעֶצֶם. מִן הָאֲגַף וְלִפְנִים כְּלִפְנִים, מִן הָאֲגַף וְלַחוּץ כְּלַחוּץ. הַחַלּוֹנוֹת וְעֹבִי הַחוֹמָה, כְּלִפְנִים:

Mishnah Pesachim 7:12

(12) If part of a limb went outside, he cuts [the flesh] as far as the bone and pares it until he reaches the joint and cuts it away. But in the case of [other] sanctified meat he cuts it off with a large knife, because they are not subject to the [prohibition of] breaking a bone. From the door-stop and within it is as the inside; From the door-stop and without is as outside. The windows and the thickness of the wall are as the inside.

פסחים פ״ה ב

מחבורה לחבורה מנין דתניא לא תוציא מן הבית מן הבשר חוצה אין לי אלא מבית לבית מחבורה לחבורה מנין תלמוד לומר חוצה חוץ לאכילתו אמר רבי אמי המוציא בשר פסח מחבורה לחבורה אינו חייב עד שיניח הוצאה כתיב ביה כשבת מה שבת עד דעבד עקירה והנחה אף הכא נמי עד דעבד עקירה והנחה

Pesachim 85b

From the location of its group to the location of another group, from where is it derived that he has violated a prohibition? As it was taught in a baraita with regard to the verse: “In one house shall it be eaten; you shall not carry out any of the meat from the house to the outside” (Exodus 12:46), I have derived only that it is prohibited to remove meat from house to house; from where do I derive that it is prohibited even to transfer the meat from group to group within one house? The verse states: To the outside, which includes any case in which one brings the meat outside of the place where it may be eaten. Rabbi Ami said: One who carries out the meat of the Paschal lamb from the location of one group to another group is not liable until he places the meat in the location of the second group. The reason for this is that the term carrying out is written about it, as the Torah says: “You shall not carry out,” which is similar to the prohibited labor of the same name pertaining to Shabbat. Therefore, just as when it comes to Shabbat one is not liable for carrying from one domain to another until he performs an act of lifting from one domain and placing in the other domain, so too, here also one is not liable until he performs an act of lifting the meat from the location of one group and placing it in the location of another group.

~ What are the distinctions between Shabbat and Passover? Why?

אורח חיים נ״ה:ד׳

יש מתירין לומר דבר שבקדושה בתשעה וצירוף קטן שהוא יותר מבן שש ויודע למי מתפללין ולא נראין דבריהם לגדולי הפוסקי' וה"ה דעבד ואשה אין מצטרפין: הגה ואפילו על ידי חומש שבידו אין לצרפו מיהו יש נוהגין להקל בשעת הדחק. [הרא"ש ומרדכי והגהות מיימוני פ"ט מהלכות תפלה]:

Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 55:4

There are those who permit one to say a spoken part [of the service] in which [God's] holiness [is proclaimed] with 9 and a minor that is older than 6 and knows to whom we pray joins [them]. And their words were not seen for the great decisors. And the rule is that a slave or a woman is not joined [to the 9]. Gloss: And even if he has a Chumash [printed Torah] in his hand we do not join him [to the 9], although there are those who follow this practice to be lenient at a time of need [The Rosh and Mordechai and Hagahot Maimoni Chapter 9 of the Laws of Prayer]

What does "in one place" mean?

אורח חיים נ״ה:י״ג-י״ד

צריך שיהיו כל העשרה במקום אחד וש"ץ עמהם והעומד בתוך הפתח מן האגף ולחוץ דהיינו כשסוגר הדלת במקום [שפה] פנימית של עובי הדלת ולחוץ כלחוץ: מי שעומד אחורי בית הכנסת וביניהם חלון אפי' גבוה כמה קומות אפילו אינו רוחב ארבע ומראה להם פניו משם מצטרף עמהם לעשרה: הגה גגין ועליות אינן בכלל בית והעומד עליהם אינו מצטרף [ר"י נ"ג ח"ז]:

Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 55:13-14

All of the 10 need to be in one place and the prayer leader with them. And the one who stands in the middle of the doorway between a part of a building and outside such that when one closes the door [one is] in a place from the inside [lip] of the thickness of the door and outwards - it is like outside. One who stands behind the synagogue and in-between them is a window - even if it is several stories high [and] even if it's not 4 wide - and his face is seen by them from there, he joins with them for the 10. Gloss: [those in] roofs and upper stories are not included in the synagogue and the one who stands on them is not joined [to the 10].

אורח חיים נ״ה:ט״ו

אם מקצתן בפנים ומקצתן בחוץ וש"ץ תוך הפתח הוא מצרפן:

Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 55:15

If a few of them are inside and a few of them are outside, and the prayer-leader is in the middle of the doorway, he joins them [together for a minyan].

~ What is the main question? Listening? Seeing?

~ Why are those on the roof not counted?

אורח חיים נ״ה:כ׳

היו עשרה במקום אחד ואומרים קדיש וקדושה אפי' מי שאינו עמהם יכול לענות וי"א שצריך שלא יהא מפסיק טינוף או עכו"ם:

Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 55:20

If there were 10 in one place and they say Kaddish or Kedushah, even one who is not with them can answer. And there are some who say that it requires that there not any interposition of excrement or something idolatrous.

~ How is answering different from reciting?

ברכות נ׳ ב:ד׳

שְׁתֵּי חֲבוּרוֹת וְכוּ׳. תָּנָא: אִם יֵשׁ שַׁמָּשׁ בֵּינֵיהֶם — שַׁמָּשׁ מְצָרְפָן.

Berakhot 50b:4

The mishna explained the circumstances in which two groups that were eating in one house may combine to form a zimmun. The Gemara adds: It was taught: If there is a common waiter among them, serving both groups, the waiter joins them into a single group, even if they cannot see each other.

~ How does the waiter "make" an eating community happen, in your opinion? How or why is "seeing" not so important anymore?

The importance of awareness

משנה ברכות ה׳:א׳

אֵין עוֹמְדִין לְהִתְפַּלֵּל אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ כֹּבֶד רֹאשׁ. חֲסִידִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים הָיוּ שׁוֹהִים שָׁעָה אַחַת וּמִתְפַּלְּלִים, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּכַוְּנוּ אֶת לִבָּם לַמָּקוֹם. אֲפִלּוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ שׁוֹאֵל בִּשְׁלוֹמוֹ, לֹא יְשִׁיבֶנּוּ. וַאֲפִלּוּ נָחָשׁ כָּרוּךְ עַל עֲקֵבוֹ, לֹא יַפְסִיק:

Mishnah Berakhot 5:1

One should not stand up to say Tefillah except in a reverent state of mind. The pious men of old used to wait an hour before praying in order that they might direct their thoughts to God. Even if a king greets him [while praying] he should not answer him: even if a snake is wound round his heel he should not stop.

ברכות מ״ה ב:ב׳-ה׳

תָּא שְׁמַע: נָשִׁים מְזַמְּנוֹת לְעַצְמָן, וַעֲבָדִים מְזַמְּנִים לְעַצְמָן, נָשִׁים וַעֲבָדִים וּקְטַנִּים אִם רָצוּ לְזַמֵּן — אֵין מְזַמְּנִין. וְהָא נָשִׁים אֲפִילּוּ מְאָה וְהָא מְאָה נָשֵׁי כִּתְרֵי גַּבְרֵי דָּמְיָין, וְקָתָנֵי נָשִׁים מְזַמְּנוֹת לְעַצְמָן וַעֲבָדִים מְזַמְּנִין לְעַצְמָן! שָׁאנֵי הָתָם דְּאִיכָּא דֵּעוֹת. אִי הָכִי, אֵימָא סֵיפָא: נָשִׁים וַעֲבָדִים אִם רָצוּ לְזַמֵּן — אֵין מְזַמְּנִין. אַמַּאי לָא, וְהָא אִיכָּא דֵּעוֹת! שָׁאנֵי הָתָם מִשּׁוּם פְּרִיצוּתָא.

Berakhot 45b:2-5

The Gemara cites yet another proof. Come and hear: Women form a zimmun for themselves and slaves form a zimmun for themselves; however, women, slaves, and minors, even if they wish to form a zimmun together, they may not form a zimmun. But aren’t one hundred women considered the equivalent of two men, in that they cannot constitute a prayer quorum? And yet, the baraita teaches that women form a zimmun for themselves and Canaanite slaves form a zimmun for themselves. Apparently, like women, two men can form a zimmun on their own. The Gemara rejects this: There it is different because, although women cannot constitute a prayer quorum, since there are three individual minds, i.e., people, three women can fulfill the verse: “Praise God with me, and we will exalt His name together.” Two men cannot. The Gemara objects: If so, say the latter clause of this baraita: Women and slaves, if they wish to form a zimmun, they may not form a zimmun. Why not? Aren’t they individual minds, which should enable the collective praise of God? The Gemara responds: That is not the reason that women and slaves were prohibited from forming a zimmun together. Rather, it is different there, as the Sages were concerned with regard to women and slaves joining together due to promiscuity.

~ Let go, for this discussion, of the obvious misogyny and bigotry in this source. How is being "different minds" makes one count in a group?

אורח חיים קכ״ד:ד׳

כשש"צ חוזר התפלה הקהל יש להם לשתוק ולכוין לברכות שמברך החזן ולענות אמן ואם אין ט' מכוונים לברכותיו קרוב להיות ברכותיו לבטלה לכן כל אדם יעשה עצמו כאלו אין ט' זולתו ויכוין לברכת החזן: [י"א שכל העם יעמדו כשחוזר הש"ץ התפלה] [הגהות מנהגים]:

Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 124:4

When the Shaliach Tzibor (prayer leader) repeats the tefillah (of the Amidah), the community must be quiet, and to focus (have kavanah) on the blessings from the Hazan - [the community] responds "amen". And if there is not 9 people with intention for his blessings, this is similar to a blessing in vain. Therefore, each person his will do for himself as if there are not nine others, and he will have intention for the blessings of the Hazan.

~ What is the obvious anxiety of this piece?

~ Is that something you have worried yourself?

Is listening to every word necessary?

סוכה נ״א ב:ו׳

תניא רבי יהודה אומר מי שלא ראה דיופלוסטון של אלכסנדריא של מצרים לא ראה בכבודן של ישראל אמרו כמין בסילקי גדולה היתה סטיו לפנים מסטיו פעמים שהיו בה (ששים רבוא על ששים רבוא) כפלים כיוצאי מצרים והיו בה ע"א קתדראות של זהב כנגד ע"א של סנהדרי גדולה כל אחת ואחת אינה פחותה מעשרים ואחד רבוא ככרי זהב ובימה של עץ באמצעיתה וחזן הכנסת עומד עליה והסודרין בידו וכיון שהגיע לענות אמן הלה מניף בסודר וכל העם עונין אמן

Sukkah 51b:6

It is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yehuda says: One who did not see the great synagogue [deyofloston] of Alexandria of Egypt never saw the glory of Israel. They said that its structure was like a large basilica [basileki], with a colonnade within a colonnade. At times there were six hundred thousand men and another six hundred thousand men in it, twice the number of those who left Egypt. In it there were seventy-one golden chairs [katedraot], corresponding to the seventy-one members of the Great Sanhedrin, each of which consisted of no less than twenty-one thousand talents of gold. And there was a wooden platform at the center. The sexton of the synagogue would stand on it, with the scarves in his hand. And because the synagogue was so large and the people could not hear the communal prayer, when the prayer leader reached the conclusion of a blessing requiring the people to answer amen, the sexton waved the scarf and all the people would answer amen.

סוכה נ״א ב:ז׳

ולא היו יושבין מעורבין אלא זהבין בפני עצמן וכספין בפני עצמן ונפחין בפני עצמן וטרסיים בפני עצמן וגרדיים בפני עצמן וכשעני נכנס שם היה מכיר בעלי אומנתו ונפנה לשם ומשם פרנסתו ופרנסת אנשי ביתו

Sukkah 51b:7

And the members of the various crafts would not sit mingled. Rather, the goldsmiths would sit among themselves, and the silversmiths among themselves, and the blacksmiths among themselves, and the coppersmiths among themselves, and the weavers among themselves. And when a poor stranger entered there, he would recognize people who plied his craft, and he would turn to join them there. And from there he would secure his livelihood as well as the livelihood of the members of his household, as his colleagues would find him work in that craft.

~ What is another function of the synagogue of Alexandria, besides davening?

~ How easy or hard is it to do this through a social platform like Zoom?

Self-positioning

ברכות ל׳ א:ט׳

הָיָה עוֹמֵד בְּחוּץ לָאָרֶץ — יְכַוֵּין אֶת לִבּוֹ כְּנֶגֶד אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְהִתְפַּלְלוּ אֵלֶיךָ דֶּרֶךְ אַרְצָם״. הָיָה עוֹמֵד בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל — יְכַוֵּין אֶת לִבּוֹ כְּנֶגֶד יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְהִתְפַּלְלוּ אֶל ה׳ דֶּרֶךְ הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר בָּחַרְתָּ״. הָיָה עוֹמֵד בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם — יְכַוֵּין אֶת לִבּוֹ כְּנֶגֶד בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְהִתְפַּלְלוּ אֶל הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה״. הָיָה עוֹמֵד בְּבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ — יְכַוֵּין אֶת לִבּוֹ כְּנֶגֶד בֵּית קׇדְשֵׁי הַקֳּדָשִׁים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְהִתְפַּלְלוּ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה״. הָיָה עוֹמֵד בְּבֵית קׇדְשֵׁי הַקֳּדָשִׁים — יְכַוֵּין אֶת לִבּוֹ כְּנֶגֶד בֵּית הַכַּפּוֹרֶת. הָיָה עוֹמֵד אֲחוֹרֵי בֵּית הַכַּפּוֹרֶת — יִרְאֶה עַצְמוֹ כְּאִילּוּ לִפְנֵי הַכַּפּוֹרֶת. נִמְצָא עוֹמֵד בַּמִּזְרָח מַחֲזִיר פָּנָיו לַמַּעֲרָב. בַּמַּעֲרָב מַחֲזִיר פָּנָיו לַמִּזְרָח. בַּדָּרוֹם — מַחֲזִיר פָּנָיו לַצָּפוֹן. בַּצָּפוֹן — מַחֲזִיר פָּנָיו לַדָּרוֹם. נִמְצְאוּ כׇּל יִשְׂרָאֵל מְכַוְּונִין אֶת לִבָּם לְמָקוֹם אֶחָד.

Berakhot 30a:9

One who was standing in prayer in the Diaspora, should focus his heart toward Eretz Yisrael, as it is stated: “And they shall pray to You by way of their land which You have given to their fathers” (I Kings 8:48).
One who was standing in Eretz Yisrael, should focus his heart toward Jerusalem, as it is stated: “And they shall pray to the Lord by way of the city that You have chosen” (I Kings 8:44).
One who was standing in Jerusalem, should focus his heart toward the Temple, as it is stated: “And they shall pray toward this house” (II Chronicles 6:32).
One who was standing in the Temple, should focus his heart toward the Holy of Holies, as it is stated: “And they shall pray toward this place” (I Kings 8:35).
One who was standing in the Holy of Holies, should focus his heart toward the seat of the ark-cover [kapporet], atop the ark, the dwelling place of God’s glory.
One who was standing behind the seat of the ark-cover, should visualize himself as if standing before the ark-cover and turn toward it.
Consequently, one standing in prayer in the East turns to face west, and one standing in the West, turns to face east. One standing in the South, turns to face north, and one standing in the North, turns to face south; all of the people of Israel find themselves focusing their hearts toward one place, the Holy of Holies in the Temple.

~ What do you think making the effort to find the right positioning brings to a person?

Torah Reading and not being able to see

ברכות ל׳ א:ח׳

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: סוּמָא וּמִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְכַוֵּין אֶת הָרוּחוֹת — יְכַוֵּין לִבּוֹ כְּנֶגֶד אָבִיו שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְהִתְפַּלְלוּ אֶל ה׳״.

Berakhot 30a:8

The Sages taught in a Tosefta: A blind person and one who is unable to approximate the directions and, therefore, is unable to face Jerusalem in order to pray, may focus his heart towards his Father in Heaven, as it is stated: “And they shall pray to the Lord” (I Kings 8:44).

משנה תורה, הלכות תלמוד תורה א׳:ט׳

גְּדוֹלֵי חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיוּ מֵהֶן חוֹטְבֵי עֵצִים וּמֵהֶן שׁוֹאֲבֵי מַיִם וּמֵהֶן סוּמִים וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן הָיוּ עוֹסְקִין בְּתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה וְהֵם מִכְּלַל מַעְתִּיקֵי הַשְּׁמוּעָה אִישׁ מִפִּי אִישׁ מִפִּי משֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ:

Mishneh Torah, Torah Study 1:9

Some of the great scholars in Israel were hewers of wood, some of them drawers of water, and some of them blind: nevertheless they engaged themselves in the study of the Torah by day and by night. Moreover, they are included among those who translated the tradition as it was transmitted from mouth of man to mouth of man, even from the mouth of Moses our Master.

אורח חיים קל״ט:ג׳

סומא אינו קורא לפי שאסור לקרות אפי' אות אחת שלא מן הכתב [ומהרי"ל כתב דעכשיו קורא סומא כמו שאנו מקרין בתורה לע"ה]:

Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 139:3

... A blind person does not read [the Torah] because it is prohibited to read by heart even one letter [of the Torah scroll] Gloss: And the Maharil wrote that nowadays yes, the blind reads, since we have the Torah scroll read to us.

משנה ברורה קל״ט:י״ב

(יב) דעכשיו קורא סומא - וטעמו דכיון שאנו נוהגין שהש"ץ קורא והוא קורא מתוך הכתב שוב לא קפדינן על העולה דשומע כעונה:

Mishnah Berurah 139:12

Nowadays a blind person reads - and the reason is that our custom is that the Torah reader reads, and the reader reads from the scroll, and so we are not particular regarding [the abilities of] the reader, since [we hold by the principle] "the status of listener is the same as the one who reads."

משנה ברורה קל״ט:י״ג

(יג) כמו שאנו וכו' - ר"ל שאנו נוהגין להקל אפילו אם אינו יכול לקרות עם הש"ץ מלה במלה מתוך הכתב וע"כ מטעם הנ"ל וה"ה בסומא. ולדינא כבר כתבו האחרונים דנהגו להקל כמהרי"ל ומ"מ לפרשת פרה ופרשת זכור נכון שלא לקרותן לכתחלה:

Mishnah Berurah 139:13

As we do etc. - it means that we are accustomed to be lenient even if the blind person cannot read word by word with the reader from the scroll, since the person is blind. And really the later authorities already wrote that the custom is to be lenient, nevertheless we do not call a blind person for starters on the parshiot of Parah and Zachor.

משנה תורה, הלכות תפילה וברכת כהנים ח׳:י״ב

וְכֵן הָעִלֵּג כְּגוֹן מִי שֶׁקּוֹרֵא לְאָלֶ״ף עַיִ״ן אוֹ לְעַיִ״ן אָלֶ״ף וְכָל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהוֹצִיא אֶת הָאוֹתִיּוֹת כְּתִקּוּנָן אֵין מְמַנִּין אוֹתוֹ שְׁלִיחַ צִבּוּר. וְהָרַב מְמַנֶּה אֶחָד מִתַּלְמִידָיו לְהִתְפַּלֵּל לְפָנָיו בְּצִבּוּר. הַסּוּמָא פּוֹרֵס עַל שְׁמַע וְנַעֲשֶׂה שְׁלִיחַ צִבּוּר. אֲבָל מִי שֶׁכְּתֵפָיו מְגֻלּוֹת אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא פּוֹרֵס עַל שְׁמַע אֵינוֹ נַעֲשֶׂה שְׁלִיחַ צִבּוּר לִתְפִלָּה עַד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה עָטוּף:

Mishneh Torah, Prayer and the Priestly Blessing 8:12

One whose enunciation is indistinct, who, for example, reads the Aleph as an Ayin or the Ayin as an Aleph, or cannot pronounce the letters correctly, is not to be appointed as Congregational reader. A teacher may appoint one of his pupils to read the services in his presence. A blind man may publicly recite the blessings before the Shema and be appointed Reader to the Congregation. But one whose shoulders are bare, though he may publicly recite the blessings before the Shema, does not recite the Amidah as Reader of the Congregation unless he is properly clad.

~ What seems to be the main issue regarding a blind person being called to the Torah?

~ Do you know any great teachers that were blind?

~ What is the status of a blind person in terms of being able to be called from the Torah, nowadays?

~ What is the ruling regarding leading the minyan?

~ How can we apply these rulings for the virtual minyan?

The importance of discipline and holy space

ברכות ו׳ ב

וְכוּלְּהוּ כְּתִיבִי בְּאֶדְרָעֵיהּ. אָמַר רָבִין בַּר רַב אַדָּא, אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: כׇּל הָרָגִיל לָבֹא לְבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת וְלֹא בָּא יוֹם אֶחָד, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְשָׁאֵיל בּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״מִי בָכֶם יְרֵא ה׳ שֹׁמֵעַ בְּקוֹל עַבְדּוֹ אֲשֶׁר הָלַךְ חֲשֵׁכִים וְאֵין נֹגַהּ לוֹ״. אִם לִדְבַר מִצְוָה הָלַךְ — נוֹגַהּ לוֹ, וְאִם לִדְבַר הָרְשׁוּת הָלַךְ — אֵין נוֹגַהּ לוֹ. ״יִבְטַח בְּשֵׁם ה׳״ מַאי טַעְמָא? — מִשּׁוּם דַּהֲוָה לֵיהּ לִבְטוֹחַ בְּשֵׁם ה׳, וְלָא בְּטַח. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בָּא בְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת, וְלֹא מָצָא בָּהּ עֲשָׂרָה — מִיָּד הוּא כּוֹעֵס, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״מַדּוּעַ בָּאתִי וְאֵין אִישׁ קָרָאתִי וְאֵין עוֹנֶה״. אָמַר רַבִּי חֶלְבּוֹ, אָמַר רַב הוּנָא: כׇּל הַקּוֹבֵעַ מָקוֹם לִתְפִלָּתוֹ — אֱלֹקֵי אַבְרָהָם בְּעֶזְרוֹ. וּכְשֶׁמֵּת, אוֹמְרִים לוֹ: ״אֵי עָנָיו, אֵי חָסִיד, מִתַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ״. וְאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ מְנָא לַן דִּקְבַע מָקוֹם? דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר עָמַד שָׁם״, וְאֵין ״עֲמִידָה״ אֶלָּא תְּפִלָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיַּעֲמֹד פִּינְחָס וַיְפַלֵּל״. אָמַר רַבִּי חֶלְבּוֹ, אָמַר רַב הוּנָא: הַיּוֹצֵא מִבֵּית הַכְּנֶסֶת אַל יַפְסִיעַ פְּסִיעָה גַסָּה. אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: לָא אֲמַרַן, אֶלָּא לְמִיפַּק. אֲבָל לְמֵיעַל — מִצְוָה לְמִרְהַט, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״נִרְדְּפָה לָדַעַת אֶת ה׳״. אָמַר רַבִּי זֵירָא: מֵרֵישׁ כִּי הֲוָה חֲזֵינָא לְהוּ לְרַבָּנַן דְּקָא רָהֲטִי לְפִרְקָא בְּשַׁבְּתָא, אָמֵינָא: ״קָא מְחַלַּיִין רַבָּנַן שַׁבְּתָא״. כֵּיוָן דִּשְׁמַעְנָא לְהָא דְּרַבִּי תַּנְחוּם אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: לְעוֹלָם יָרוּץ אָדָם לִדְבַר הֲלָכָה וַאֲפִילּוּ בְּשַׁבָּת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אַחֲרֵי ה׳ יֵלְכוּ כְּאַרְיֵה יִשְׁאָג״ וְגוֹ׳, אֲנָא נָמֵי רָהֵיטְנָא. אָמַר רַבִּי זֵירָא: אַגְרָא דְפִרְקָא — רִהֲטָא. אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: אַגְרָא דְכַלָּה — דּוּחְקָא. אָמַר רָבָא: אַגְרָא דִשְׁמַעְתָּא — סְבָרָא. אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: אַגְרָא דְבֵי טַמְיָא — שְׁתִיקוּתָא. אָמַר מָר זוּטְרָא: אַגְרָא דְתַעֲנִיתָא — צִדְקְתָא. אָמַר רַב שֵׁשֶׁת: אַגְרָא דְהֶסְפֵּדָא — דַּלּוֹיֵי. אָמַר רַב אָשֵׁי: אַגְרָא דְבֵי הִלּוּלֵי — מִילֵּי. אָמַר רַב הוּנָא: כׇּל הַמִּתְפַּלֵּל אֲחוֹרֵי בֵּית הַכְּנֶסֶת נִקְרָא ״רָשָׁע״, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״סָבִיב רְשָׁעִים יִתְהַלָּכוּן״. אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: לָא אֲמַרַן אֶלָּא דְּלָא מַהְדַּר אַפֵּיהּ לְבֵי כְּנִישְׁתָּא, אֲבָל מַהְדַּר אַפֵּיהּ לְבֵי כְּנִישְׁתָּא — לֵית לָן בַּהּ. הַהוּא גַבְרָא דְּקָא מְצַלֵּי אֲחוֹרֵי בֵּי כְּנִישְׁתָּא, וְלָא מַהְדַּר אַפֵּיהּ לְבֵי כְּנִישְׁתָּא. חֲלַף אֵלִיָּהוּ. חַזְיֵיהּ, אִידְּמִי לֵיהּ כְּטַיָּיעָא, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: כְּדוּ בָר קָיְימַתְּ קַמֵּי מָרָךְ?! שְׁלַף סַפְסֵרָא וְקַטְלֵיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ הָהוּא מֵרַבָּנַן לְרַב בִּיבִי בַּר אַבָּיֵי, וְאָמְרִי לַהּ רַב בִּיבִי לְרַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק: מַאי ״כְּרֻם זֻלּוּת לִבְנֵי אָדָם״? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אֵלּוּ דְּבָרִים שֶׁעוֹמְדִים בְּרוּמוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, וּבְנֵי אָדָם מְזַלְזְלִין בָּהֶן.

Berakhot 6b

Ravin bar Rav Adda said that Rabbi Yitzḥak said: One who is accustomed to come to the synagogue and did not come one day, the Holy One, Blessed be He, asks about him, as it were, to determine what happened to him, as it is stated: “Who among you fears the Lord? Who hears the voice of His servant? Though he walks in darkness and has no light, let him trust in the name of the Lord, and rely upon his God” (Isaiah 50:10). If it is for a matter involving a mitzva that he went and absented himself from prayer in the synagogue, then, despite the darkness, there is light for him, the aura of his mitzva will protect him. But if it is for an optional matter, some mundane purpose, that he went and absented himself from prayer in the synagogue, then, even once the day begins, there is no light for him. The verse continues: “Let him trust in the name of the Lord.” The Gemara asks: What is the reason that God is so exacting with this person? The Gemara answers: Because he should have relied on the name of the Lord, and trusted that he would not incur any loss if he postponed dealing with his mundane matters until after prayer in the synagogue, and he did not rely on God. On this same topic, Rabbi Yoḥanan said: When the Holy One, Blessed be He, enters a synagogue and does not find ten people there, He immediately becomes angry, as it is stated: “Why, when I came, was there no one? When I called, there was no one to answer…Behold, with My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness” (Isaiah 50:2). Concerning another aspect of the constancy of prayer, Rabbi Ḥelbo said that Rav Huna said: One who sets a fixed place for his prayer, the God of Abraham assists him. When he dies, those who eulogize one who set a fixed place for his prayer say about him: “Where is the humble one, where is the pious one, of the disciples of our father Abraham?” The Gemara asks: From where do we derive that Abraham our father set a fixed place for his prayer? The Gemara answers: As it is written: “And Abraham rose in the morning to the place where he had stood before God” (Genesis 19:27), and the verb “standing” means nothing other than prayer, as it is stated: “And Pinehas stood and prayed” (Psalms 106:30). Rabbi Ḥelbo said that Rav Huna said: One who leaves the synagogue should not take large strides because it creates the impression that he is eager to leave. Abaye explained Rav Huna’s statement and said: This halakha was only said with regard to leaving the synagogue. However, with regard to entering a synagogue, it is a mitzva to run. As it is said: “And let us know, eagerly strive to know the Lord” (Hosea 6:3). Rabbi Zeira said: Initially, when I saw the Sages running to the Rabbi’s lecture on Shabbat, I said: These Sages are desecrating Shabbat. One is prohibited from running on Shabbat in deference to the sanctity of the day. Once I heard that which Rabbi Tanḥum said that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: One should always run for a matter of halakha, even on Shabbat, as it is stated: “They shall walk after the Lord, who will roar like a lion” (Hosea 11:10), I too run. Rabbi Zeira said: The reward for attending the lecture is for running. .... Back to the topic of deference for a synagogue, the Gemara records that Rav Huna said: One who prays behind the synagogue is called wicked, as while the entire congregation is facing one direction to pray, he faces the opposite direction. As it is stated: “The wicked walk round about, when vileness is exalted among the sons of men” (Psalms 12:9). Abaye said: This halakha was said only in a case where one does not turn his face toward the synagogue. But where he turns his face toward the synagogue and prays we have no prohibition in that case. To reinforce the gravity of this prohibition, the Gemara relates: A certain individual prayed behind the synagogue and did not turn to face the synagogue. Elijah the Prophet passed by and appeared to him as an Arab [taya’a]. Elijah said: “This is how [kadu bar] you stand before your Master?” Elijah drew a sword and killed him. One of the Sages said to Rav Beivai bar Abaye, and some say Rav Beivai said to Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak: What is the meaning of: “When vileness is exalted among the sons of men”? He said to him: These are matters of utmost importance, exalted, i.e., mitzvot or prayer, which people nonetheless treat with contempt, vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

~ Why is the discipline of praying with a community important?

~ How does outward behavior indicate connection?

אורח חיים צ׳:ט׳

ישתדל אדם להתפלל בב"ה עם הציבור ואם הוא אנוס שאינו יכול לבא לב"ה יכוין להתפלל בשעה שהציבו' מתפללין [וה"ה בני אדם הדרים בישובים ואין להם מנין מ"מ יתפללו שחרית וערבית בזמן שהצבור מתפללים סמ"ג] וכן אם נאנס ולא התפלל בשעה שהתפללו הציבו' והוא מתפלל ביחיד אעפ"כ יתפלל בב"ה:

Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 90:9

A person should try to pray in the synagogue with a congregation, and if they are unable (lit. "anus", coerced) to come, they should intend to pray while the congregation is praying [This applies to people living in small setttlements, unable to pray in a minyan -- they nevertheless, should pray shaharit and arbit during the time of congregational prayer -Sma"g] If they (the person) could not pray at the time when the community pray, and is praying alone, nevertheless they should pray alone in the synagogue.

The Power of Community

משנה אבות ב׳:ד׳

הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, עֲשֵׂה רְצוֹנוֹ כִרְצוֹנְךָ, כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה רְצוֹנְךָ כִרְצוֹנוֹ. בַּטֵּל רְצוֹנְךָ מִפְּנֵי רְצוֹנוֹ, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּבַטֵּל רְצוֹן אֲחֵרִים מִפְּנֵי רְצוֹנֶךָ. הִלֵּל אוֹמֵר, אַל תִּפְרֹשׁ מִן הַצִּבּוּר, וְאַל תַּאֲמִין בְּעַצְמְךָ עַד יוֹם מוֹתְךָ, וְאַל תָּדִין אֶת חֲבֵרְךָ עַד שֶׁתַּגִּיעַ לִמְקוֹמוֹ, וְאַל תֹּאמַר דָּבָר שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לִשְׁמֹעַ, שֶׁסּוֹפוֹ לְהִשָּׁמַע. וְאַל תֹּאמַר לִכְשֶׁאִפָּנֶה אֶשְׁנֶה, שֶׁמָּא לֹא תִפָּנֶה:

Pirkei Avot 2:4

He used to say: do His will as though it were your will, so that He will do your will as though it were His. Set aside your will in the face of His will, so that he may set aside the will of others for the sake of your will. Hillel said: do not separate yourself from the community, Do not trust in yourself until the day of your death, Do not judge not your fellow man until you have reached his place. Do not say something that cannot be understood [trusting] that in the end it will be understood. Say not: ‘when I shall have leisure I shall study;’ perhaps you will not have leisure.

ברטנורא על משנה אבות ב׳:ד׳:ג׳-ד׳

אַל תִּפְרֹשׁ מִן הַצִּבּוּר. אֶלָּא הִשְׁתַּתֵּף בְּצָרָתָם. שֶׁכָּל הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִן הַצִּבּוּר אֵינוֹ רוֹאֶה בְּנֶחָמַת הַצִּבּוּר (תענית יא.): וְאַל תַּאֲמִין בְּעַצְמְךָ עַד יוֹם מוֹתְךָ. שֶׁהֲרֵי יוֹחָנָן כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל שִׁמֵּשׁ בִּכְהֻנָּה גְּדוֹלָה שְׁמֹנִים שָׁנָה וּלְבַסּוֹף נַעֲשָׂה צְדוֹקִי (ברכות כט.):

Bartenura on Pirkei Avot 2:4:3-4

"Do not separate yourself from the congregation": but rather share in their troubles. As anyone who separates from the congregation will not [live to] see the consolation of the congregation (Taanit 11a). "Do not believe in yourself until the day of your death": As behold, Yonatan the High Priest served in the high priesthood eighty years and in the end he became a Sadducee (Berakhot 29a).

Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook, Orot
The relationship between the Jewish people and its individual members is different than the relationship between any other national group and its members. All other national groups only bestow upon their individual members the external aspect of their essence (a title such as American). But the essence itself each person draws from the all-inclusive soul, from the soul of God, without the intermediation of the group... This is not the case regarding Israel. The soul of the individuals is drawn from ... the community, the community bestowing a soul upon the individuals. One who considers severing himself from the people must sever his soul from the source of its vitality. Therefore each individual Jew is greatly in need of the community. He will always offer his life so that he should not be torn from the people, because his soul and self-perfection require that of him. (p. 144)

The question of work on Shabbat and Yom Tov

שבת קנ״ג ב:י׳-י״א

אמר רב אדא בר אהבה היתה חבילתו מונחת לו על כתיפו רץ תחתיה עד שמגיע לביתו דוקא רץ אבל קלי קלי לא מאי טעמא כיון דלית ליה היכירא אתי למיעבד עקירה והנחה סוף סוף כי מטא לביתיה אי אפשר דלא קאי פורתא וקמעייל מרשות הרבים לרשות היחיד דזריק ליה כלאחר יד

Shabbat 153b:10-11

Rav Adda bar Ahava said: One who was traveling on Shabbat eve and his package was resting on his shoulder as night fell, he runs beneath it, i.e., with his package on his shoulder, until he reaches his home. The Gemara infers: Specifically one runs until he reaches home; however, walking a little bit at a time, no, he may not do so. The Gemara asks: What is the reason for this? Since, when walking in the usual manner, he has no conspicuous reminder that it is Shabbat, there is concern lest he come to perform the acts of lifting and placing by stopping to rest on his way home. The Gemara asks: Ultimately, when he reaches his home, it is impossible that he will not stop and stand a bit, and at that point, he will have performed the prohibited labor of carrying the package from the public domain into the private domain of his house. The Gemara answers: This is referring to a case in which he does not place the package in the typical manner when he reaches his home. Rather, he throws it down in an unusual manner. Since he did not perform the action in the typical manner, it is not prohibited by Torah law.

שבת צ״ב א:ה׳

מתני׳ המוציא בין בימינו בין בשמאלו בתוך חיקו או על כתיפיו חייב שכן משא בני קהת כלאחר ידו ברגלו בפיו ובמרפקו באזנו ובשערו ובפונדתו ופיה למטה בין פונדתו לחלוקו ובשפת חלוקו במנעלו בסנדלו פטור שלא הוציא כדרך המוציאין:

Shabbat 92a:5

MISHNA: One who carries out an object into the public domain on Shabbat, whether he carried it out in his right hand or in his left hand, whether he carried it in his lap or on his shoulders, he is liable. All of these are typical methods of carrying out an object, as this was the method of carrying the sacred vessels of the Tabernacle employed by the sons of Kehat in the desert. All labors prohibited on Shabbat are derived from the Tabernacle, including the prohibited labor of carrying out from domain to domain. But one who carries an object out in an unusual, backhanded manner, or with his foot, or with his mouth, or with his elbow, with his ear, or with his hair, or with his belt [punda] whose opening faced downward, or between his belt and his cloak, or with the hem of his cloak, or with his shoe, or with his sandal, he is exempt because he did not carry it out in a manner typical of those who carry.

Questions for Reflection
1. What does this phrase *like with the back of the hand* mean?
2. What is the significance of this statement in terms of Jewish law?

שבת ק״ג א:ח׳

מתני׳ הכותב שתי אותיות בין בימינו בין בשמאלו בין משם אחד בין משתי שמות בין משתי סמניות בכל לשון חייב אמר רבי יוסי לא חייבו שתי אותיות אלא משום רושם שכך כותבין על קרשי המשכן לידע איזו בן זוגו אמר רבי יהודה מצינו שם קטן משם גדול שם משמעון ומשמואל נח מנחור דן מדניאל גד מגדיאל:

Shabbat 103a:8

MISHNA: One who writes two letters on Shabbat, whether he did so with his right hand or his left, whether they were the same letter or two different letters, whether he did so using two different types of ink, in any language, he is liable. Rabbi Yosei said: One is deemed liable for writing two letters only due to marking, as they would write symbols on adjacent beams of the Tabernacle to know which beam was another beam’s counterpart. Rabbi Yehuda said: We found that one is liable for writing even if he did not complete what he was writing, so that he wrote a small name that constituted part of a longer name, e.g., Shem [shin mem] from the name Shimon or from Shmuel; Noaḥ [nun ḥet] from Naḥor; Dan [dalet nun] from Daniel; Gad [gimmel dalet] from Gaddiel. In all of these cases, the first two letters of the longer name constitute the shorter name.

שבת ק״ג א:ט׳

גמ׳ בשלמא אימין ליחייב משום דדרך כתיבה בכך אלא אשמאל אמאי הא אין דרך כתיבה בכך אמר רבי ירמיה באטר יד שנו ותהוי שמאל דידיה כימין דכולי עלמא ואשמאל ליחייב אימין לא ליחייב אלא אמר אביי בשולט בשתי ידיו

Shabbat 103a:9

GEMARA: The Gemara questions the beginning of the mishna: Granted, for writing with the right hand let one be liable, as that is the typical manner of writing. However, for writing with the left hand, why is one liable? That is not the typical manner of writing. Rabbi Yirmeya said: When the mishna taught that one who writes with his left hand is liable, they taught it with regard to one who is left-handed. The Gemara asks: And if so, let his left hand have the same legal status as everyone’s right hand; for writing with his left hand, let him be liable, for writing with his right hand, let him not be liable. Rather, Abaye said: This mishna refers to an ambidextrous person, who is liable for writing with either hand.

יומא פ״ה ב:ג׳

ר' שמעון בן מנסיא אומר (שמות לא, טז) ושמרו בני ישראל את השבת אמרה תורה חלל עליו שבת אחת כדי שישמור שבתות הרבה א"ר יהודה אמר שמואל אי הואי התם הוה אמינא דידי עדיפא מדידהו (ויקרא יח, ה) וחי בהם ולא שימות בהם

Yoma 85b:3

Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya said: It is stated: “And the children of Israel shall keep Shabbat, to observe Shabbat” (Exodus 31:16).The Torah said: Desecrate one Shabbat on his behalf so he will observe many Shabbatot. Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: If I would have been there among those Sages who debated this question, I would have said that my proof is preferable to theirs, as it states: “You shall keep My statutes and My ordinances, which a person shall do and live by them” (Leviticus 18:5), and not that he should die by them. In all circumstances, one must take care not to die as a result of fulfilling the mitzvot.

~ The Jewish tradition does make space for leniencies on "sha'at had'chak" or "hour of pressure".
What leniencies you personally can consider for Shabbat on these times, according to the sources studied?
~ What is a "backhanded manner"?
~ Why does this matter for Shabbat and Zoom?
~ Who does a video minyan leave behind?

The Rabbis could have never foreseen "zoom" or FaceTime or even google "meet ups" but perhaps they knew life would present obstacles to our obligation to be one with the community.

Do these texts make it "kosher" to gather in prayer over zoom? Is anything missing?
If being one with the community is so important what more can we do in this moment of "social distancing" to be more connected?

We were asked by a wise Torah scholar whether the Zoom program could be used at the Passover Seder to connect between the elderly and family members whom they are unable to join for the holiday ceremony due to social-distancing regulations.
One screen is in the elder's house, another in the family's house, and they join in viewing, speaking and listening. The program and the computer are set to work before the holiday, and during the holiday there is no need to do anything. The question is if for the needs of the seder is it possible to use such program, with a permission for "the hour of emergency" alone.
Answer:
There are three basic problems in this question:
1. To operate a computer in a holy day;
2. "Uvdin dechol" [acting in a holy day as one does in a regular day]
3. Worry that people will rely in this permission for other holy days when the need is not there.
1. Regarding the use of electricity on holy days (yom tov) it is known that there is a separation [from the Ashkenazi authorities] with the sages from Sepharad and North Africa, all of them standing as one and permitting it. Among those is the first Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel Rabbi Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel, the rav Rephael Ben Shimon, the rabbis Yosef [Messas, Sephardi rabbi of Haifa] and Chalom Messas [chief rabbi of Marocco and Sephardi rabbi of Jerusalem], Rabbi Moshe Malka [second in the Casablanca Beit Din], Rabbi David Shalosh [chief rabbi of Netanya] and others. And many of the Ashkenazi rabbis prohibit (as a rabbinic prohibition.)
In general, in the question under discussion, there is no need to operate the computer during the holiday, because it is turned on before the holy day begins. Regarding the concern that someone could turn on and off the device. Regarding this concern it is possible to rely upon the permission of the rabbis from the outset [since electricity is not forbidden].
2. Regarding the question of "uvdin dechol" and transforming the holy day in a common day we see that it is possible to be lenient regarding the needs to perform a mitzvah, just as they [the traditional sages] allowed shevut deshevut [a concurrence of two independent Rabbinical prohibitions which renders the act permissible] in the moment of a mitzvah, such as when they permitted to measure a mikvah on Yom Tov for the need of a mitzvah.
3. Regarding the worry of people using this permission for other holy days that are not under the category of "emergency hour" it should be clear to everyone that this is done for the need of the emergency alone. Also, the holiday of Passover is particularly important, specifically the night of the telling of the Haggadah in which everyone sees a fundamental event that is the brit between the Holy One and Israel. Furthermore we see that among the youth of Israel, were it not for the connection they have with the grandpa and grandma, they would not be sitting at a seder table. It is only their connection with the grandpa that brings them to join in the mitzvah of [telling] the Haggadah and eating of matzah. And this is obviously an important issue, the returning of the hearts of the children to their parents.
And there is another issue, which is the sending away of sadness from the adults and the elderly, giving them a motivation to continue to fight for their lives, and prevent depression and despair that can bring them to give up on life.
Therefore, we see that it is permitted, with the proviso that this applies only to the emergency situation, only for the needs of the seder of 5780, in the same way that we permit cure for a non-life-threatening disease in order to cure him from his illness.
And may the verse "and I will remove sickness from your midst" (Exodus 23:25) apply to us.

CJLS Guidance for Remote Minyanim in a time of COVID-19
Please find below a letter from Rabbi Elliot Dorff, CJLS Chair and Rabbi Pamela Barmash, CJLS Co-Chair, providing guidance for communities affected by COVID-19. Thanks to Rabbis Joshua Heller, Daniel Nevins, and Avram Reisner for contributing to earlier drafts and the CJLS as a whole for giving input. Please note that this is not an official responsum of the CJLS.
The CJLS-approved position of Rabbi Avram Reisner that permits remote participants to join on weekdays through electronic means to a minyan (ten adult Jews) gathering in person remains the standard practice. The majority of us firmly believe that this should remain the rule even in this sha'at hadehak (crisis situation).
Individuals are obligated to pray, and they may do so on their own without a minyan. Congregations may also establish a link to communal prayer without a minyan gathering in person and omit the recitation of devarim shebikdushah (no barkhu, kedushah, or kaddish). While there is not technically a repetition of the Amidah in the absence of a minyan, the "leader" may choose to recite the Amidah loud enough for others to hear, omitting kedushah, but encouraging congregational singing. This will be helpful to those who may not have ready access to a siddur. Jewish leaders are advised to provide interactive online Torah study opportunities as well so as to facilitate a sense of communal connection during this time when so many of us are staying at home.
Kaddish yatom (Mourner’s Kaddish) has a special resonance. Our movement has created several prayers that are acceptable in lieu of kaddish yatom (Mourner’s Kaddish) and those who are mourners or observing yahrzeit may find spiritual and emotional sustenance in these alternatives to kaddish yatom (Mourner’s Kaddish). Some of them may feel distress at not being able to recite kaddish yatom in the absence of a minyan, particularly for a prolonged period, and rabbis must reassure mourners that they are fulfilling their Jewish legal obligations under the circumstances and should feel no guilt whatsoever in remembering and honoring the deceased in this way. There are also other alternatives to saying kaddish yatom with a minyan when that is impossible, such as studying a text or dedicating some other mitzvah to the memory of the loved one.
However, we believe that in the current dire circumstances a more lenient position on constituting a minyan remotely may be acceptable, especially since there has been significant advances in technology. The classic sources (Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayyim 55:13, and others cited by Rabbi Reisner) require that a minyan be located in one physical space. However, Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayyim 55:14 does open the possibility that there may be an exception by joining in to constitute a minyan if one can see the faces of the other participants: “One who is standing behind the synagogue, with a window between that person and the congregation, even if it is several stories up and less than four cubits wide, and who shows his face to them, may combine with them to form a minyan of ten.”
The possibility of a minyan being constituted by people who are not physically near each other is further expanded by Rabbi Yitzhak Zilberstein in Hashukei Hemed on Berakhot 21b (p. 135), where he permits constituting a minyan for kaddish yatom (Mourner’s Kaddish) where people are scattered in a field but can see each other. Recently Rabbi Haim Ovadia called attention to this source, arguing in favor of constituting a minyan by means of real-time video and audio connection between ten Jews. Therefore, in this crisis situation, we issue this ruling relying on these precedents.
In this crisis situation in an area in which civil and/or medical authorities decree that it is unsafe for people to gather in person and recommend or order the closure of houses of worship, it is permitted to constitute a minyan whose constitutive participants (ten adult Jews) are not located in one physical place.
A few of us hold that in an emergency situation such as the one we are now experiencing, people participating in a minyan that is only online may recite devarim shebikdushah, prayers that require a minyan, with their community. The participants counted for the minyan must be able to see and hear each other through virtual means and be able to respond “amen” and other liturgical replies to the prayer leader. Because reading from a Torah scroll is permitted for private study, the Torah reading may be read from a scroll without aliyot. Alternatively, the Torah may be read from a printed text, such as a Humash or Hebrew Bible, without aliyot. The berakhah la'asok b'divrei Torah may be recited before the Torah reading.
A few more of us hold that it is permitted to constitute a minyan exclusively online only for the sake of reciting kaddish yatom. The source in Hashukei Hemed sets a precedent in that it refers specifically to Kaddish (in a cemetery), rather than to a minyan generally. The requirement for a minyan for Kaddish is not mentioned in the list of devarim shebikdushah in Mishnah Megillah 4:3. The requirement for a minyan for Kaddish is first mentioned in Masekhet Sofrim 10:7, not in the Babylonian Talmud or the Talmud of the Land of Israel. Again, the participants counted for the remote minyan must be able to see and hear each other through virtual means and be able to respond “amen” and other liturgical replies to the prayer leader. They do not recite devarim shebikdushah, and they read Torah from a printed text, such as a Humash or Hebrew Bible, without aliyot. The berakhah la'asok b'divrei Torah may be recited before the Torah reading. Kaddish derabbanan may also be recited after Torah study with a remote minyan.
This permission of constituting a minyan solely online, whether for all prayers requiring a minyan or only for Mourner’s Kaddish, is limited to this “sha’at hadehak” (crisis situation), where for weeks at a time, gathering a minyan is not possible without risk to human life. This permission is also limited to an area where most of the synagogues have been ordered, or recommended, to close for the crisis.
Importantly, this permission is still subject to concerns as to how this might be accomplished on Shabbat. There are complicated issues with using video technology to participate in services on Shabbat and Yom Tov, and we mention them here to advise rabbis and congregations of these obstacles.
The CJLS is currently working on them, but even those who permit it would require that the stream not be activated by a Jew on Shabbat. The stream would have to be already activated at the synagogue before Shabbat or activate automatically at a specific time. Individuals linking to the stream should activate their equipment before Shabbat or have it activate automatically because a “many-to-many” video connection, such as Zoom, often requires each participant to log in, a problematic practice on Shabbat. Furthermore, there remain additional special concerns for Shabbat and holidays that must be taken into account: Jews must avoid taking active steps to permanently record data or fix the equipment on Shabbat if it malfunctions. These complicated issues should not be ignored, and congregations can bypass these challenges by offering a live streaming option at a time that is not Shabbat or yom tov (for example, Friday night before sundown, motza’ei Shabbat for Havdalah).
This permission for a remote minyan is limited to this “sha’at hadehak” (a crisis situation) when it is forbidden or unsafe for ten adult Jews to gather in person in an area where most of the synagogues are closed for the crisis. This does not apply to those in an area where the civil and/or medical authorities have not recommended or ordered that the houses of worship close for public gatherings.
https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/story/cjls-guidance-remote-minyanim-time-covid-19

Nelly Altenburger