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“Hashem protects when on the way to, and when engaged in, a mitzvah (such as tefila).”
although, if it were a real pikuach nefesh issue, one should not rely on that. In a real pikuach nefesh situation, it would probably not be a Mitzvah in any case.
lilmod ulelamaid: I don’t get the whole walking thing for women who are wearing heels, especially in the rain. Do you wear Shabbos rainboots?
I don’t understand why you think going out in a little rain or even a hurricane is pekuach nefesh. Most shuls and homes are heated so there is no chance of catching of pneumonia. As far as getting struck by lightning, you got a better chance of winning the lotto.
In my opinion it is better to go to shul and daven with a minyan and sanctify Hashem then daven at home. Hashem will protect you both coming and going to shul as it is a mitzvah. Kriyas Hatorah & Kaddish can’t be said unless there is a minyan. This is just my opinion and I am not an expert in this field. Please contact your local Orthodox Rabbi who will probably be in the shul so you might as well go anyway.
Abba, since Lightbrite is a girl, she doesn’t have to daven in shul. There are different approaches as to whether it’s better for a girl to daven in shul or at home (some people think it’s better for girls to daven at home) but at the end of the day, it’s an individual decision (since both are fine according to halacha). Overall, most Frum women and girls don’t go to shul (although this depends on the community as well as the age/stage of life).
Of course, it is commendable for a girl to go to shul, but it is not required, and if she actually gets up early enough to daven the entire davening, she is doing pretty good!
What you wrote is true for a man though! And for any girl who wants to go to shul and would go if it weren’t raining.
Lightbrite – I hate heels and never wear them! As I wrote in another thread, I wear shoes for practical purposes. I never understood why someone would want to wear shoes that they can’t walk in. Speaking of pikuach nefesh issues, it would make me very nervous to walk around in heels! What if someone starts threatening you or you see a person or dog or some other animal who looks scary, how would you be able to get away quickly?
Granted in my area, bochurim were attacked when walking to shul. That’s a different issue of pikuach nefesh. Hate crimes unfortunately.
As for rain, where I live, when it rains it floods. Sometimes it just rains. But I am not exaggerating. The roads flood regularly. Only part of the route has a sidewalk.
On a normal rainy day, I wear tall rainboots. If I didn’t the rain would pour into my shoes. My heels slip in sandals.
Since one cannot carry an umbrella, a raincoat can only do so much. I live in a hot place. Thus, even when it’s raining out, the buildings are blasting A/C. I feel like a cold wet dog. And can easily catch a cold. But I have to take extra care of my health, and the normal person probably may be better able to handle it.
If you want to go to shul badly enough, then you will, regardless of the weather and even if it doesn’t make sense. For men, there is an extra sense of responsibility to join the minyan too.
Understandable
“I live in a hot place. Thus, even when it’s raining out, the buildings are blasting A/C.”
I was trying to figure out why the a/c was blasting when it was raining :)!
In E”Y, that would never happen, since it only rains when it’s cold. I think that in the US, it is also pretty rare to have the a/c blasting when it’s raining.
I can hear how that can be somewhat unhealthy, but I can’t imagine that it qualifies as pikuach nefesh for most people. If it really did, they would not have the a/c blasting (there are still places in the world where people don’t use a/c, so it obviously is possible).
You are probably right that this is something you have to be concerned about, but most people dont.
That being said, you last paragraph sums it up well:
“If you want to go to shul badly enough, then you will, regardless of the weather and even if it doesn’t make sense. For men, there is an extra sense of responsibility to join the minyan too.
“
I was only referring to males over the age of 13 not females or those under 13 years old or drunks, should come to minyan even in the rain. Is it any different than going to the Kosel when it’s known that the Arabs throw stones from above and there is a threat of terrorist attacks but they still go? By your logic woman shouldn’t be going to the Kosel due to the danger, just tell that to the Women of the Wall.
Most women (and men) don’t go to the Kosel during times when there is danger.
I wasn’t saying that women have to refrain from going to shul in the rain; I was just saying that women don’t have to go to shul at all if they don’t want to. They also don’t have to go to the Kosel. Personally I almost never do, since I don’t have time to.
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