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Just a thought… Is it possible bshas hadchak to daven with a minyan through video conferencing or other similar methods? Can I prove that we say that you can count a virtual minyan because of the fact that at the siyum hashas we were told to answer amen to brachos because the bracha was live-streamed, so why not say that there should be no difference between a bracha that is live-streamed and a minyan that is live-streamed?
The siyum hashas may have been different because there was a minyan in the place where the bracha was actually recited.
Very good suggestion although it may depend on the facts. For example, what happens if you lose one or two members of the minyan because of a disrupted internet connection. Is that different from one or two daveners who doze off in shul and fail to answer umein???
The question is Reb Moshe ztz’l assers the use of a microphone, a telephone because it is not the same voice. Are you saying Amen on someone davening or an echo?
No, you can NOT make a minyan over the phone. They must be physically present in the same space. See Orach Chaim ch 55 for the details.
Saying Amen is a different matter. If you know someone has said a bracha, even if you didn’t hear him, you should say Amen. You’re not yotzei anything, but you are simply acknowledging the bracha.
In my opinion making a “virtual minyan” is a wonderful thing, since it gives chizuk and promotes the feeling of davening with a tzibur, but there is no actual tzibur. Therefore there is no need for ten; any number of people davening together over Zoom gives the same feeling, and thus makes our davening better.
Also, it shows the Eibershter that we’re doing what we can. Just as someone who has no matzos for Pesach should use something else to stand in for them, with the understanding that he is not actually performing the mitzvah but only a zecher, so a virtual “minyan” is a zecher to the actual mitzvah that we can’t fulfill today.
My shul has virtual minyanim now, they’re wonderful. It’s not the same of course but it’s better than davening alone.
Milhouse is right. The proof iis 55,13 if a door separates them, some are outside and some inside, even if the door is open is not good, if it is closed, some end up in the outside.
Once there is a minyan in one place even if there is a wall separating them they can be combined to the minyan assuming they can see each other. In the Siyum everyone was in the same stadium so therefor they were considered one minyan even though they heard it via speakers.. However, in your case there is no minyan to start and you want to use video conferencing in order to make the minyan I don’t think it works.
If the door is open, people can see each other but it is no good as it can be closed.
Reb Eliezer – In Shulchan Orach Orach Chaim Chapter 55 sentence 14 the author clearly states that even if one is behind a shul, if there is a window that is not 4 but he can see in, he is combined with the minyan. Also look at chapter 55 sentence 20 where it clearly states that once there are 10 Jewish men, a minyan, even if one is not there he can answer Kadidsh and Kiddusha as long as there is not an idol or excrement between them. It would appear that video conferencing would work in this case as you don’t have to see or hear, merely have intention.
Please consult with a competent Rabbi as I am not saying this is common practice, Halacha La Miesaw.Answering is not the same as being part of a minyan.
The Mishnah Bururiah in 55:60 states that once there is 10 men in one place the schinah is there and even if he is in a separate house very far away from the minyan he is combined with them and even if there is a metal fence it isn’t considered a separation from his father in heaven.
When the Shulchan Oruch was written they didn’t have video conferencing perhaps it was written that way so that in our situation we can use it to have tifilah bitzibor while keeping safe. Once people get use to praying alone then even after this plague is over they nay not come to a minyan. So while attending a video conference minyan doesn’t have the taste of a real minyan it is better than praying alone.
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