12 May More Teshuvas on Corona

RECITING BERACHOS FOR A SIMCHA 

(e.g. sheva berachos, bris) over Zoom If a grandfather is participating in the bris milah of his grandson via Zoom, it is permissible for him to name the baby. However, he should not recite the bracha of “asher kidash yedid m’beten” via Zoom. Similarly, one who is participating in a wedding (or a Sheva Brachos) via Zoom may not recite any of the Sheva Brachos, since he is not actually together with the baalei simcha. If there is no group of ten men present at the wedding, rather everyone is joining via Zoom, they certainly may not recite the Sheva Brachos. 

GETTING MARRIED WITHOUT TEN MEN PRESENT 

Currently, it is very dangerous to gather in crowds due to the contagiousness of Coronavirus. This presents a problem, since kiddushin (which sets in motion the process of marriage) requires the presence of two witnesses and a knowledgeable officiating rabbi, in addition to the bride and groom. Ideally, there should also be ten men present for birchas eirusin, the blessing on the kiddushin. However, we can be lenient regarding the requirement of ten men in pressing circumstances, such as the current situation. However, the presence of ten men is necessary in order to recite birchos nisuin, the sheva berachos under the chupah. Furthermore, the rule is that a bride is forbidden to her groom until the birchos nisuin have been recited. The Rishonim debate whether this is meant literally, or it means that the bride is forbidden to the groom until she has entered the chupah with him, even if the birchos nisuin were never recited. The Nodeh B’Yehudah notes that the majority of authorities agree with the latter approach. It would seem that in the current, dangerous situation it is proper to follow this opinion. As such, the wedding should consist of a badekin, chupah, and yichud – all with less than ten men present, in order to minimize the risk. However, the presence of two witnesses is mandatory under all circumstances. 

READING THE PARSHA FROM A CHUMASH, REVIEWING THE PARSHA, NAMING A BABY WITHOUT A MINYAN 

The mitzvah of Kerias HaTorah can only be fulfilled in the presence of a minyan (Mishnah Megillah 23a). Some have suggested that it is worthwhile for those who are confined to their home and will be davening without a minyan to at least read the Parshas HaShavuah from a Chumash without making the blessings. Th e Kesef Mishnah cites the Teshuvas HaRambam who wrote in his youth that the mitzvah of Keriyas HaTorah can be fulfi lled even with a Sefer Torah that is invalid. Th e Rambam later retracted this position in his Mishneh Torah. Nonetheless, if a mistake is found while reading the Torah, even though we replace the Sefer Torah with another one which is valid, the Mahari Beirav ruled that we need not reread that which was already read. Since it was done already, we can rely on the position of the Rambam from his youth. Similarly, the Rema quotes an opinion that in times of difficulty we can read from a Sefer Torah which is invalid, even with a blessing. However, the Mishnah Berurah disagrees and does not permit this. Even according to the Rema who quoted an opinion that this is permissible, it would only apply to reading in the presence of a minyan but not to private individuals reading in their own home, and therefore one would not accomplish the mitzvah of Keriyas HaTorah in any way by doing so. Nonetheless, some feel that by reading the whole parshah, even without a minyan, they are accomplishing a zecher to the mitzvah of Keriyas HaTorah. Th e rule in the Gemara is that we permit one to do a zecher to a mitzvah if one is unable to fulfi ll the actual mitzvah unless we are concerned that a misconception (kilkul) will be created. For this reason, the Gemara tells us that during the Second Beis HaMikdash the Tanaim permitted the women to perform imitation semicha on their korbanos by holding their hands on the head of the korban without leaning on the animal. Others have raised the suggestion that since presently we are not attending minyanim and not hearing Keriyas HaTorah, we should also not be obligated to perform the weekly mitzvah of shnayim mikrah ve’echad targum (to read the parsha twice with one commentary). The language of the Gemara Berachos (8a) is that shnayim mikrah must be done “together with the community”, and today there is no local community reading Keriyas HaTorah in shul. This is incorrect, and in fact just the opposite is true. The opinion of the Ra’avan is that the requirement of shnayim mikrah was specifically formulated for those who are alone and can not attend shul to hear Keriyas HaTorah. While the accepted opinion is not like the Ra’avan, and even those who attended shul and heard Keriyas HaTorah must still perform shnayim mikrah, all would agree with the Ra’avan that the obligation of shnayim mikrah should still continue to apply even when the local shuls are closed. 

PESACH SHEINI 

A group of rabbis in Israel recently made a request of the Prime Minister to support their efforts to bring a Korban Pesach on Pesach Sheini, the 14th day of Iyar. There is a disagreement in the Talmud Yerushalmi whether a Korban Pesach is brought on Pesach Sheini if the Beis Hamikdash is rebuilt between Pesach Rishon and Pesach Sheini. The Rambam rules based on the Talmud Bavli that the Korban Pesach is only brought on Pesach Sheini if the majority of the Jewish people already brought the Korban Pesach on Pesach Rishon in a state of purity. Since, in the absence of a Beis Hamikdash, no Korban Pesach was brought on Pesach Rishon, there is no significance to the “holiday” of Pesach Sheini, and indeed the Minhag Ashkenaz is to say Tachanun on the 14th of Iyar. Minhag Sefard is to omit Tachanun on the 14th of Iyar, but this is only as a remembrance to those periods when the Beis Hamikdash was in existence and the Korban Pesach would have been brought on that day. However, all would agree that there is no possibility of bringing the Korban Pesach on Pesach Sheni when there was no Korban Pesach on Pesach Rishon. Accordingly, while we all pray for a speedy redemption and the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash, my hope is that the government will not allow the bringing of the Pesach Sheini, as it will not be a valid korban. Similarly, the Chazon Ish was opposed to the practice of eating matzah on the 14th of Iyar. Some have advised those who were ill and unable to eat matzah on Pesach to eat matzah on Pesach Sheni. However, this is incorrect, as the mitzvah of eating matzah is limited to Pesach Rishon and can not be made up on Pesach Sheni. Even in the time of the Beis Hamikdash, matzah was only eaten on Pesach Sheini in conjunction with the Korban Pesach. Certainly nowadays, in the absence of the Beis Hamikdash and Korban Pesach, there is no benefit to eating matzah independently on Pesach Sheni.