A Mechanach in a certain community teaches Torah early in the morning and has to make the following choice. Either, daven without a minyan and get to school on time in order to teach (there is minyan in school but this Rabbi’s job is to teach a class during that period), or go to shul and daven with a minyan but leave immiediatly after shmonei Esrai. What is more ideal? I have seen brought down in the poskim negative views on people who leave shul early. Obviously this Rabbi is leaving shul in order to teach torah, but at the same time, people from the community may look down at this Rabbi for consistently running out of shul.
Answer:
Under the circumstances I think it is best for the mechanech in question to daven in shul, but to find a quiet place where his leaving early will not be conspicuous. Perhaps the best option is to daven in the ezras nashim, where he won’t be noticed.
Another option is to daven at ha-netz ha-chamah. Seven Poskim rule that the virtue of davening at ha-netz ha-chamah is greater than the virtue of tefillah be-tzibbur, so that if he davens at sunrise it will be correct for him to daven alone rather than wait till later to daven in shul.
If neither option works out, he should daven in shul, and of course explain to people that he has to leave early for his teaching position. Although it is true that Poskim speak harshly about those who leave shul early, this refers to people who are mezalzel in davening, and not for somebody who has to leave for a very legitimate reason. Of course, this reason should be explained to others, fulfilling the principle of “vihiyisem nekiyim ma-Hashem ume-Yisrael.”
Best wishes.
