Question:
In my neighborhood, because of Covid-19, one of the shuls started a virtual minyan with Zoom. They don’t say any davar sh’bekedusha, but it gives people the “feeling” of davening b’tzibbur. Is there any benefit to joining?
Answer:
Yes there is a benefit to doing so. The first one is that it is questionable if it is considered “bshah shetzibbur mispalelim” or not, R’ Asher Wiess Shlit”a, (Kuntris On Corona) Pg. 53 says that it more likely that it means at the time that everyone is davening even if it isn’t together, (although he says that he doesn’t have a good proof for it). Additionally he says, that aside for the segula that it becomes an es ratzon, the fact that it gives everyone in the shul a specific time that they are davening, is also important. Otherwise many people will push off davening, and are quite likely to forget.
it should be clear that this may not be done on Shabbos or Yom Tov
May H-shem help us and we should return to our shuls with a renewed appreciation for them.
Best wishes
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