Question:
Boy age 14 lives with single mom who doesn’t own a car, and shul is 3 miles away (1 hour walk) from the house).
He usually has a ride to yeshiva where he davens. Occasionally when he can’t go that yeshiva and therefore doesn’t have a ride to town where there are minyanim, is he allowed to daven shachris without minyan at home?
I want to add that he has a stressful life all around due to a messy divorce situation. Therefore has some emotional sensitivities more than others.
I would have sent him with a taxi but he refuses to have to daven alone in a shul without a relative.
In the mean time while I have to wait for his relative to be available to eventually take him a few times to shul so he gets used to it which will be sometime before sukkos, may he davan shachris at home? Mincha and maariv he has a ride.
Answer:
If possible you should try that he should indeed daven with a minyan, and try to make some other type of arrangement. From a technical halachic aspect, since he lives far away from the shul he is not obligated to go, however it is detrimental for him to get used to davening at home. Since it only temporarily, it isn’t as bad, and if you don’t have another choice by which he will go happily don’t force him to go. At times when he can’t daven with a minyan he should try to daven at the same time that the minyan is davening, because at that time it is an es ratzon.
As a side point, regarding his not wanting to daven in a shul that he doesn’t have any relatives there. You should try discussing this issue with his Rosh Yeshiva or Rebbi, to determine how to approach this issue, and if there are any solutions
May HKB”H give you much nachas from him..
Best wishes
Sources:
O:CH 90-9, 16.
