I am writing regarding the article “The Time Has Come” (May 13, 2021), written by Rabbi Michael Taubes. Rabbi Taubes writes with passion and erudition about Kedushat Bait HaKnesset in urging those who now daven in outdoor minyanim to return to davening in shuls. It cannot be refuted that shuls have kedusha and parking lots have none. However, I would have liked to see some discussion about the passion of those who chose to daven in very uncomfortable places, through a harsh winter, in order to daven with a minyan rather than do so at home. This was inspiring to me personally, and the people who made the sacrifice should be commended.

More importantly, I do have some questions based on this article:

The Talmud speaks about those who davened in the fields. I have yet to see Talmudic criticism of such people. Were they acting improperly?

Some people are not vaccinated, and some who are feel more comfortable continuing outdoors. Are they acting improperly? Do they have a halachic right, in this still-uncertain time, to daven in non-shul environments out of safety concerns?

The arguments that pertain to outdoor minyanim also apply (perhaps more so) to those who daven in neighborhood minyanim. Our area is replete with such minyanim. Will these minyanim be scrutinized as well? If so, it will be interesting to see what the outcome will be.

I agree that those who feel safe going indoors should daven in shuls. But this is not a universal feeling. In fact, during this past Shabbat a shul regular told me that the outdoor minyan is becoming more popular now as some feel that the new CDC suggestions make them less safe indoors, and not more so.

Response from Rabbi Michael Taubes, Teaneck

Like Rabbi Rosenfeld, I too found it most inspiring throughout the pandemic to see people make every effort to daven with a minyan rather than at home, even when the conditions were not always favorable. I made no direct mention of this in my initial article as it was not really relevant to my point, but I fully agree with Rabbi Rosenfeld that all of these people should be commended.

To respond to his questions:

1. The clear statements in the Talmud emphasizing the importance of davening specifically in a beit haknesset would seem to indicate that davening outdoors was then the exception rather than the rule, and perhaps was considered acceptable due to extenuating circumstances.

2. I think I made it clear that people with specific health concerns should not feel pressured to return to shul. Safety is obviously of tantamount importance. That said, I would add that while nobody, to be sure, has to answer to me, I think that people should be honest with themselves as to their real reasons for continuing to daven outside and not in shul, and assess whether their refusal to enter a shul is consistent with their behavior regarding participation in other activities (e.g., attending social functions, eating in restaurants, etc.).

3. The issue of neighborhood minyanim is a broad one (having long predated this virus) and is worthy of discussion in its own right. I simply repeat here that the unique sanctity of a shul is not present in someone’s living room, basement or garage.

I continue to hope that we will soon return to the point where everyone will be as comfortable coming into our shuls as they were before any of us ever heard of COVID-19.