Torah

Question: When davening by himself at home on Friday night, must a husband say VaYechulu (after Sh’moneh Esrei in Maariv) together with his wife?

Question: May one wear a protective (i.e., surgical or N95) mask outside on Shabbos in a place without an eruv?

Short Answer: According to both Rav Asher Weiss shlita and Rav Hershel Schachter shlita, one may wear both masks outside on Shabbos in a place without an eruv.

Question: You commit to learn one masechta of Mishnayos in memory of a recently departed person. May you also sign up to learn the same masechta in memory of another recently departed person? In other words, your learning will be in memory of both people. Does this work?

Question: Now that we are all unfortunately davening at home, must we always daven in the same spot (makom kavua) in our homes?

Question: May one daven next to his wife and daughters at home, or must they erect a m’chitzah if davening together?

Short Answer: While a m’chitzah is unnecessary, Rabbi Mordechai Willig shlita told this author that the wife and daughters should not be in the line of sight of the husband/father who is davening.

Question: Assuming the CDC and our g’dolim allow such a minyan (which they currently do not), may a minyan be formed among ten men, each standing on his own porch and each a significant distance from the other?

Short Answer: It is unlikely that such a minyan could be formed based on the physical set-up of KGH houses, as the streets and driveways, as well as garbage pails would separate the men. Rav Hershel Schachter shlita has also recently ruled that this does not constitute a minyan.