How many Torah scrolls does your shul have? My shul only has two Torah scrolls.
I am always amazed by shuls that have 8 or 10 Torahs stacked up in their Aron Kodesh, and continue to receive donations of new Torah scrolls. I wonder, when I see it happen, what do they need it for? Most of the Torahs never get used, except for maybe once or twice a year (on the yahrtzeit of the donor or some other stipulated date), and there are plenty of other shuls with not enough Torahs that could make much better use of an additional Torah.
About 4 months ago, the passengers of the 8:23 train from Bet Shemesh to Tel Aviv introduced the first "Train Torah" to its minyan with a respectable ceremony.
Last night, the passengers of the 6:23am train introduced the second "Train Torah" with a ceremony in the shul of the donor in RBS.
So now the train has two Torah scrolls - as many as my shul.
what is the halachik status of davening on a moving train? If not lchatchila, how have the halachik authorities suggested evaluating alternatives?
ReplyDeleteKT
Joel Rich
individuals asked their Rabbonim, and I know a number of shailohs that were asked and most of the rabbonim asked were aware that the alternative, in some of the situations, would likely be davening in private. They said in that situation it is for sure better.
ReplyDeleteI am aware of some who asked and were told it is fine, because it eases the pressure in the morning. They save a lot of time not having to get up very early to daven making them tired during the day. Sometimes the early train is travelling at a time where they cannot go to a minyan before the train.
I am also aware of situations in which a rav asked said better not to daven on the train, when possible.
Personally I generally daven before the train. I prefer to use my time on the train in other ways. There are occasions, rare ones, where I daven on the train.
this is exciting, because one of the reasons i didnt want to daven on the train was the sefer torah issue.
ReplyDeletealso i see the sefer torah donater works in hertzaliya also. speaking from experience, i totally understand the need to have a working and valid minyan on the 630 train.
the only one now with no Torah is the 7:23 train, which I think has the largest minyan of the three if I am not mistaken.
ReplyDelete"what is the halachik status of davening on a moving train?"
ReplyDeletewhat's the problem? i can forsee some of the problems of davening with a minyan (the same ones you have on an airplane, which iirc rafi does not do), but is there a problem specific to "a moving train"?