Chief Rabbi Dovid Lau on halachos of Yom Kippur in age of Corona

Chief Rabbi Rav Dovid Lau has released his psak on how to deal with various issues regarding Yom Kippur in light of CornoaVirus.

As always, he prefaces his remarks by commenting on the need and obligation to follow the Ministry of Health guidelines very carefully. 

It should also be noted that while the government is considering tightening the lockdown with the possibility of shutting shuls for Yom Kippur and Sukkos, upon consulting with the Chief Rabbi he told them that he will not even consider supporting such a decision unless everything else is also shut down completely. If other things can continue to operate, such as protests and businesses and whatnot, then shuls must be allowed to continue to operate as well.

Rav Lau paskened, regard:

men's mikva on Erev Yom Kippur: 

on Erev Yom Kippur the men's mikva is very crowded and that will make it a place fo danger. One should not go to the mikva to immerse but can rely, this year, on "9 kabin of water poured over him" or immersing in "drawn water" rather than a collected rainwater mikva - basically take a bath or shower.

fasting:

someone in isolation but with no positive Corona test must fast

someone positive for Corona who does not have and never had symptoms must fast

someone positive for Corona who had symptoms, within 5 days of a positive test - should not fast. If 5 days have passed and he has no symptoms, up to 10 days after the positive test he should fast but eat and drink "bshiurin" - small measured amounts (will mention the amounts below).

someone positive for Corona who is sick in serious or moderate condition should not fast. Even if he is now recovered, his immune system is weak and up to 3 months from being sick he should eat and drink bshiurin.

"Shiurin": 

eating/drinking every 9 minutes

eating food would be 27 grams of food every 9 minutes

drinking liquid would be 37ml every 9 minutes

one should prepare a measured cup of the right size or marked off before Yom Kippur begins.

with the mitzva of the day being the fasting, any doubt or concern would submit to the preference of him staying home and davening alone. People should ensure air flow and appropriate conditions

davening alone:

someone davening alone should say the 13 middos, the 13 Attributes, using the trop of the chumash (as this requires a minyan in tfilla). One can say yizkor, vidui and avinu malkeinu as normal

 

The selicha "Kel Na Refa Na" should be said in all the tefilos on Yom Kippur.

Gmar Chasima Tova and good health to all

------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel

------------------------------------------------------