Below you will find some of Rabbi Berkenwald’s thinking regarding these questions for Congregation Sinai.
There are two primary halakhic questions that must be addressed:
Minyan - What is the status of a group of adult Jews who gather together over the internet, and what are the implications on the prayers that can be recited?
Shabbat - Can one go online to participate in communal worship on Shabbat?
Different synagogues have found different solutions. The Committee on Jewish Laws and Standards (CJLS) of the Rabbinical Assembly has issued rulings on both of these questions in recent years, and provided updated guidance for the current situation. These have informed our thinking on this subject. Here are links to the CJLS documents if you are interested:
Streaming Services on Shabbat and Yom Tov
The Use of Electrical and Electronic Devices on Shabbat
Wired to the Kadosh Barukh Hu: Minyan Over the Internet
CJLS Guidance for Remote Minyanim in a time of COVID-19
Minyan
Certain prayers that are considered to be public declarations of the holiness of God’s name require a minyan (prayer quorum) to be recited. These prayers include Bar’khu, Kedushah, Kaddish, and the formal public reading of the Torah from the scroll. To constitute a minyan for these purposes, ten Jewish adults must be physically present with one another.
Back in the days of the Talmud, the Rabbis discussed a situation in which a person could see and hear a service from outside the room. All agree that this person is not counted towards the minyan. One Rabbi offers a lenient position, arguing that this person should be allowed to respond to the prayers along with those who are inside the room.
The fundamental concept of the minyan is that we are meant to be together. Although technology that allows us to both see and hear one another in near real time puts us in an interesting in-between situation, it seems pretty clear from all of the sources that physical presence is necessary. For this reason, we will be praying the normal service together, but will not recite Bar’khu, Chatzi Kaddish, Kaddish Shalem, and the Kedushah. In place of the Torah service, we will hear a summary of the Parashah, chant a short section from a book, and hear a D’var Torah inspired by the week’s Torah portion.
Mourner’s Kaddish
The Mourner’s Kaddish (as well as Kaddish D’rabbanan) is a bit different. Its recitation emerged as a custom in the Middle Ages, giving us some space to be more lenient in terms of considering a minyan. As a result, mourners will have the opportunity to recite the Mourner’s Kaddish provided that:
There are at least ten Jewish adults connected by both audio and video (i.e. unmuted, camera on)
Anyone reciting the Mourner’s Kaddish must be unmuted
Shabbat
Coming together each week on Shabbat is the focal point of the Sinai community. Under normal circumstances, Shabbat at Congregation Sinai constitutes a low-tech island of peace in the heart of Silicon Valley. Shabbat offers us a much-needed rest from our enslavement to technology. We gather to pray, talk, connect, eat and drink, learn, and play games. We have been unable to do these things lately. I fear what will happen to us, both individually and as a community, if we cannot find ways to maintain our connections with one another.
The use of electricity on Shabbat is a complicated topic that does not fall into any of the obvious categories of prohibited labor. A recent CJLS ruling placed it in the Rabbinic category of sh’vut, which essentially means that it is not in the spirit of Shabbat. In light of the extreme circumstances, we are able to rule leniently by relaxing the rabbinic prohibition.
To be clear, this relaxation is only for purposes of gathering together in communal prayer. To the extent that we can minimize our manipulation of electronic devices by setting things up ahead of time, we should do so. It is possible to log in to the service on Friday before sundown, leaving the computer running and the connection live. If you choose to do so, keep in mind that you will have to decide whether you are comfortable leaving your screen and microphone active while unattended.