The outbreak in Israel of coronavirus has raised questions about religious observance in the face of a contagious epidemic. Over the past few days, many rabbis have been approached with questions about visiting the mikveh (ritual bath) while under quarantine as well as questions about observing the upcoming Purim holiday, which is marked by public readings of the Book of Esther, as well as costume parades and parties.
On Wednesday, Chief Rabbi David Lau held a meeting with Health Minister Yakov Litzman, Health Ministry Director-General Moshe Bar Siman Tov, and other healthcare officials that focused on the disease's ramifications on public religious observance.
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As a result of the meeting, Lau issued instructions for the public to avoid kissing mezuzahs, which are placed on the doorways of nearly every building in Israel's Jewish communities, to avoid spreading infection.
"Currently, as we are witnessing the spread of a serious disease, there is no doubt that mezuzahs must not be kissed or even touched. A person need only think about what is written on [the scroll inside] the mezuzah when he enters or leaves," Lau said, referring to the Shema Yisrael prayer, which is enclosed inside the outer part of the mezuzah, which is what is kissed.
Rabbi Shlomo Hecht, spokesman for the Beit Hillel rabbinical organization, has ruled that women who are in quarantine must not visit the mikveh, and should contact Nishmat, an organization that provides religious advice for women, about how to conduct themselves until they are permitted to leave quarantine and use the mikveh.
"Men who are under quarantine must not visit the mikveh at all," Hecht said.
The Religious Services Ministry has issued similar instructions.
Hecht also said that anyone under quarantine must not violate it to attend public prayer or join a minyan, and that doing so would turn the fulfillment of a religious commandment into a violation.
"Memorial days can be postponed until it is possible to leave quarantine," Hecht said.
This coming Saturday will be marked by a reading of the Zachor Torah portion. Listening to the reading, which deals with Amalek's attempts to destroy the Jews during the Exodus, is a religious commandment. However, Hecht explains that anyone under quarantine must remain so.
"No one [under quarantine] must leave their homes to hear Parshat Zachor … One can and should read the parsha at home," Hecht said.
Hearing the reading of the Book of Esther on Purim is also considered a "must" according to the Torah, so rabbis were forced to come up with creative solutions for those under quarantine.
"A minyan is not required to read the Book of Esther, but a 'kosher' scroll is needed. However, instructions are that the virus could be spread through objects, and therefore a scroll must not be delivered to anyone under quarantine and then taken back. Apparently, the scroll can be read to someone under quarantine through a door or window, if appropriate cautions are taken," Hecht said.
Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon backed up Hecht's ruling that those under quarantine must not leave their homes to hear the Book of Esther, but offered a high-tech solution: setting up cameras and streaming the public readings of the scroll.
