Rabbi Mendel Zirkind has been an educator/mentor and personal development consultant for youth for over a decade. He ran the smicha and Gemara skills program in Beis Menachem in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania and currently has a Gemara/cognitive development program in the JETS yeshiva in Los Angeles, California. He also answers halacha questions and gives a class in practical halacha.
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Well explained and good points
The real question is how do you define garment for if it’s a
garment then there is no difference between mask or jacket,glasses etc.it can be argued that anything that is on your body serving a purpose (protecting you or others) and people are walking that way outside would qualify as garment
If the government is asking everyone to wear masks, and many are then as of now wearing masks would be considered a Levush and therefore just like one is allowed to wear a hat etc one is allowed to wear a mask??
Someone please tell me if I’m wrong
Thanks you rabbi zirkind.
You are very clear. And explained this very well.
Whether or not your points are correct it really doesn’t matter the Chilul Hashem caused by not wearing a mask and people would argue the minhag hamakom has changed. It would be a problem and I’ll advised to not wear a mask while gong outside.
Most of the masks (the non not ones) are to prevent people touching their face, with hands that might have touched something…. so they do protect according to studies.
I see people grab their masks with hands to speak and then put mask back on. If their hands are infected, then they become glorified petri dishes for the bacteria and viruses causing you a greater chance of infection.
PIKUACH NEFESH TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER SHABBOS.
THE BIUR HALOCHO IN SIMAN 328 STATES THAT WHEN THERE’S A SOFEIK OF PIKUACH NEFESH-OR EVEN LESS THAN A SOFEIK-THAT WOULD REQUIRE DESECRATING SHABBOS AND YOU DONT HAVE A DOCTOR TO ASK, IT WOULD SEEM ONE COULD RELY ON PIKUACH NEFESH TO BE MECHALEL SHABBOS, GIVEN THE SEVERITY AND DANGER TO LIFE CURRENTLY RAMPANT AND THE ADVICE GIVEN BY THE COMMUNITY DOCTORS. HAVING SAID THAT, THOSE ROTZCHIM IGNORING THE RABBONIM AND GOVERNMENT ANYWAY BY CONDUCTING MINYONIM ON PORCHES AND ENDANGERING OTHERS ETC PERHAPS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO WEAR MASKS.
There is a story in the Gemmorrah about the Ganiff in front of a cave. If the Gemmorah said its better that the Thief should pray then its better that those conducting Minyanim should also at least protect themselves in other ways even if they shouldnt be doing it in the first place. Your logic says that since they are violating then they ought not have the right to wear a mask. Where in Halacha do we see any examples of this??? Maybe you are saying since they believe they are doing the right thing and that their is no… Read more »
Whether or not one is allowed to go outside isn’t the question here, if for ANY reason one is going outside this is where the question is asked N95 are also not protecting 100%, as for the surgical masks going around they are protecting in a way even though it is much less than the N95, whether for himself or for others, even with social distancing the virus can affect others if someone coughs or sneezes and someone goes by, so everyone agrees that the mask has a chance of protecting one from getting or affecting the virus So I… Read more »
Rav Chayim Kanievsky paskened it’s a Levush and therefore can be worn on Shabbes.
The main point being made is that there is no reason to go out side at all on shabbos and in fact halacha (see shulchun aruch harav hilchos shmiras haguf) says that when there is a pandemic it is forbidden to leave ones home. As for the help of the mask there may be more risk in wearing the mask as it’s been shown that people end up touching their face a lot more because of the mask as well as the studies show the virus lives on the mask for a very long time so when you take off… Read more »
This might be complicating the issue. You can wear glasses outside on Shabbos even with a minor prescription because they’re being worn “derech malbish.” There’s no need for vision to be impaired to the point of sakana. Your same argument can be made against a key on a bendel. Who says you have to walk outside and then have to open doors? Once you’re back from shul, better say in the house so you don’t have the unlock any doors. The rabanim ruled. A person who wants to take a (socially-distanced) walk but also wants/is required to protect others from… Read more »
The case of wearing eyeglasses is a very good example to this argument that anything which isnt really necessary or needed is not permitted to be worn outside. If you would do your research you would see that most poskim dont allow wearing eyeglass if it’s not really helping or it’s not very strong (meaning one is capable to see (even if somewhat no so strong)without them). Wearning a key on a bendil isnt either so simple and in general anything which isnt really necessary is problematic. The reason to permitted a key on a bendil depending on the different… Read more »
When shuls are allowed to reopen there will be a tekufa when everyone will be required to wear masks to enter even on Shabbos. And the same way glasses, keys and mikveh towels are ok to be worn “derech malbish” the same will be for masks. The question is, since the masks do not have to be N95 because you’re wearing it only to protect others from yourself, and even cloth is ok, maybe on Shabbos people should wear a nice shabbosdige tichel not a construction mask.