A Minyan in a Parking Lot

Q. A group of 10 men daven together in a large parking lot. Are there any rules about how far apart the individuals can stand and still be considered one minyan?

A. The Minchas Yitzchak (2:44) writes that if people are davening outside there are two requirements. First, the members of the group must be able to see each other to be considered a minyan, and they must all be able to hear the shliach tzibur in order to properly answer “amen” during chazaras hashatz (repetition of Shemonah Esrei). The first requirement is based on the Teshuvos haRashba (96) who writes that so long as the members of the group can see each other, it is as though they are all together inside a room. There is a disagreement among poskim as to whether seeing each other is sufficient for a group when they are divided into different rooms, but in a situation such as ours, where there are no walls separating them, all would agree that they are considered one minyan.

Another requirement is that there cannot be a road or any public thoroughfare separating the group. The Pri Megadim (OC Aishel Avrohom 55:12) writes that just like men cannot join to make a Zimun (to recite Birkas Hamazon together; OC 195:1) when they are eating on opposite sides of a public area, so too they cannot join to form a minyan for Tefilla.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.