Dirshu Mishnah Berurah

We discuss whether an individual can be prevented from attending a minyan set up in someones home.

We learn under what conditions someone who has donated money or land for a shul can retract their donation.

The key factor when lending use of a shul or items from it to others is maintaining the status of sanctity attached to them unless through the transfer the sanctity is removed. The Halacha does not want holy items to be used for non-holy purposes.

We discuss conditions under which it is permitted to sell a Sefer Torah, and under what conditions it is permitted to sell a shul.

Even if money was collected for the specific project of building a shul and the building is built, it is only when the community prays in it that the sanctified status fully attaches to the building with the requirements for its reverence.

We examine conditions where the sanctity of a shul or its value remains after its sale and the holy items used within the shul

Where monies for a shul were exclusively collected internally to a small town, then the community can invest authority to act on their behalf and sell the shul in their best interests and without their explicit approval of the deal.

We distinguish between a dedicated shul of a village that serves that village community alone, and a shul of a larger town that might serve a wider population and therefore cannot be as easily sold without a wider consent.

We discuss conditions under which funds collected for the building of a shul can be used for a different purpose.

We discuss the principle of rising in holiness and not descending and how this applies to the sale of one holy item in exchange for another.

We have discussed previously the need to build a new shul before pulling down an old one. If the old one is structurally unsound then you can reverse the process and work as fast as possible to build a new shul with the old one now pulled down.

If we want to build a new shul this must be in place before we pull down the old one. The worry is that if the old shul is first pulled down, something will happen and the community will be left without somewhere to daven.

There are differences of opinion amongst the poskim on permissibility of permanent use of an upper story flat from a shul. There are circumstances to permit its use, however, the Mishna Berurah seems to counsel against relying on leniencies in this regard where possible

We discuss the possibility of a condition being made in the construction of a Synagogue whereby they can be used for activities other than prayer and Torah learning.

We discuss when eating and drinking is permitted in shul and in the study hall

We must be extremely careful in the way we act and speak in synagogue. The synagogue is likened to a mini-Bet HaMikdash - a sanctuary for HaShem. As such our speech must be restricted to words of Torah and Prayer wherever possible

We learn that the entrance to shul should be opposite the direction of prayer.

Ideally a shul should be built in the highest point of the city in terms of reaching higher than the surrounding functional buildings.

We show honour to the Torah by accompanying it out of shul if it is kept elsewhere, and when moved around shul there is a mitzvah to also accompany it - especially for those honoured with lifting it up at the end of its reading and rolling it up.

We learn how and when the Torah should be raised then wound together with the saying of kaddish and what to do when there are multiple sifrei Torah.

We learn the hagboh and gelilah are very great mitzvot and these mitzvot should be given to the greats of the community

It is remarkable that we derive the obligation (which some hold is Biblical) to stand for the Sefer Torah, from the requirement to stand before a talmid chochom - and NOT the other way round.

Although there are a various levels of stringencies, the basic requirement is to pay careful attention to each and every word when the Torah is read in public. This extends as far as certainly not talking during this time but also not learning Torah according to many opinions.

We discuss the practice in the time of the Gemorrah where after each verse it was translated into Aramaic so that the people could understand what was said. We no longer do this.

We discuss how we are generally not allowed to jump from one section to another when reading from the Torah. As the specific haftorah was not as mandated as heavily as the specific Torah reading, there is greater room for leniency.