Berakhot 059

You asserted that one cannot place Tefillin over bandages as there must be direct contact between the skin with the Tefillin In a recent Teshuvah by Ovadiah Yosef he demonstrates that this is not absolutely true. What would be more accurate is that there cannot be a break between the batim (tefillin boxes) and the skin. However, if needed, one could
theoretically wear tefillin over casts, bandages and even wristwatches. [This was the import of my analogy. – SR]

I wrote: There is no mitzvah of praying with a minyan.. David Kogut writes:

Pardon my confusion. I have a Yahrzeit coming soon. Is a minyan required for Kaddish?

I respond:

There is a confusion here between two concepts. There are certain liturgical acts that may only be performed where there is a minyan. These include Kaddish, Barekhu, Reader's repetition of the Amidah (including the Kedushah) and Reading from the Torah. Where there is no minyan these acts are not performed. The point that I made was that there is no absolute requirement for a person to contribute to such a minyan. It is a most meritorious act to do so, it is considered to be of enormous spiritual benefit, it is earnestly recommended – to the extent that someone who is able to contribute to a minyan and refrains from doing so is called "a bad neighbour" – but it is not a requirement. So, David, if you wish to recite Kaddish there must be a minyan; but those who deprive you of your minyan are not guilty of contravening a mitzvah, they are shakhen ra [a bad neighbour].

Now let us end on a note of harmony and compromise. Yesterday I referred to the custom of fixing a Mezuzzah at an angle in order not to choose between the opinion of two halakhic giants. Alan Ganapol sent this beautiful note:

I heard said that the compromise of 45 degrees for the placement of the Mezuzzah is to remind us that as we walk into our homes compromise is needed to foster shalom bayit [harmony]. Clearly, compromise can be very difficult, particularly for headstrong individuals, however for a family to thrive it is essential.