Designated Place of Prayer of an Unwell Person
Question
When I came to synagogue on Shabbat, my makom hakavua was occupied by a visitor who was unfamiliar with the congregation. The only other seat in the vicinity that was vacant was the makom hakavua of man who is temporarily out sick. I sat there because the only other options were quite far from my makom hakavua. While I was sitting there, I felt bad about taking up a sick man’s place. He was hospitalized last week and is recuperating at home. He has already made a full recovery, but did not come in today as a precaution. Are there any issues with sitting in the makom hakavua of someone you know is absent due to illness?
Answers
No, there are none, whatsoever. I actually think that you did two wonderful acts! The first is that you did not ask the guest to move from your place even though it is your prerogative to do so. In that way, the guest was able to continue davening without feeling uncomfortable. The second wonderful thing you did was that you gave the person who is currently recuperating the opportunity to fulfill the Mitzvah of “Hachnasat Orchim” by your sitting in his place.
Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team