Dear Rabbi Simon
Quick question. I noticed no-one put their head down yesterday during tachanun when we davened it the front room at Kesher and I wondered why? Is one considered as being in the presence of a Sefer Torah, if he is on shul premises?
Many thanks,
Tanchum
Dear Tanchum
The Kiddush room at Kesher is not considered the presence of the sefer torah. For example, one who is in the Kiddush room would not count towards a minyan, if there were nine in the beis midrash space. There is also no line of sight from the Kiddush room to the Aron Kodesh. However, if one was in the hallway, within sight of the Ark where the Torah scrolls are kept, then he would need to put his head down for tachanun.
Best wishes,
Rabbi Rashi Simon