Hecha Kedushah, expanded

Hi,

Expanding on this recent Jewish Law post:

What is hecha kedushah, and how is it conducted?

When time is short, such as at minchah when sunset is near, a minyan may abbreviate the davening by having the chazan recite the amidah first, through kedushah, and then having the community complete the amidah silently. This is called hecha kedushah, a Yiddish term meaning "loud kedushah".

There are multiple views regarding how the pre-kedushah portion of the amidah should be recited. The two most common practices in contemporary Ashkenazi minyanim are:

• The minyan recites the first three berachot silently along with the chazan's loud recitation, responds to kedushah, and then concludes the amidah silently.
• The minyan listens to the first three berachot and responds "Amen", responds to kedushah, and then recites the entire amidah, from the beginning, silently.

Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik practiced the former approach, but the latter approach seems to be the more widespread practice.

(Shibolei haLeket 47; Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 124:2, 232:1; Pri Megadim Orach Chaim 124:Eishel Avraham 5; Kaf haChaim Orach Chaim 124:2 and footnote 10; Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 232:3-6; Mishneh Berurah 124:8, 232:4; Rivivot Ephraim 1:166:2; Az Nidbiru 12:23)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

"Hecha Kedushah"

Hi,

Rabbi Moshe Isserles wrote that when the time available for minchah is short, one should begin reciting the amidah along with the chazan's repetition. However, contemporary practice is to have the chazan recite the beginning of his repetition, through kedushah, and then have the community recite their silent amidah, and have the chazan finish his recitation silently.

[This is the phenomenon known as "hecha kedushah".]

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:166:2)

גמר חתימה טובה,
Mordechai

Stepping sideways out of the amidah

Hi,

One who recites the amidah in a narrow space, such that there is no room to take three steps backward, may take the steps at an angle. Some even accept stepping laterally, where that is the only option.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:82:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Amen to a blessing in the silent amidah

Hi,

One who overhears someone's blessing recited during the silent amidah should respond 'Amen'. However, note that the rule for Amen, in general, is that one should not say 'Amen' louder than the blessing itself was said. [Also, note that one should avoid distracting the person reciting the amidah.]

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:81)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Yaaleh v'Yavo in Shma Koleinu

Hi,

One who misunderstands the amidah instructions in the siddur, and recites the special insertion of Yaaleh v'Yavo in the blessing of Shema Koleinu, should still recite Yaaleh v'Yavo in its proper place. However, if he doesn't say it again, he has still fulfilled his obligation and he need not repeat the amidah.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:78:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The "vav" in "v'lamalshinim"

Hi,

One the requests in the amidah turns to G-d to punish those who seek to harm us. The blessing begins with an odd conjunction, V'lamalshinim, "And for the slanderers"; no other blessing among the amidah's requests begins with a conjunction.

Indeed, some authoritative editions lack this conjunction, but it may be justified as linking this request to the previous one, which asks G-d to promote general justice in the world.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:78:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Omitting "v'ten berachah"

Hi,

During the spring and summer months, our prayer for agriculturally helpful weather in the amidah includes a request of v'ten berachah, asking Gd to send blessing upon the land. During the fall and winter, the same blessing instead says v'ten tal umatar l'vrachah, asking Gd to send dew and rain of blessing.

One who omits the request for dew and rain in their season repeats the amidah, because those are critical and they are not specified in any other part of the amidah. However, one who omits the generic v'ten berachah [without inserting the words of the rainy period] in its season does not go back, since the theme of asking Gd for agricultural blessing is stated even without those words.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:78:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Crossing in front of a child who is reciting the amidah

Hi,

Technically, it may be permissible for one to cross in front of a child who is reciting the amidah, but it is inappropriate to do so where one has other options.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:74)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Sitting beside a person who is reciting the amidah

Hi,

Normally, one may not sit within four amot (about 7 feet) of someone who is reciting the amidah. However, where the person who is reciting the amidah is sitting or reclining - as in the case of someone who is in a hospital bed, or someone who is on an airplane - then if the adjacent person cannot stand, that person may sit.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:73)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Amen after "gaal yisrael"

Hi,

There is debate regarding whether one should respond "Amen" after the blessing of "gaal yisrael" in the morning prayers, right before the amidah; some suggest that this would constitute an interruption between one's own blessing and the amidah.

Two popular solutions for the problem are to have the chazan conclude the blessing silently, or for the congregation to recite the end of the blessing with the chazan, and not say "Amen". However, an Ashkenazi who hears the chazan's conclusion of his blessing should follow the view of Rama and say "Amen".

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:71)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Makom kavua - a set place for prayer

Hi,

We are taught that one should designate a set place ("makom kavua") as his usual site for prayer. This rule is meant to enhance one's concentration, and it applies specifically to the amidah, although it is good to have a set place for other prayers as well.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:67)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Davening without tefillin

Hi,

[Normally, we require that one wear tefillin when reciting the morning Shema. Because the text of Shema includes the instruction to wear tefillin, reciting Shema without tefillin would be hypocritical.]

One who currently lacks tefillin, and isn't sure that he will be able to obtain tefillin before the latest time for Shema, should recite Shema now rather than wait. The same is true for the amidah and its time. When he obtains tefillin later, he should put them on to fulfill the mitzvah, and some say he should recite a paragraph of Tehillim with them on.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:57)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Sitting down for the amidah

Hi,

One who recited the amidah while seated due to a temporary necessity, such as because he was in an airplane, need not repeat it later when he is able to stand.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:50:12)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

While waiting to step out of the amidah

Hi,

If I finish saying shemoneh esreih and the person behind me is not done, so I can't step backward, may I answer kedushah?

One may not pass within seven feet in front of a person who is reciting shemoneh esreih, and so one may not step back from shemoneh esreih if this will bring him into the space of a person reciting shemoneh esreih.

However, one who has completed shemoneh esreih, and is only waiting to step back, may respond to kedushah and to all berachot; some even permit reciting Baruch Hu uBaruch Shmo. Indeed, some views even permit study of Torah at this point.

It is worth noting that if a bench separates you from the person davening behind you, and the back of the bench is more than three feet high and fifteen inches wide, then some authorities permit stepping back from shemoneh esreih. Even without this interruption, some are lenient in a case of need, particularly if the person who is reciting shemoneh esreih is blocking an aisle.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 122:1; Mishneh Berurah 122:4; Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 102:13; Tzitz Eliezer 9:8:2; Ishei Yisrael 32:20)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A chazan who cannot put his legs close together

Hi,

We have noted that one is supposed to recite the amidah with his legs as close as possible to each other, to mirror the prophet Yechezkel's description of single-legged malachim (Yechezkel 1:7).

One who cannot do this should keep his legs as close to each other as possible, and is qualified to serve as shaliach tzibbur (chazan).

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:38:6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Parting one's feet during the amidah

Hi,

The Talmud mentions that we stand with our legs aligned when reciting the amidah, to mimic the malachim, who are described in Yechezkel 1:7 as having "a single, straight leg."

The Talmudic commentary "Talmidei d'Rabbeinu Yonah" to Berachot 10b does note that some people had a practice of pointing their toes somewhat outward, to fulfill another part of that biblical verse, which describes the feet of the malach is being "like that of a calf", implying a split hoof. However, this was explicitly rejected by every major halachic authority from that time and onward. Therefore, one who is physically capable should keep his feet entirely together.

One whose ancestors or whose rebbe customarily separates his feet should nonetheless change his practice to follow the mainstream view; the rejected view cited in Talmidei d'Rabbeinu Yonah does not qualify as a legitimate custom, because of its explicit rejection by halachic authorities.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:37:5)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Stepping out of the amidah

Hi,

If someone is reciting shemoneh esreih in the row behind me, may I step back from my own shemoneh esreih?

One may not pass within seven feet in front of a person who is reciting shemoneh esreih, and some extend this to people reciting kaddish. The point is to avoid distraction, as well as to avoid trespassing in the space of the shechinah. This applies even if the person reciting shemoneh esreih started after the rest of the minyan. Some limit the prohibition to the space directly in front of the person, though.

If there is an interceding bench, and the back of the bench is more than three feet high and fifteen inches wide, then some permit one to step back from shemoneh esreih. Even without this interruption, some are lenient in a case of need, particularly if the person who is reciting shemoneh esreih is blocking an aisle.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 102:4-5; Mishneh Berurah 102:2, 15-16; Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 122:13; Yabia Omer 5:Orach Chaim 9:4; Tzitz Eliezer 9:8:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Three steps back

Hi,

The sh'liach tzibbur (chazan) takes three steps back after the private amidah, even though the primary purpose of this amidah is simply to prepare for the public amidah he about to recite. There is no prayer without these three steps.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:70:8)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

HaGashem or HaGeshem

Hi,

Rav Moshe Feinstein ruled that one says "Mashiv haRuach uMorid haGashem" in the amidah, with a kamatz under the gimel in the last word, in order to indicate the end of a sentence.

Rav Herschel Schachter (Nefesh haRav pg. 121) cites Rav Soloveichik as ruling otherwise, that it should be "haGeshem", since the prayer regarding rain is an integral part of the rest of the berachah in which it appears.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:40:15)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Prayer on an airplane

Hi,

One who is on an airplane and will have trouble reciting the Amidah while standing, such as due to distraction, may sit. One should rise only before the points at which one bows.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:20)

Have a great day,
Mordechai