Dragging it out

Hi,

If a chazan sings v'imru Amen in Kaddish for an extended period of time, one should say Amen and not wait for the end. The essential text is already concluded (v'imru Amen simply means, "And let us say Amen"), and the extended tune constitutes an inappropriate interruption between the text and the Amen. [Note: The author does not define "extended period of time".]

If a chazan sings the end of a blessing (such as in the repetition of the amidah) for an extended period of time, one should not say Amen until the blessing is complete.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:88:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

While waiting to repeat the amidah

Hi,

The chazan should not speak between completion of his silent amidah and the start of the repetition of the amidah. Even learning Torah during that time is inappropriate; he should use the time to prepare himself to lead the davening.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:50:16)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Amen after Baruch She'amar

Hi,

Baruch she'Amar is the berachah that opens the psukei d'zimra portion of our morning davening, and it is considered to be a berachah "on" the songs we are about to sing in psukei d'zimra. Therefore, we should not interrupt, or even pause, between Baruch she'Amar and the start of psukei d'zimra.

Nonetheless, one may respond Amen to another person's Baruch she'Amar even before he has had a chance to start the songs of psukei d'zimra. We view the "Amen" as part of the praise that is in psukei d'zimra.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:50:8)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Asher Yatzar during psukei d'zimra

Hi,

Regarding one who uses the washroom during psukei d'zimra: There are those who permit reciting the berachah of asher yatzar after using the washroom during psukei d'zimra, between the paragraphs. Others disagree, saying one should wait until after the amidah.

The consensus is that one may not recite asher yatzar between Barchu and the Amidah.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:50:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The amen of "v'yatzmach purkaneih"

Hi,

For those who daven in a minyan where the words v'yatzmach purkaneih veekareiv meshicheih are added to kaddish, followed by an "Amen": That "Amen" is not mentioned by the Rambam in his edition of kaddish.

Therefore, one should not say this "Amen" in situations between Barchu and the amidah where other "Amen"s of kaddish may be said.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:46)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Answering Barchu while in Pesukei d'Zimra

Hi,

One who is in the pesukei d'zimra portion of the morning service should respond to the chazan's Barchu, unless he is in the part of Baruch she'Amar after the second 'Baruch atah' or in Yishtabach after 'Baruch atah'.

(Mishneh Berurah 51:8; Ishei Yisrael 16:32)

חג אורים שמח,
Mordechai

In the amidah during Birkat Kohanim

Hi,

One who is reciting the amidah (shemoneh esreih) when the kohanim begin their blessing (birkat kohanim) should pause until the blessing is over. If he is standing along the wall of the aron kodesh, so that he is behind the kohanim, he should move to be in front of them.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:20:23)

חג אורים שמח,
Mordechai

Speaking during chazarat hashatz (the repetition of the amidah)

Hi,

One must conduct himself during the repetition of the amidah (shemoneh esreih) as though he was fulfilling his personal obligation to pray with the chazan's recitation. Therefore, one may not speak even when the chazan is silent.

One also may not speak during recitation of added piyutim (poems), inlcuding those recited by everyone and those recited exclusively by the chazan.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:20:9)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Shul announcements during davening

Hi,

We permit announcements at certain points during davening for the sake of the davening itself (ie announcement of Yaaleh v'Yavo before the amidah of Maariv on Rosh Chodesh, as mentioned in Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 422:1). This permission applies even for the sake of others' davening, despite the fact that the person making the announcement does not need the reminder.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:16)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Asher Yatzar during Psukei d'Zimra

Hi,

There are two opinions regarding reciting Asher Yatzar after using the washroom during psukei d'zimra; some say to recite it immediately, others say to wait until after davening. Either opinion is correct, but Rav Moshe Feinstein waited until after davening.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:14)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Amen for "v'Yatzmach"

Hi,

One who is davening with a Sephardic minyan, so that they include ויצמח פורקניה ויקרב משיחיה, should not respond Amen to those words when he is in pesukei d'zimra. The Rambam did not include an Amen for this line in his edition of kaddish, so it is not considered integral.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:14)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

"Amen" during Baruch she'Amar or Yishtabach

Hi,

One does not respond "Amen" to another's blessing during Baruch she'Amar or Yishtabach, even though these blessings do not appear in the Talmud.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:13)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Chazzanim who repeat words

Hi,

If chazzanim repeat words in the course of a berachah, but they do not actually jumble the order of the words, this does not constitute an interruption.

If chazzanim jumble the words (as in וקוראי עונג שבת וקדשתו שבת), then if the new order changes the meaning of the sentence so that it indicates something different, the chazzan must return to the start of the berachah. If the new order is consistent with the original meaning of the sentence, the chazzan did interrupt, but he need not return to the beginning of the berachah. If the new order renders the words meaningless, then if the change was intentional, then he must return to the beginning of the berachah.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:22)

המצפה לישועה,
Mordechai

Interruptions during Psukei d'Zimra

Hi,

One should not respond "Brich Hu" and "Baruch Hu uVaruch Shmo" during Psukei d'Zimra.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:16)

המצפה לישועה,
Mordechai

Announcing page numbers during davening

Hi,

Announcing page numbers is considered an interruption which is "for the purpose of davening [prayer]", and therefore one may announce a page number between paragraphs of Psukei d'Zimra [the introductory psalms recited as part of Shacharit each morning]. For the same reason, one may announce a page number before the Maariv amidah.

It would be better, though, to post signs with the page numbers.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 1:22)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Announcing "Yaaleh v'Yavo"

Hi,

We insert a special paragraph, "Yaaleh v'Yavo," in the Rosh Chodesh amidah.

One may announce this in shul at maariv after the kaddish that precedes the amidah, and it is not considered a forbidden interruption, because the announcement is for the sake of the community's amidah.

(Mishneh Berurah 422:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai