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Ten Days of Repentance: Additions to the Amida, Abinu Malkenu

During the Aseret Yemeh Teshuba (Ten Days of Repentance), we add a number of special passages to the Amida prayer: "Zochrenu Le’haim," "Mi Chamocha Ab Ha’rahaman," "U’chtob Le’haim Tobim," and "Ub’sefer Haim."

If a person forgot to recite one of these passages, and he realized his mistake only after he concluded the given Beracha, he simply continues praying; he does not return to the place in question, and he does not insert the passage at the point where he remembers. In the case of a person who forgot to recite "Zochrenu Le’haim," he may add this prayer in the middle of the Beracha of "Shema Kolenu," after the words, "Tefila Ve’tahanunim Ata." "Zochrenu Le’haim" is no different from other personal requests, which one may insert in the Beracha of "Shema Kolenu." This does not apply, however, to the passage of "Mi Chamocha Ab Ha’rahaman." If one forgot to add "Mi Chamocha" in its proper place in the Amida and realized his mistake only after he concluded the Beracha of "Mehayeh Ha’metim," he may not recite it in "Shema Kolenu," because it is not a request. This passage merely expresses the praise of God who "remembers His creatures for life"; it is not a prayer to God. As such, it has no place in the Beracha of "Shema Kolenu."

If a person mistakenly recited "Ub’sefer Haim" at the point where he was to have recited "U’chtob Le’haim Tobim," then he does not repeat "Ub’sefer Haim" when he reaches the point where it is normally cited. Since he already recited "Ub’sefer Haim," he does not have to repeat it, even though he had recited it at a different point in the Amida.

A person should not intentionally skip "Ub’sefer Haim" in order to be able to recite Kedusha with the congregation. In a case where one hears the congregation approaching Kedusha as he prepares to recite "Ub’sefer Haim," we might have thought it preferable for him to forego on "Ub’sefer Haim" and quickly recite the Amida’s final Beracha and "Yiheyu Le’rason…" This would allow him to join in the congregation’s recitation of Kedusha, as the Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 104:7) writes. However, Hacham Ovadia Yosef (Hazon Ovadia – Yamim Nora’im, p. 205) rules that one should not intentionally skip "Ub’sefer Haim" for this purpose. This is also the ruling of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Israel, 1910-1995).

After the Hazan’s repetition of the Amida, we recite during the Aseret Yemeh Teshuba the prayer of "Abinu Malkenu." This prayer is recited during both Shaharit and Minha, but not during Arbit. Even a person praying privately, rather than together with a Minyan, recites "Abinu Malkenu."

Summary: A person who forgot to recite "Zochrenu Le’haim" in the Amida during the Ten Days of Repentance may recite it during the Beracha of "Shema Kolenu." This is not the case, however, with regard to "Mi Chamocha Ab Ha’rahaman." One who mistakenly recited "Ub’sefer Haim" in the place where he was to have recited "U’chtob Le’haim Tobim" does not repeat "Ub’sefer Haim" when he reaches its appropriate point in the Amida. One should not intentionally skip "Ub’sefer Haim" so that he can recite Kedusha with the congregation. One recites "Abinu Malkenu" after the Amida at Shaharit and Minha during the Ten Days of Repentance, even if he prays privately.

 


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