DailyHalacha.com for Mobile Devices Now Available

Halacha is In Memory of
 Leiluy Nishmat Refael Hayim Ben Salha

Dedicated By
His children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren

Click Here to Sponsor Daily Halacha
      
(File size: 970 KB)
Musaf on Shabbat – The Silent Amida and the Hazan’s Repetition

The Hesed La’alafim (Rav Eliezer Papo, 1786-1827) writes (listen to audio recording for precise citation) that the Musaf prayer should be treated no differently from other prayers, and the congregation should both recite the Amida silently and listen to the Hazan’s repetition. The author observes that some congregations seek to shorten the prayer service by skipping part of the Musaf prayer. He writes that this was especially common on Shabbatot when Semahot were celebrated, and the congregation sang many songs which took a great deal of time. They would then shorten the Musaf prayer because of the late hour. The Hesed La’alafim strongly condemns this practice, applying to such people the harsh words spoken by the prophet Yeshayahu (43:22), "Ve’lo Oti Karata Yaakob Ki Yagata Bi Yisrael" – that the people’s prayers are not even considered actual prayer to the Almighty. As such, the Hesed La’alafim writes that those who are in a position to object to this practice should do so.

We might also add that those who skip the repetition of the Amida at Musaf forfeit the opportunity to hear Birkat Kohanim, which is a blessing we receive from the Almighty Himself. This is the most significant blessing that anybody can receive. People are willing to travel across the ocean, some ten hours of air travel in each direction, in order to receive blessings from prominent Rabbis in Israel, yet they do not want to spend the four or five minutes to hear the repetition of the Amida, which includes a blessing from G-d Himself. People travel to the Orient – eighteen hours in each direction – for their livelihood, but do not have the patience for the repetition of the Amida when we are blessed, "Yebarechecha Hashem Ve’yishmerecha," which is a blessing for material prosperity. We need to keep our priorities straight, and recognize that listening to the repetition of the Amida – including the Amida of Musaf on Shabbat – is time well-spent, both because of the Halachic requirement to hear the repetition, and because of the inestimable value of Birkat Kohanim.

 


Recent Daily Halachot...
The Beracha Recited Over Falafel, Fruit Roll Ups (Amardin) and Sesame Candies
The Beracha Acharona if Eating Half Measure of Fruit from Outside of Israel and Half Measure from Israel
What Is The Beracha on Vegetable Soup
What is the Beracha for Bread Dipped In Soup
What is the Beracha on a Calzone
What is The Beracha Rishona and Acharona on Bourekas
Reciting Birkat Ha’gomel After Air Travel
The Beracha for Coconut Milk and Fruit Juices
What is The Minimum Quantity of Wine for the Beracha of “Ha’tov V’hametiv?”
The Beracha of “Hatov V’hametiv
If One Remembers That He Forgot to Make a Beracha While Drinking
Does The Beracha HaGefen Cover All Beverages
Does the Beracha of HaMotzih Cover Beverages
Which Beracha Goes First: Boreh Peri Ha’adama or Ha’etz or Shehakol?
Interruptions After Reciting a Beracha of HaGefen
Page of 239
3585 Halachot found