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...
Purim – If Somebody Will Not Have Access to a Megila on Purim
Purim – If a Person is Able to Read the Megila Only Once on Purim
Purim – The Preference For an Eleven-Line Megilla
Seudat Purim- Proper Time for the Meal, and The Foods of Purim
Purim- Taanit Esther
Purim – The Importance and Obligation of Matanot La’ebyonim
Purim- Skipping “Al Ha’nissim” In Order to Recite “Nakdishach”
The Meaning and Halachot of Ta’anit Ester
Purim- Learning Torah on the Day of Purim and Is It Permissible To Celebrate 2 Mitzvot with One Seuda
Fulfilling Matanot La’ebyonim on Purim by Foregoing on a Loan, Paying a Poor Person’s Debt, or Writing a Check
Purim- Prioritizing Matanot La’ebyonim Over the Other Misvot of Purim
May A Megilat Esther Be Written By A Woman
Singing "Mi Chamocha Ve'en Kamocha" on Shabbat Zachor
Purim- The Laws & Importance of Matanot La'evyonim
Purim: Take Hair Cut on Purim Day & Reading the Megila with Many People
Page of 239
3585 Halachot found