Just one Halacha that comes out of the Gemara in Berachot, Daf 4. The Gemara there says ‘Eze Hu Ben HaOlam Haba, Ze HaSomech Geula L’Tefilah’. The Gemara is saying that those who go from the prayer of Ga’Al Yisrael straight into the Amidah, will merit in the world to come (Olam Haba.) So the question was asked if one should join in with the Minyan as they start the Amidah if he is late, or should he start his prayers from the beginning in order to keep to this desired sequence of Ga’al Yisrael preceding the Amidah.
In Shacharit, keeping to the sequence is a strict rule. So if a person would walk in late right at the end of the prayer ‘Ezrat Avotenu’ (which is the prayer of Ga’al Yisrael), he should start at he beginning of Tefilah and not join in with the Minyan in the Amidah. It would be more important for him to say Shacharit in the proper sequence and read the entire prayer of ‘Ga’al Yisrael’ followed by the Amidah, than to join in with the congregation and miss the sequence.
So now the same question is asked about Arbit. Should one join in and say the Amidah if he is late and misses the prayer of ‘Ga’al Yisrael’, and say the Berachot of Arbit and Kriat Shema afterwards? Or should one start at the beginning of Arbit and end up praying the Amidah alone? To answer this question, we need to analyze if the sequence of "Ga’al Yisrael’ followed by Amidah is equally as important as in Shacharit.
Maran writes in Shulchan Aruch siman 235:2, that one should not make in interruption in Arbit. So seemingly, Maran is concerned in Arbit as well that one should keep to the sequence without interruption. Maran in the following Halacha however brings up this issue in particular, and says that by Arbit a late comer should not start at the beginning but rather join in with the Minyan if they are about to say the Amidah. Maran says that it is better to pray the Amidah with the Minyan and then say the Berachot of Arbit and the Kriat Shema afterwards. He points out that in Arbit, the sequence of ‘Ga’al Yisrael’ followed by Amidah is not as vital as in the morning.
To review, there is a difference between Shacharit and Arbit. In Arbit, Amidah with the Minyan overrides ‘Geula L’Tefliah’. But, in Shacharit saying the prayer of ‘Ga’al Yisrael’ right before the Amidah overrides Amidah with the Minyan.
