- Halacha
- Silent Prayer - Amida
41
Question
Hello Rabbi - very similar situation: my congregation zaps through Ashrei and the Amidah at the speed of a fiber optic signal. Should I just ignore Chazan and continue at my own pace through Ashrei and Amidah, joining the congregation once Im done? And also, should I interrupt for Kedushah or should I ignore it as well? Thank you!
Answer
ב"ה
Shalom,
It's interesting the classic poskim all deal with someone who comes late to Shul and how he can catch up with Chazan and the minyan in order to say Shmoneh Esreh with them. They do not deal with a "speeding Chazzan. Nonetheless, the same principles apply.
According to the Mishnah Berurah (90:28) who quotes the the Chayei Adam (19:1).,the main purpose of davening with a minyan is to say the Shmoneh Esreh with a minyan
Someone who Davens slowly and wants to catch up with the rest of the Minyan, there are specific laws in the Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 52 of how to skip parts of Pesukei d'zimra , in order to be together with the Chazzan from "Borchu". The minimum being, to say at least "Baruch She'amar, Ashrei and Yishtabach.
A practical solution therefore, would be to come to Shul a bit earlier this way when they get to Shmoneh Esrei you will be in the right place in the siddur.
If you can't catch up to say Shmoneh Esrei with the minyan, according to some opinions, if you join the Chazzan when he repeats the Shmoneh Esrei it is as if you Davened with a minyan.
) החתם סופר ('קובץ תשובות' סי' ד), באשל אברהם (מבוצ'ץ', תחילת סימן נב),שו"ת יחווה דעת ה,ז)
However, not all agree with this solution, that joining the Chazzan is as if you Davened with a minyan.
פרי מגדים (סי' נב, אשל אברהם סוף סק"א ובסי' קט א"א סק"ד), אגרות משה (או"ח ג, ט)
There is also another issue which most be noted, which is that according to the Kabbalists, one should not skip over any parts of the Pesukei d'zimra according to catch up with the minyan but the Tefilla must follow its order( כף החיים נב, ס"ק ב, באר היטב שם ס"ק א, משנה ברורה נב:א) since this disrupts the passageway of the spiritual influence from above.
Because of this, some say , therefore, that it is preferrable to follow the order of Pesukei D'zimra without skipping even if you miss Shmoneh Esrei with a minyan, since you have the solution of davening Shmoneh Esrei with the Chazzan which is considered davening with a minyan. (פסקי תשובות סי' נב: א).
According, to the Mishna B'rura 52:1, who quoted the Chacham Tzvi 36, that which it says in the Zohar not to skip Pesukei D'zimra does not apply when someone come late to late to shul (or in your case can't catch up). But all agree that one should skip in order to Daven Shmoneh Esrei with a minyan. Therefore, there is no problem to skip in your case.
And yet another opinion( רב חיים דוד הלוי זצ"ל, מקור חיים השלם חלק א, פרק מו:כד ) is that since there are two opposing values: tefillah betzibbur= Davening with the minyan , or following the order of the siddur, the person himself should choose what he feels is more important for him since "Kol levavot doresh Hashem,” “For Hashem searches all hearts”דברי הימים א , כח:ט )
To sum up, as I said ,I think the best suggestion is to get to shul early so you have a head start and you are able to Daven Shmoneh Esrei with the minyan without getting into all the difference of opinions brought above.
All the best

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