Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Daf Yomi - Rosh Hashana 35 - WHICH NUSACH SHOULD THE CHAZZAN USE BY HIS QUIET SHEMONEH ESREI?

Rabban Gamliel is cited in a braisa explaining that the congregation davens prior to the chazzan davening out loud because we want to give the chazzan time to prepare his tefillah.

Harav Moshe Feinstein in Igros Moshe (O”C 2:29) writes that this is true even according to the Sages who disagree with Rabban Gamliel. The reason the chazzan davens quietly beforehand is in order to prepare him for his recitation out loud.

Rav Moshe rules that the chazzan, in his quiet Shemoneh Esrei, is required to daven in the same nusach as he will be using when he davens out loud. The reason he is davening the quiet Shemoneh Esrei is to prepare him for the recitation out loud and it can only be regarded as preparing if he is using the same nusach. Rav Moshe cites support for his opinion from the Magen Avraham (O”C 124:3) who writes that the reason the chazzan is davening the quiet Shemoneh Esrei is to prepare him for the recitation out loud.

Rav Elyashiv Shlita disagrees and maintains that the chazzan can recite the quiet Shemoneh Esrei according to his usual nusach of tefillah. Rav Elyashiv maintains that the Magen Avraham only means that one should prepare himself for anything that will prevent him from discharging his obligation of Tefillah. The nusach of Tefillah, however, will not preclude him from fulfilling his obligation of Tefillah. Thus, he is permitted to daven according to his usual nusach of Tefillah.

The editor of Rav Elyashiv’s sefer relates an incident that took place with the Cahfetz Chaim in Radin. A chazzan asked of him if he was required to daven in his quiet Shemoneh Esrei with the same nusach as he will be using in the repetition. The Chafetz Chaim responded that logically he is correct, however the ruling is that he can daven in his usual nusach.

Dayan Weiss (6:31) was asked this question and he ruled that the chazzan is not required to daven with the same nusach that he will be using during the Repetition of Shemoneh Esrei. His reason is based on Shulchan Aruch (101) that we now use a siddur and therefore there is not such a concern that he will make a mistake when he repeats the Shemoneh Esrei.

Rav Elyashiv writes that one can argue with the reasoning of the Magen Avraham, as perhaps it is only Rabban Gamliel who maintains that the congregation davens prior to the chazzan davening out loud because we want to give the chazzan time to prepare his tefillah. This rationale, however, will not apply according to the Sages, because the reason the chazzan davens quietly is for the same reason that the congregation davens. Although the congregation has already fulfilled the mitzvah of tefillah when they daven their tefillah, the Chachamim instituted that the congregants should listen to the tefillah of the chazzan. The chazzan is equivalent with the rest of the congregation and he must daven his own Shemoneh Esrei first and then recite the tefillah out loud. [Rav Elyashiv also writes that according to Kabbalah, every worshipper must daven twice, once quietly and then a second time with the chazzan.]

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Would it make a differnce Sfard to Ashkenaz or vice versa? Isn't there an Igros Moshe on that as well?

Avromi said...

That would only apply to switching from one to another, however here it is a question of preparing for the upcoming repetition of the tefillah and it wouldn't make a difference which way.