Column #31. Contents of this weekly column are based on the sefer: EIM LAMIKRA HASHALEIM, by R' Nissan Sharoni, Ashdod, a guide to correct pronunciation of Hebrew, specifically in davening and Torah reading. Last week we featured issues which we can put under the title of “Towards better Davening with a Tzibur”. We continue in that vein this week... Some of the less-than-correct AMENs that were presented last
week are: AMEN K’TUFA, the clipped AMEN, either at its beginning or at the end. MEIN. AMEI. No and no. AMEN CHATUFA, the jumped-the-gun-before- the-end-of-the-bracha AMEN. Watch out for it, especially on Yom Tov when many chazanim unintentionally make it very tempting. Here’s a new one for this week: AMEN Y’TOMA, an orphan AMEN. AMEN should be said immedi- ately after the conclusion of the bracha. Within a couple of seconds - actually, the time it takes to say three or four words - it is still okay. This “delay” is called TOCH K’DEI DIBUR. More than that amount of time and AMEN should no longer be said. One should not say AMEN to a bracha in the repetition of the Amida if the SHA”TZ has already begun the next bracha, even if it is within TOCH K’DEI DIBUR. If a SHA”TZ is so speedy that he begins the next bracha so soon after the end of the previous bracha that you do not have a chance to say AMEN, then “the sin is on his head” (so to speak). [On the other hand, one should be careful not to say AMEN too slowly (relative to the pace of the davening), especially if one tends to say his AMENs on the loud side, as this can irritate the SHA”TZ and the rest of the congregation. This also applies to BARUCH HU U’VARUCH SH’MO, which some people tend to stretch out and some SHA”TZ (technically SHA”TZ is the plural of SHA”TZ, i.e. SH’LUCHEI TZIBUR) tend not to leave any time for. ] [Speaking of these things, it is important to add that criticism and correction of the SHA”TZ or of individuals in the congregation should most often NOT be done on the spot, but rather after davening, in private, calmly, and in a pleasant manner. A loud NU! in the middle of davening tends to be counter-productive. One must be very sensitive to the feelings of others so that an attempt to improve one’s davening does not result in violations of the serious sin of embarrassing others, nor in disrupting the services that you are trying to enhance.] There are people who innocently and inadver- tently forget to say AMEN as they are waiting to say MODIM D’RABBANAN. In other words, they hear the end of HAMACHAZIR SH’CHINATO L’TZIYON, the chazan begins Modim and they start Modim too, forgetting to first say AMEN. If this is so (which it seems to be), then one should be careful to remember to say AMEN and to pause slightly before same the word MODIM. Shulchan Aruch takes a very dim view of people who speak unnecessary words during the repeti- tion of the Amida. (That’s putting it mildly, so try not to talk during CHAZARAT HASHATZ.) [It is the SHA”TZ’s job to say the repetition clearly and with proper KAVANA. It is the job of everyone in the congregation to listen carefully and to answer AMEN carefully.] Mishna B’rura, citing the SH’LA HAKADOSH says that meticulous people follow the repetition with a Siddur before then, in order not to be distracted and in order to pay attention to every word. REISH LAKISH says (Shabbat 119b): He who answers AMEN with all his strength (Rashi explains that as with all his KAVANA), the gates of Gan Eden are opened for him. [The Chukat Homepage]
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