9 votes
Accepted

Is there any basis for Chabad minhagim regarding tallit gadol?

I emailed Rabbi Eliezer Zalmanov (from Chabad.org) about your question. Here's what I said: B''H In most Ashkenazi communities, the custom is that bochurim do not wear a tallis. However, when a ...
ezra's user avatar
  • 18k
8 votes
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Priority for multiple "chiyuvim" to be Shaliach Tzibbur

Rule #1: Don't fight about it. First, one should never get into fights with others to do Mitzvot (Mishna Berura 53 sk 65). Regarding our case, the Chatam Sofer (YD 345) writes that if you deserve a ...
Double AA's user avatar
  • 96.3k
8 votes
Accepted

Explain the use of the chazzan to end paragraphs

A Chazzan's job is to recite the Shema Blessings and Amida sections aloud for the congregation to fulfill their obligation with. (For the Amida, those who know how to pray themselves must also do so ...
Double AA's user avatar
  • 96.3k
8 votes
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A person Below 20 as shliach tzibbur for tefillat Musaf

R Akiva Eiger (responsum #9 (old series), citing the controversial Besamim Rosh #89) argues that women are exempt from Musaf because they are exempt from the half-Shekel tax. R Yitzchak Elchanan ...
Double AA's user avatar
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8 votes
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Disqualification from being Shaliach Tzibbur

Siman 53 in Orach Chaim is rather long, and deals at length with the qualifications and disqualifications of a shaliach tzibur. You may wish to read through the entire siman. Since it appears from ...
Alex's user avatar
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7 votes
Accepted

In birkat kohanim, who calls out "kohanim"?

The Rambam (Tefillah 14:8) says explicitly it's the Chazzan who calls. Tosfot (Berachot 34a) quote Rabbeinu Tam who says that the Chazzan cannot call out "Kohanim" as it is a Hefsek. He proves this ...
Double AA's user avatar
  • 96.3k
7 votes

"Yotzer Or" procedure

Yes, the Chazzan must say that line out loud. In fact, as part of his job as Chazzan, he should really recite all the blessings surrounding the recitation of Shema, in the morning and the evening, ...
Double AA's user avatar
  • 96.3k
6 votes

Guitar during public weekday prayers

In describing the synagogues of Bavel in the Twelfth Century, R. Petachia of Ratisbon wrote as follows: בחולו של מועד אומרים המזמורים בכלי שיר On the half-holidays they recite the psalms to the ...
Alex's user avatar
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6 votes
Accepted

When there are four aveilim (mourners), Is it better to have one minyan of 40 people or 4 minyonim of ten each?

Rav Moshe Feinstein (Igrot Moshe YD 4:61:4) ruled they should not split up because of BeRov Am, and all the more so in a case where the extra group would not be in a Shul or even a room without a ...
Double AA's user avatar
  • 96.3k
6 votes

gedolim on "The Jazz Singer"

This doesn't really answer your question definitively at all, but I thought it might interest you. I was reading through some of the autobiographical essays of R. Isaac David Essrig (1893-1976), who ...
jake's user avatar
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6 votes

Is it permissible to switch the chazzan in the middle of shacharit on a weekday?

Seems that the answer is: Yes, one may do so a priori. See the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch in סימן כו - דיני קדיש יתום: סעיף יד: מִי שֶׁיָּכוֹל וְרָאוּי לְהִתְפַּלֵּל לִפְנֵי הַתֵּבָה, יִתְפַּלֵּל, ...
Danny Schoemann's user avatar
6 votes
Accepted

Why does congregational prayer require a chazan / shaliach tzibbur (cantor)?

You ask why we historically needed a shali'ach tzibur, when did they begin and why do we still need today? R Ari Jacobson provides a first summary according to two different approaches Back in the ...
mbloch's user avatar
  • 44.6k
6 votes

People with defects and their role in serving

See Thursday and Friday Yesterday, we noted the question as to whether the Torah prohibition which forbids a ba’al mum – person with a physical deformity – from performing the avoda (service) ...
Levi's user avatar
  • 7,268
6 votes
Accepted

Being יוצא with the chazzan saying - ה' אלוקיכם אמת, if I am not up to Kerias Shema yet

It would seem that both questions can be answered at once. The Shaare Teshuva on that Halacha that listening to the 3 words from the Chazzan may be done even if you are in middle of krias shema ...
Chatzkel's user avatar
  • 8,214
6 votes

Missing Traditional Half-Kaddish Melodies

I'm going to assume you know most of the traditional half kaddish tunes, like those on Shabbat and weekdays, Arvit on the High Holidays, as well as those after Yishtabach and before Musaf (including ...
Double AA's user avatar
  • 96.3k
5 votes
Accepted

What is considered a picture for not davening in front of it

The Ramma in siman 90 siff 23 explains the reason not to pray in front of pictures is because it distracts one from concentrating. This is the same reasoning The Mishna Berurah there uses to explain ...
user6591's user avatar
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5 votes
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If a chazzan has to repeat Shmoneh Esrei, can he use the chazarat hashatz for that?

Short answer: Yes. Long answer: It depends: The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch states in סימן יט - דיני משיב הרוח, טל ומטר, יעלה ויבא ועננו that it depends: If the mistake was in the first 3 Brachot and he ...
Danny Schoemann's user avatar
5 votes

How can we get people to stop talking (much, loudly) during minyan?

My personal experience, as Shaliach tzibur, to silence the Schul talkers has been to stop as soon as I sensed any utterances coming from the congregation. Following a few seconds of showing my "...
Shmuel Shimshoni's user avatar
5 votes

What does it mean for a mourner to "have a chiuv"?

Davening from the amud is not an obligation indeed, and if someone else has priority one is not obligated to find another minyan in order to daven from the amud. It is a custom as a way of honoring ...
mbloch's user avatar
  • 44.6k
5 votes
Accepted

"Chiyuv" to be chazan vs. congregational approval and refusal

R Eliezer Melamed addresses this (online under 3 but also in The Laws of prayer p. 51) The chazan is the emissary of the congregation, and therefore a person is prohibited from taking hold of the ...
mbloch's user avatar
  • 44.6k
5 votes

Placement of Aneinu on the day of a fast

Peninei Halachah brings a citation from the Rama 565:3 that we consider that an individual might be forced to break the fast before having fasted most of the day. Once he has fasted until mincha, then ...
sabbahillel's user avatar
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5 votes
Accepted

What's the best way to learn how to lead mincha?

I had the same question years ago. I have used http://virtualcantor.com/ I liked the versatility of the site. But also its clarify for newcomers. I did not know the structure of the tefilla and ...
RonP's user avatar
  • 1,936
5 votes

Why does the chazzan start ashrei in selichot earlier?

I'm vaguely recalling what I had heard many years ago when I studied Nusach at the Belz School of Jewish music (part of Yeshiva University.) Cantor Beer taught the course on Selichot and he was (and ...
DanF's user avatar
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5 votes
Accepted

Ashkenazi shat”z?

The Halocho is to be found in Sh O, O Ch 53 (12) who paskens like the gemoro אין ממנין מי שקור' לאלפי"ן עייני"ן ולעייני"ן אלפי"ן: One should not appoint a person [to be leader] who reads "...
Avrohom Yitzchok's user avatar
4 votes

What should a chazan do if he has theological problems with the congregation's text?

R. Chaim Berlin writes in a responsum (Nishmas Chaim # 7 in the one volume edition) that it is forbidden to publicly deviate from the nusach and the customs of the congregation, and it is a violation ...
Alex's user avatar
  • 48.7k
4 votes

If we repeat amida to help those who cannot otherwise pray, what of maariv?

Maariv is originally a tefillat reshut (optional prayer), so if one couldn't, one didn't. Mincha and Shacharit were already obligatory which is why the chazzan's repetition was enacted for those who ...
Loewian's user avatar
  • 17.5k
4 votes

Chazan's position and path when taking out the Torah?

Could not find the answer to clockwise vs. counter-clockwise, but found the answer to your second question in Aruch HaShulchan Orach Chayim 282:1: - סימן רפב - דיני קריאת התורה והמפטיר בשבת והש"ץ ...
Y. Isseroff's user avatar
4 votes
Accepted

Chabad Chazzanus Recordings

AFAIK there's no free recordings out there, but here's what I have found: Davening with the Rebbe - a recording of the Lubavitcher Rebbe davening shacharis on a weekday. Generally speaking, Chabad ...
Ploni's user avatar
  • 5,568
4 votes

Is a shaliach tzibbur allowed to daven from the bimah instead of the amud?

According to Shulchan Aruch (OC 90:1), the Chazzan may stand on an elevated area to daven if his intention is that the congregation be able to hear him.
Ploni's user avatar
  • 5,568
4 votes
Accepted

May the gabbai use a disabled person for shat"z over a non-disabled one?

The Jerusalem-based kollel Eretz Hemda has a responsa on this very topic (here). Their conclusion is that If [a person is] permanently (or for a long time) in need of a wheelchair, people should ...
mbloch's user avatar
  • 44.6k

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