11
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How does the 19th brocho of the shmona esrai open?
I obviously can't comment about what is "original" or not, because we don't know what the "original" wording was, if there ever was such a thing. Chazal left us nothing of the sort.
What we do know ...
- 101k
10
votes
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Why is Hashkiveinu not considered a hefsek between Ga'al Yisra'el and the Amidah (Chabad)?
As I wrote here, the Talmud states that Hashkiveinu is not an interruption between geulah and tefillah because since it was ordained by the Sages as part of the blessings for Keriat Shema it is as if ...
- 50.3k
10
votes
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Rain: Geshem or Matar?
Rabbeinu Bahya Devarim 11:17:
לפעמים המטר יורד מן השמים כלומר ממים העליונים, ולפעמים ממי אוקיאנוס שהן מים תחתונים, ואותו שהוא ממי אוקיאנוס אינו נקרא מטר אלא גשם, מלשון גשמות ודבר גופני, ואותו שהוא ...
- 46.6k
9
votes
Amida together with the chazzan
R Eli Mansour brings the Shulchan Aruch (OC 109:2) that
if a person comes late to the synagogue and misses the congregation's
silent Amidah, he can still earn the merit of praying with the
...
- 54k
9
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What is the source of this text?
In their essay in Hebrew "The Section "Malkeinu Elokeinu" at the End of the Prayer of Shemoneh Esreh and Birkat Hamazon: Its Origin, Form and Status", Uri Ehrlich and Avi Schmidman ...
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8
votes
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What is the proper procedure for answering parts of Kedusha?
The original method (dating back to the Tosefta Berakhot 1:11) which was uniformly practiced in all locations (Ashkenaz, Poland, Spain, North Africa, Yemen, Italy, etc.) is simply the leader recites ...
- 101k
8
votes
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Why isn't המלך המשפט a grammatical mistake?
This question is in fact dealt with by Rashi on the spot, who says that the first ה is redundant, and this has the same meaning as מלך המשפט, citing scriptural precedents for this phrasing. Basically -...
- 1,372
7
votes
Must one pray with a minyan?
Indeed there are sources that praying with a minyan is not strictly obligatory. Perhaps the most explicit is R. Aryeh Pomeranchik in Emek Beracha, Birchot Keriat Shema:
אמנם אשר נ"ל בזה דבאמת תפלה ...
- 50.3k
7
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Do you say "aneinu" if you don't eat anything all day but drink lots of water?
In an article about fast days, Rabbi Eliezer Melamed writes the following:
One who ate or drank during the fast: if it was less than "Kezayit"
(an olive’s bulk) of food, or "Kimlo Logmav" (a ...
- 3,879
7
votes
Accepted
Where does the Amidah "officially" start?
This is addressed in Berachot 4b:
דאי לא תימא הכי שחרית היכי מצי סמיך והא אמר רבי יוחנן בתחלה אומר ה׳
שפתי תפתח ולבסוף הוא אומר יהיו לרצון אמרי פי אלא התם כיון דתקינו רבנן
למימר ה׳ שפתי תפתח ...
- 50.3k
7
votes
Shabbat Amidah, which parts
Indeed one prays the amida three times a day (four times on Shabbat and holidays), once in the evening (arvit) since the Jewish day goes from evening to evening, once in the morning (shaharit) and ...
- 54k
7
votes
Gomel chasadim tovim - are there bad chasadim?
Some thoughts:
טוב can be used to mean complete. For example:
One of Rashi's explanations of why it says טוב zero times on day 2 of Creation and twice on day 3 is because nothing was completed on ...
- 59.1k
7
votes
What happens if an individual accidentally says Aneinu before Re'eh instead of during Shema Koleinu?
The Kaf HaChaim writes here that you fulfilled your obligation if you accidentally says it as a stand-alone Beracha before Re'eh. Therefore:
1 - You do not say it again in Shema Koleinu.
2 - It was ...
- 6,253
7
votes
Accepted
A minor (?) issue with spelling in Nusach Ari
The Israeli Chabad site explains the difference in the following way:
בסידור אדמו"ר הזקן מופיע בחול "המרחם" ובשבת "והמרחם". וביאר בס' שער הכולל (סי' ט ס"ק לב), שדקדקו ...
- 8,117
7
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What is so special about "ve'sechezena" that it is the one word in bold in the whole Amida?
Nothing is special about it. Many Siddurim bold or otherwise emphasize the first word in a printed paragraph and many insert paragraph breaks unnecessarily at places where there is sometimes a ...
- 101k
6
votes
Why don't we say "Misod" for Geshem and Tal?
The קרובות for Musaph of Shemini Atzeres is known as a שבעתא and, although many consider the main part to זכור אב (in מנהג פולין) or איום זכור נא (in מנהג אשכנז), the main part was once אף-ברי. This ...
- 3,692
6
votes
Why do we say "...resurrects the dead with great mercy..." in the present tense?
Here's one possible explanation.
excerpt from Yaarot Devash 1:1 on his explanation of the Amidah
Accepting the repentance of a sinner is in the category of
'resurrection of the dead', because 'a ...
- 21.5k
6
votes
Accepted
Why do we start saying "Veten tal umatar" during Ma'ariv?
Actually, the sixtieth day after tekufat tishrei is currently December 5th or 6th - it hasn't been December 4th for about a hundred years. We say it on maariv of the day before, because that's when it ...
- 19.1k
6
votes
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Not saying v'sain bracha
As a straight Halakhic argument, it's clear that "ותן ברכה" isn't needed from these two sources:
Tur (OC 117) supports the usage of "ותן ברכה" with no reference to dew from the fact that the Bavli ...
- 101k
6
votes
Why does ולירושלים start with a Vav?
Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro says based on what he heard in the name of Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, based on the Gemara in Megila, that the Vav here shows us that it is in the honor of the righteous people that ...
- 140k
6
votes
Please explain Oruch Hashulchan O Ch 102 (9)
Background
In general, one may not be seated in the presence of someone who is saying the amidah, as it is considered disrespectful. (Either because he appears unwilling to accept ol malchut shamayim ...
- 46.6k
6
votes
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Does 'atah chonantanu' replace the first line of 'atah chonein,' or is it said in addition?
The "add" option is certainly not immediately intuitive, since there's a clear duplication of the phrase "you have graced אתה חונן". It seems reasonable to expect that אתה חוננתנו was composed as a ...
- 101k
6
votes
Tenth arrives during or after the silent shemonei esreh - sources
I don't know about responsa, but it's an entire Siman in Shulchan Aruch - and it's called Pores Al Shma - Orach Chaim 69 - דין פורס על שמע.
In short: Once the tenth man arrives, one says Kadish, ...
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6
votes
Gomel chasadim tovim - are there bad chasadim?
This concept is pretty common, that even the good deeds have to have a good measure - too much good for people and you spoil them, for example:
The Torah says (Dvorim 32):
"חֶמְאַת בָּקָר ...
- 28k
6
votes
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Gomel chasadim tovim - are there bad chasadim?
Abudraham says (in the middle of the righthand column here) the phrase is not distinguishing bad chesed from good chesed, but more like neutral chesed (presumably the quid pro quo that) humans do for ...
- 24k
6
votes
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Is a man permitted to petition for permitted sexual relations during the Amidah?
The simple answer to the question in your title is yes. As Rambam explains in Mishnah Torah, Hilchot Tefillah v'Birchat Kohanim, Chapter 1, halacha 2:
וּלְפִיכָךְ נָשִׁים וַעֲבָדִים חַיָּבִין ...
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6
votes
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How does Rav Zevin see evidence of post-Churban editing in Vetechazena?
Indeed, one could ask such a technical question on Rav Zevin's last proof. Yet, in context, the point was that the obvious interpretation of this blessing was the asking for the rebuilding of the ...
- 21.1k
6
votes
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Is there a Possuk in Tanach that starts with a Pheh פ and ends with an Aleph א?
The list in the back of the Chabad siddur brings Leviticus 2:6:
:פָּת֤וֹת אֹתָהּ֙ פִּתִּ֔ים וְיָצַקְתָּ֥ עָלֶ֖יהָ שָׁ֑מֶן מִנְחָ֖ה הִֽוא
Break it into bits and pour oil on it; it is a meal offering.
...
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6
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Does it count as "praying with a minyan" you are saying a different service?
The Minchas Yitzchak (2:132) brings the Magen Avraham in Orach Chayim 90:17 and 235:2 with an understanding that not only isn't it considered תפילה בציבור but it is not even considered בשעה שהציבור ...
- 3,836
6
votes
Accepted
What does פ׳ ב׳ פ׳ stand for in the context of prayer (specifically related to prayer #8 of the Amidah)?
In the 8th blessing, which is focused on healing the sick, there is a supplemental prayer as you point out, that a person can add in if they know anyone in particular who is unwell.
The "פ׳ ב׳ פ׳&...
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