Search results for: ""Minyan""
Boy less than 13 Years Old
A boy who has not reached 13 years of age may not be counted in a minyan, even if one day short of 13 years.
Selichot
You may say selichot by yourself.
Note You may only say the paragraph with God's 13 Attributes/Midot (beginning with El melech...) if you are praying with a minyan.
Where Mechitza Needed
A mechitza to separate men and women is needed only when praying in a place dedicated as a permanent location for regular Jewish prayer services with a minyan. If not, no mechitza is needed, and any separation that prevents distraction between men and women is sufficient. Even if the women are just behind the men, that is sufficient, even without a physical barrier.
Wasting People's Time (Tircha d'tzibura)
You may not waste people's time or upset them (tircha d'tzibura).
Example A prayer leader should not:
- Roll a Torah scroll during the minyan in order to get to the correct place for reading (it should have been done previously) unless necessary;
- Roll up his tefilin after taking them off for musaf on Rosh Chodesh, before hallel on chol ha'moed of Sukkot, or after hallel on chol ha'moed Passover. (Instead, he should take them off and leave them on the bima until the prayer service is finished, or roll them up during Torah reading).
Birkat HaMazon: How Many Men Needed for Baruch Hu U'Varuch Shemo
Say baruch hu u'varuch shemo before birkat ha'mazon even if only three men are present; you don't need a minyan.
Note Only the leader (mezamein) says this, not the other two men.
Saying VaYechulu with Others
Friday night, it is a nice custom for men to say va'yechulu with at least one other man. It is best (but not required) to say va'yechulu with the entire minyan.
Reason The idea is that we are attesting (with other people, as in a court) to God's having created the world.
Reason The idea is that we are attesting (with other people, as in a court) to God's having created the world.
Shabbat: Candles: Earliest Time To Light
You may not light Shabbat (or Jewish festival) candles before plag ha'mincha. The candles must burn until at least dark (tzeit ha'kochavim) and someone must be there to see the light from the candles after dark.
SITUATION Mincha minyan begins at plag ha'mincha. You cannot light candles at home and still get to mincha minyan on time.
WHAT TO DO You must say mincha on your own (anytime from half an hour after mid-day until sunset). You will light candles after plag ha'mincha but before sunset and not join the mincha minyan.
SITUATION Mincha minyan begins at plag ha'mincha. You cannot light candles at home and still get to mincha minyan on time.
WHAT TO DO You must say mincha on your own (anytime from half an hour after mid-day until sunset). You will light candles after plag ha'mincha but before sunset and not join the mincha minyan.
Jewish Festivals: Candles: Earliest Time To Light
You may not light Jewish festival (or Shabbat) candles before plag ha'mincha. The candles must burn until at least dark (tzeit ha'kochavim) and someone must be there to see the light from the candles after dark.
SITUATION Mincha minyan begins at plag ha'mincha. You cannot light candles at home and still get to mincha minyan on time.
WHAT TO DO You may light a candle without a blessing, just so you can have a flame for after the festival has begun. You go to synagogue and after ma'ariv you return home and light the candles from the flame which was burning from before sunset. If you will not have a flame burning from before sunset, you must say mincha on your own (anytime from half an hour after mid-day until sunset). You will light candles after plag ha'mincha but before sunset and not join the mincha minyan. Women should skip mincha and light candles either 18 minutes before sunset or have a flame burning from before sunset and light candles from that flame once the festival has begun (but she may not light from a new flame or a match).
SITUATION Mincha minyan begins at plag ha'mincha. You cannot light candles at home and still get to mincha minyan on time.
WHAT TO DO You may light a candle without a blessing, just so you can have a flame for after the festival has begun. You go to synagogue and after ma'ariv you return home and light the candles from the flame which was burning from before sunset. If you will not have a flame burning from before sunset, you must say mincha on your own (anytime from half an hour after mid-day until sunset). You will light candles after plag ha'mincha but before sunset and not join the mincha minyan. Women should skip mincha and light candles either 18 minutes before sunset or have a flame burning from before sunset and light candles from that flame once the festival has begun (but she may not light from a new flame or a match).
Introduction to Shalom Bayit
Shalom bayit is a family at peace, as one unit. When leniencies in law are used to avoid intrafamily conflicts, customs and d'rabanan halachot can sometimes be overridden. But d'oraita halachot may not be violated. Consult a rabbi.
Situation
You want to go to minyan but your wife is overwhelmed with trying to feed several children and she asks you to help.
What To Do
You must miss minyan and help her since your wife's needs take precedence over your wish to pray with a minyan.
Note With shalom bayit problems between spouses, a rabbi should be consulted for details.
Note Once someone is married, his or her in-laws are part of his or her family and are included in shalom bayit rules.
Situation
You want to go to minyan but your wife is overwhelmed with trying to feed several children and she asks you to help.
What To Do
You must miss minyan and help her since your wife's needs take precedence over your wish to pray with a minyan.
Note With shalom bayit problems between spouses, a rabbi should be consulted for details.
Note Once someone is married, his or her in-laws are part of his or her family and are included in shalom bayit rules.
Saying HaMelech BiChvodo with Prayer Leader
As with the blessing ga'al yisrael in shacharit, the prayer leader should say out loud the blessing preceding the ma'ariv amida: ha'melech bi'chvodo. If you:
- Are up to where he is in the prayers, you may say the last blessing with him.
- Pray slowly and will not be able to join the minyan for saying the amida, you should start earlier than the minyan and catch up at ha'melech bi'chvodo.
Introduction to Amida: Errors: Tashlumin
Introduction to Missed Amida/Tashlumim
If you accidentally miss any amida, you may make up for it (tashlumin)--unless you intentionally missed it.
Amida: Errors: Missed Amida/Tashlumin: Regular Days
Missed Ma'ariv Amida
If you accidentally did not say the amida for ma'ariv:
If you accidentally did not say the amida for shacharit:
If you accidentally did not say the amida for mincha:
If you miss mincha on Friday, say the ma'ariv service for Shabbat and repeat that amida again.
Note Once the time for the next amida has passed, you may not make up the missed amida.
Example
If you missed mincha on Thursday, you may only say tashlumin for mincha as long as you may still say ma'ariv, which is daybreak of Friday morning.
Amida: Errors: Missed Amida/Tashlumin: Shabbat/Jewish Festivals
Even if you forgot to say a prayer service on Shabbat and Jewish festivals, say the next prayer service amida and repeat THAT amida to make up (tashlumin) for the one you missed--even if it is no longer Shabbat or the Jewish festival.
Exception
There is no tashlumin for musaf. However, you may say musaf until sunset, even if you already said mincha.
Note If the time for mincha has arrived (½ hour after halachic midday), you must say mincha before saying musaf (but if you could join a mincha minyan later, you may say musaf now).
Situation
You miss Shabbat mincha.
What to Do
Say ata chonantanu in ma'ariv, but only for the first time you say the amida, not the second time (which is tashlumin).
Situation
You forget to say ma'ariv on Saturday night.
What to Do
Say ata chonantanu on Sunday morning in the second amida (which is tashlumin).
If Doubt about Whether You Said Amida
If you are not certain whether you said an amida:
Men who intentionally delayed saying shacharit past the fourth halachic hour of the day still say that amida until midday but if they did not say it by midday, they may not say tashlumin. See Minyan: Keeping Pace: Shacharit Minyan.
If you accidentally miss any amida, you may make up for it (tashlumin)--unless you intentionally missed it.
Amida: Errors: Missed Amida/Tashlumin: Regular Days
Missed Ma'ariv Amida
If you accidentally did not say the amida for ma'ariv:
- Say the normal shacharit amida the next morning with the other men in the minyan.
- Say ashrei.
- When the leader begins his repetition of the amida, say the amida along with him, word for word, including kedusha.
- After saying ha'el ha'kadosh, finish your amida at your own pace.
- If you are not with a minyan, say ashrei and then repeat the shacharit amida.
If you accidentally did not say the amida for shacharit:
- Say the normal mincha amida with the other men in the minyan.
- Say ashrei.
- When the leader begins his repetition of the amida, say the amida along with him, word for word, including kedusha.
- After saying ha'el ha'kadosh, finish your amida at your own pace.
- If you are not with a minyan, say ashrei and then say the mincha amida a second time.
If you accidentally did not say the amida for mincha:
- Say the normal ma'ariv amida with the other men in the minyan.
- Say ashrei.
- Say the ma'ariv amida a second time. Skip modim.
- If you are not with a minyan, say ashrei a second time and repeat the ma'ariv amida.
If you miss mincha on Friday, say the ma'ariv service for Shabbat and repeat that amida again.
Note Once the time for the next amida has passed, you may not make up the missed amida.
Example
If you missed mincha on Thursday, you may only say tashlumin for mincha as long as you may still say ma'ariv, which is daybreak of Friday morning.
Amida: Errors: Missed Amida/Tashlumin: Shabbat/Jewish Festivals
Even if you forgot to say a prayer service on Shabbat and Jewish festivals, say the next prayer service amida and repeat THAT amida to make up (tashlumin) for the one you missed--even if it is no longer Shabbat or the Jewish festival.
Exception
There is no tashlumin for musaf. However, you may say musaf until sunset, even if you already said mincha.
Note If the time for mincha has arrived (½ hour after halachic midday), you must say mincha before saying musaf (but if you could join a mincha minyan later, you may say musaf now).
Situation
You miss Shabbat mincha.
What to Do
Say ata chonantanu in ma'ariv, but only for the first time you say the amida, not the second time (which is tashlumin).
Situation
You forget to say ma'ariv on Saturday night.
What to Do
Say ata chonantanu on Sunday morning in the second amida (which is tashlumin).
If Doubt about Whether You Said Amida
If you are not certain whether you said an amida:
-
On a weekday, assume that you did not say the amida and say it anyway. Intend that:
- If you forgot the previous amida, this makes up for it, and
- If you did say the previous amida, the second one is a nedava (free-will “offering”).
- On Shabbat and Jewish festivals, do not say the amida twice as tashlumin.
Men who intentionally delayed saying shacharit past the fourth halachic hour of the day still say that amida until midday but if they did not say it by midday, they may not say tashlumin. See Minyan: Keeping Pace: Shacharit Minyan.
Jewish Festivals: Earliest Mincha
The earliest permissible time to say mincha before a Jewish festival is one-half hour after halachic midday, as with all mincha prayers including before Shabbat.
Note You may begin the second day of any Jewish festival as early as plag ha'mincha. You should ideally say mincha before plag and then say ma'ariv after plag; but if you are praying with a minyan, you may say mincha anytime after plag and then say ma'ariv immediately afterward, just as on Shabbat.
Note However, there is nothing gained by saying mincha early before a Jewish festival:
Note However, there is nothing gained by saying mincha early before a Jewish festival:
- We don't want to start Rosh Hashana (Yom HaDin) early and no one wants to start Yom Kippur early.
- You may not start either seder until after dark on Passover.
- You could eat in a sukka before dark on either of the first two days of Sukkot, but you would not fulfill the requirement of eating in a sukka since it was not dark.
- Likewise, the first day of Shavuot does not begin until after dark.
- Since you may not say the blessing on eating in a sukka on Shmini Atzeret (which you would have to do if you eat before dark), there is nothing gained by saying mincha and ma'ariv early on that day, either.
Saying Ga'al Yisrael with Leader or Amen
The prayer leader should say out loud the blessing preceding the amida (ga'al yisrael for shacharit; ha'melech bi'chvodo for ma'ariv). If you:
- Are up to where he is in the prayers, say the last blessing with him (and don't say amen but do say amen in ma'ariv).
- Pray slowly and will not be able to join the minyan for saying the amida, you should start earlier than the minyan and catch up at ga'al yisrael.
Praying in Own Language
Praying in Hebrew is preferable, even if you don't understand Hebrew.
Note You MAY pray in your own language, but only if that is the language of the country in which you are praying.
Note If your native language is not commonly spoken in the country in which you are now present, you may not pray in that language, even if you are with a minyan. If several languages are commonly spoken in your country (such as Hebrew and English in Israel, or English and Spanish in Florida and California), you may pray in any of those languages.
Note If your native language is not commonly spoken in the country in which you are now present, you may not pray in that language, even if you are with a minyan. If several languages are commonly spoken in your country (such as Hebrew and English in Israel, or English and Spanish in Florida and California), you may pray in any of those languages.
Jewish Festival Day: When To Say Yizkor
Yizkor is not required to be said at all, but it is the custom in most places. Yizkor is normally said on Yom Kippur (and the final day of Passover, the second day of Shavuot and on Shmini Atzeret), when many people attend the synagogue prayer services.
Yizkor may be said anytime you wish—even when it is not a Jewish festival--and does not require a minyan.
Yizkor may be said anytime you wish—even when it is not a Jewish festival--and does not require a minyan.