Prayer and Blessings
Which parts of the prayer may be skipped in order to pray the Amidah with the congregation?
Question
1. If the congregation has begun the Amidah and I have just arrived, should I begin the Amidah immediately, or first say what comes before the Amidah (in Shacharit: Birchot HaShachar, Pesukei DeZimra, Shema and its blessings. In Mincha: Ashrei. In Arvit: Shema and its blessings)?
If I do not have time to recite Shema and its blessings, and the congregation is beginning the Amidah, should I skip Shema and its blessings or finish Shema and its blessings and then stand for the Amidah?
2. If little time remains before the time for Shema in Shacharit, I first recite Shema and its blessings at the proper time. Then what should I do? The Amidah or return to Pesukei DeZimra? (And if I do the Amidah, after which section of the prayer should I return to Pesukei DeZimra)?
Thank you very, very much!!
Answer
Shavua tov,
1. In Shacharit, if you have time to say part of Pesukei DeZimra and still manage to pray the Amidah with the congregation, you should say: Baruch Sheamar, Ashrei, the psalm of Halleluyah from the heavens, the psalm of Halleluyah El beKadsho, and Yishtabach.
When necessary, you may say only Baruch Sheamar, Ashrei, and Yishtabach.
And if there is not even enough time for that, you may skip Pesukei DeZimra entirely, and say it after the prayer, without Baruch Sheamar and Yishtabach.
However, one should not skip Shema and its blessings in order to manage the Amidah with the congregation (see Shulchan Aruch and Rama, siman 52).
In Mincha, one should skip Ashrei in order to begin the Amidah with the congregation (Or L’Tzion, part 2, chapter 15, answer 3).
In Arvit, one should skip Shema and its blessings in order to manage the Amidah with the congregation, and make up the recitation after the prayer (Shulchan Aruch, siman 236, seif 3). All this applies only when you estimate that afterward you will not be able to obtain a minyan to pray with them; if not, you should not cancel the mitzvah of semichat geulah l’tefillah (Mishnah Berurah, seif katan 12).
2. Recite Shema without its blessings before the prayer, and continue the prayer in order.
With blessings,
Hillel Meirs
