[Avodah] When do the malachim come?

[Danny Schoemann]

R' Dov Kay wrote:
> My shul, Etz Chaim in Manchester, recently voted to reinstitute the
> German-Jewish minhagim which, for various reasons...

> I was asked to daven kabbolas Shabbos last week and took the initiative to
> daven from the shulchan (ie the almemar), not the amud at the front.
<snip>
> They are both additions, so why distinguish between
> the two?
<snip>

As my father explained it to me many years ago:

Yekkes say Tehilim (e.g. for a sick person) verse after verse. (Chazan
says a verse, Kehal says the 2nd, Chazan says the 3rd, etc.)
We also say the Tehilim in Kabolas Shabbos this way.
Thus it's clear that it's not part of davening and can be said fro the Omud.
Since Lecho Dodi could be mistaken as an addition to davening, it's
said from the Almemor.

Litvaks say tehilim (e.g. for a sick person) with the Kehal repeating
each verse the Chazan says.
They "do" Kabolas Shabbos by the Chazan saying [the first and] last
verse (or 2) of each Kapitel.
Thus Kabolas Shabbos is no different from Pesukai D'Zimra and could be
mistaken as an addition to davening, so it's said from the Almemor to
make it clear that it's not part of davening.

- Danny