[Avodah] How do Chabad deal with the Amen of Krias Shema

Zev Sero zev at sero.name
Tue Feb 19 17:08:19 PST 2013


On 19/02/2013 5:09 PM, Dr Isaac Balbin wrote:
> Picture the scenario, you are a chabadnik and normally you don't say the Bracha immediately before Shema loudly, and in fact are basically inaudible when you are Chazan, so that others don't need to be in the conundrum of saying Amen.
>
> How though, as a Chabadnik or anyone else who follows this practice, do you deal with a Chazan who says the Bracha loudly and clearly.
>
> Do you say it word for word with him, like others?
> Do you simply ignore what he said and not answer?

It's a problem, not just for Chabad but for everyone, which is precisely why
Chabad has the minhag of avoiding it by not being heard. But if the chazan
doesn't have or forgets this minhag, then the problem exists and Chabadniks
have to deal with it the same way everyone else does.  For instance by saying
the bracha with him, or by starting shma a second earlier.


> With Go-al Yisroel, which I understand you are meant to say audibly,
> many finish their own bracha and commence Shemoneh Esreh so that they
> won't be in a position to say Amen.

With go'al yisroel there's no minhag to say it quietly, because the halacha
is more definitely decided against saying amen, so there's no shayla to
avoid.  The chazan says it aloud, and the people don't answer (except those
who are not davening, or are in pesukei dezimra).


> The one Bracha where everyone says Amen after, is Boneh Berachamov in Benching.
> Sefardim of course have no issue saying Amen after their own Brachos as per
> their Rishonim/Poskim.

I think you must now be talking about ga'al yisrael, not ohev amo yisrael.
Sefardim are no different from anyone else in *not* saying amen after their
own brachos, *except* at the end of a series.  That would include ga'al
yisrael, if it were permitted to say amen then, but it does not include
ohev amo yisrael.  That's not the end of a series, so saying amen after
oneself would be "meguneh".


> I don't know if this is at all related to Brich Shemai where (if you
> aren't a yekke or litvak who doesn't say it) some end with an Amen and
> others don't.  I think there is a relationship here too.

No, there's no relation.  There's no problem of hefsek there.



-- 
Zev Sero               A citizen may not be required to offer a 'good and
zev at sero.name          substantial reason' why he should be permitted to
                        exercise his rights. The right's existence is all
                        the reason he needs.
                            - Judge Benson E. Legg, Woollard v. Sheridan



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