[Avodah] V'San Bracha or V'san Tal U'Matar?

[Professor L. Levine via Avodah]

I have received several emails regarding this issue.

Reb Ira Epstein sent me the following links;

http://tinyurl.com/j5hsnyu

Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach: V'Sain Tal Umatar - Between Eretz Yisroel And Chutz La'Aretz, What Should Travelers Say?

and for a detailed discussion of the issue please see

http://rabbikaganoff.com/tag/vsein-tal-umatar/ 

Rabbi Dr. Ari Zivotofsky sent me the following (I could not locate it
on the OU web site.):
________________________________________
From: Ari Zivotofsky <Ari.Zivotofsky at biu.ac.il>
Sent: Sunday, November 6, 2016 8:00 AM
To: Professor L. Levine
Subject: RE: V'Sain Bracha or V'sain Tal U'Matar?

This from the OU Torah Tidbits may interest your friend:

VEBBE REBBE
The Orthodox Union - via its website - fields questions of all types...
The following is a Q&A from Eretz Hemdah...

An Israeli Being a Chazan Abroad Before Dec. 5

Question: If a "chiyuv" to be a chazan is abroad between 7 Marcheshvan
and December 5th, is it okay for him to be a chazan? Does he say "v'ten
tal umatar livracha," (=T&M) during his silent Shemoneh Esrei (=Amida)
and chazarat hashatz?

Answer: We discussed the matter of travelers to chutz la'aretz during this
time of year in Living the Halachic Process (II:A-11), and we start with
a summary. If an Israeli is abroad on 7 Marcheshvan and will be returning
during the year, he should start asking for rain on 7 Marheshvan. While
some say to do so in its regular place, it is preferable to make the
request during the b'racha of Sh'ma Koleinu, due to a machloket on the
matter. If he started reciting T&M in Israel and traveled later, it is
even clearer that he should continue doing so, and there is more reason
for him to do so at its regular place.

One can question permissibility to be chazan on two grounds. One is
the question whether someone who is obligated in one form of Amida
can function on behalf of a tzibur that is obligated in a different
form. Regarding the matter of an Israeli being chazan for a chutz la'aretz
community on second day of Yom Tov, this is a daunting halachic problem
(see Bemareh Habazak II:36). One can claim the same issues apply
here. However, stringency requires making several assumptions (see
responsum of Rav C.P. Scheinberg in Yom Tov Sheni K'hilchato p. 415-423),
and it is very unlikely that all of them are correct. The great majority
of poskim say that this is not a problem (see Minchat Yitzchak X:9, Yom
Tov Sheni 10:6). Therefore, he can serve the tzibur according to their
needs, which is to not say T&M. (Yalkut Yosef (5745 ed., vol. I, p. 264)
says that even within chazarat hashatz he should unobtrusively whisper
T&M during Sh'ma Koleinu. However, that is practically and halachically
problematic, and is not accepted practice.)

Another issue is how the chazan deals with his conflicting needs during
silent Amida. On the one hand, he is obligated to have a Amida that
includes T&M. On the other hand, Chazal instituted silent Amida for a
chazan who is about to recite chazarat hashatz (which is a valid Amida),
in order to practice for that task (Rosh HaShana 34b). If our traveler
says T&M in its regular place, he is practicing in a way that would ruin
his chazarat hashatz, which makes his silent Amida self-defeating. Yet,
the Birkei Yosef (117:8) says that this is what he does. He cites as a
source the Taz's (117:2) idea that a community that needs rain at a time
when T&M is not said can ask in Sh'ma Koleinu (including the chazan)
even though chazarat hashatz cannot be done that way.

Several poskim see this setup as not problematic at all (see opinions
in Yom Tov Sheni K'hilchato 10:(17)), while others prefer avoiding the
situation (see B'tzel Hachochma I:62; the Birkei Yosef also implies
it). It likely depends on whether we say the idea of practicing is just
the original reason to institute silent Amida or that it remains the
practical guide for how the chazan does the Amida. Another application
is the question whether a chazan uses his own nusach for silent Amida
when leading a shul with a different nusach. The Minchat Yitzchak (VI:31)
justifies what he claims the minhag is to use one's own nusach, by saying
that it is enough that he does chazarat hashatz from a siddur.

Ed. note: To clarify - it can be argued that the idea of a practice
Amida is applicable when there weren't many siddurim around (perhaps
the days before printing) and the Shali'ach Tzibur would be saying the
out-loud Amida (the repetition) by heart. Then, a practice run through
is important. On the other hand... (continue reading)

In contrast, Igrot Moshe (OC II:29) posits that the practice Amida should
be done as chazarat hashatz will be, i.e., like the tzibur.

As a chiyuv, you have certainly have the right to be a chazan, whether
because of the opinions that there is no problem or because being
precluded from being chazan is a b'dieved situation. We add the following
suggestion (not requirement). If the chazan adds personal requests in
Sh'ma Koleinu, he should say T&M along with them instead of at its regular
place, with the following logic. Some poskim say to do so even when not a
chazan, he certainly fulfills his obligation, and since the chazan never
adds requests in chazarat hashatz, saying T&M will not cause a mistake.


YL