[Avodah] going to the amud

[Micha Berger]

On Sun, Oct 08, 2017 at 02:10:14AM +0000, Rich, Joel via Avodah wrote:
:                    At the appointed starting time for each minyan, there
: is often not a "volunteer" to lead the services. The amount of time
: that it takes to start varies as everyone looks at each other trying
: to influence someone to start. If there is a young bar mitzvah boy,
: he is often sent for mincha/maariv.

Going backwards (who ever said I am a chakham bound to answer al rishon
rishon?)...

The kid is not as likely to declien the gabbai, because an adult carries
more authority in the kid's eyes. Besides, it's good practice.

As for the adults declining... Two possiblities, and I would bet that
in most cases, they both come into play.

1- The more positive issue is that there is actually a din to decline
the amud, accepting only on the third request. I have no idea how this
was expected to be implemented in a minyan where people are expected to
know the din. A rachmanus on the gabbaim!

Still, we see an ethic of tzenius, and halevai people internalize it!

2- The following is Ashkenazocentric. The way we teach davening, it's
really a personal affair. A person is encouraged to go as slowly as
he needs, having his own kavvanos. The notion of tefillah betzibbur is
layered on top of that, but not in a way that explains what that means
about how I daven. That means that being shatz becomes a tircha, a call
to say the words in a manner that robs me of any chance of getting value
out of tefillah in the ways I was taught how.

So of course men (who aren't cowed by being asked by a grown-up) choose
to decline!


Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             You will never "find" time for anything.
micha at aishdas.org        If you want time, you must make it.
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