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The Shulchan Aruch · Orach Chayim

אורח חיים ס״טOrach Chayim 69

Siman 69 of 697 in Orach Chayim — 2 se'ifim

הלכות קריאת שמעLaws of Reciting Shema· siman 69

Se’if 1א׳

אִם יֵשׁ בְּנֵי אָדָם שֶׁהִתְפַּלְּלוּ כָּל אֶחָד בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ בְּיָחִיד, וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ לֹא קַדִּישׁ וְלֹא קְדֻשָּׁה, עוֹמֵד אֶחָד מֵהֶם וְאוֹמֵר קַדִּישׁ וּבָרְכוּ וּבְרָכָה רִאשׁוֹנָה יוֹצֵר אוֹר וְלֹא יוֹתֵר, וְזֶה נִקְרָא פּוֹרֵס עַל שְׁמַע, לְשׁוֹן חֲתִיכָה פְּרוּסָה, שֶׁאֵין אוֹמְרִים אֶלָּא קְצָת מִמֶּנָּה: הַגָּה: וְעַכְשָׁו לֹא נָהֲגוּ לוֹמַר כָּל בִּרְכַּת יוֹצֵר אוֹר, אֶלָּא אוֹמְרִים קַדִּישׁ וּבָרְכוּ וְהֵם עוֹנִים אַחֲרָיו בָּרוּךְ ה' וְכו'. יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁפּוֹרְסִין בִּקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע שֶׁל עַרְבִית כְּמוֹ בְּשַׁחֲרִית (כָּל בּוֹ וּבֵית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם הָרַ"ן) וְלֹא נָהֲגוּ כֵן מִשּׁוּם דְּלֵיכָּא קַדִּישׁ קֹדֶם בָּרְכוּ שֶׁל עַרְבִית. וּלְאַחַר שֶׁסִיְּמוּ בִּרְכַּת יוֹצֵר אוֹר, אוֹמֵר אָבוֹת וּגְבוּרוֹת, וּקְדֻשָּׁה וְאַתָּה קָדוֹשׁ, וְזֶה נִקְרָא עוֹבֵר לִפְנֵי הַתֵּבָה. וְאֵין עוֹשִׂין דְּבָרִים אֵלּוּ בְּפָחוֹת מִי', מִשּׁוּם דְּהָוֵי דְּבָרִים שֶׁבַּקְּדֻשָּׁה, וְצָרִיךְ לַחֲזֹר אַחַר שִׁשָּׁה שֶׁלֹּא שָׁמְעוּ, דְּהַיְנוּ רֹב הָעֲשָׂרָה. וְאִם אֵינָם נִמְצָאִים, אֲפִלּוּ בִּשְׁבִיל אֶחָד שֶׁלֹּא שָׁמַע אוֹמְרִים, וַאֲפִלּוּ מִי שֶׁשָּׁמַע יָכוֹל לִפְרֹס עַל שְׁמַע וְלַעֲבֹר לִפְנֵי הַתֵּבָה בִּשְׁבִיל אוֹתוֹ שֶׁלֹּא שָׁמַע. וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם אִם אוֹתוֹ שֶׁלֹּא שָׁמַע בָּקִי לִפְרֹס עַל שְׁמַע וְלַעֲבֹר לִפְנֵי הַתֵּבָה, מוּטָב שֶׁיִּפְרֹס וְיַעֲבֹר לִפְנֵי הַתֵּבָה הוּא, מִשֶּׁיִּפְרֹס וְיַעֲבֹר לִפְנֵי הַתֵּבָה אַחֵר שֶׁכְּבָר שָׁמַע: הַגָּה: וּמִי שֶׁעוֹבֵר לִפְנֵי הַתֵּבָה וְאָמַר ג' בְּרָכוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת, יַשְׁלִים כָּל הַתְּפִלָּה וְלֹא יַפְסִיק, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכְּבָר הִתְפַּלֵּל. אֲבָל הָאֲחֵרִים יְכוֹלִין לְהַפְסִיק אַחַר כָּךְ, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁאִם לֹא הִתְפַּלֵּל הַפּוֹרֵס וְהָעוֹבֵר לִפְנֵי הַתֵּבָה תְּחִלָּה שֶׁיַּשְׁלִים תְּפִלָּתוֹ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיִּצְטָרֵךְ לִקְרֹא אַחַר כָּךְ קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע, וְלֹא יִסְמֹךְ גְּאֻלָּה לִתְפִלָּה (בֵּית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם מַהֲרִי"א) וְאָסוּר לְהַפְסִיק בִּדְבָרִים אֵלּוּ בֵּין גְּאֻלָּה לִתְפִלָּה, אוֹ בִּקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע וּבִרְכוֹתֶיהָ, וְלָכֵן אָסוּר לִשְׁלִיחַ צִבּוּר לְהַפְסִיק בֵּין קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע לִתְפִלָּה, אוֹ בִּקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע וּבִרְכוֹתֶיהָ כְּדֵי לִפְרֹס עַל שְׁמַע לְאוֹתָן הַבָּאִים לְבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת, לְאַחַר שֶׁהִתְפַּלְּלוּ הַקָּהָל קַדִּישׁ וּבָרְכוּ וְהִתְחִיל בְּבִרְכַּת יוֹצֵר אוֹר. אֲבָל בְּבִרְכַּת עַרְבִית שֶׁהוּא רְשׁוּת, יָכוֹל לְהַפְסִיק לְהוֹצִיא אֲחֵרִים יְדֵי חוֹבָה. וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם אִישׁ אַחֵר יָכוֹל לִפְרֹס עַל שְׁמַע אוֹ לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בְּי' כָּל הַתְּפִלָּה אֲפִלּוּ בְּאוֹתוֹ בֵּית הַכְּנֶסֶת שֶׁכְּבָר הִתְפַּלְּלוּ לְהוֹצִיא אֲחֵרִים יְדֵי חוֹבָה, רַק שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲמֹד הַחַזָּן הַשֵּׁנִי בַּמָּקוֹם שֶׁעָמַד הָרִאשׁוֹן, דְּזֶהוּ נִרְאֶה גְּנַאי לָרִאשׁוֹנִים, דְּהָוֵי כְּאִלּוּ לֹא יָצְאוּ בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה יְדֵי חוֹבָה (תְּשׁוּבַת מַהֲרִ"י מִינְץ סי' ט"ו) וְנִרְאֶה לִי דַּוְקָא שֶׁעֲדַיִן הָרִאשׁוֹנִים בְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת אֶלָּא שֶׁהִשְׁלִימוּ סִדְרָם, אֲבָל אִם יָצְאוּ הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, יוּכַל לַעֲמֹד הַחַזָּן אַף בַּמָּקוֹם שֶׁעָמַד הָרִאשׁוֹן.

The Law of "Poreis Al Sh'ma", containing 2 S'ifim If there are people who have all prayed by themselves, individually, and they did not hear the Kaddish and the K'dushah, one of them stands and says Kaddish and Bar'khu and the first blessing - Yotzei Or, and no more, and this is called "Poreis al Sh'ma", which means "a piece" or "a slice" (ie. the word "poreis" comes from the word "prusa" which means a piece or a slice), in that we do not say other than a little of it (i.e. the Recitation of the Sh'ma). Rem"a: And nowadays, the custom is to not say the entire blessing of Yotzer Or; rather, we say Kaddish and Bar'khu, and they respond afterwards "Barukh YHVH... [hamvorakh l'olam va-ed]". There are those who say that we are "poreis al Sh'ma" during the evening Recitation of the Sh'ma as with the morning (Kol Bo and Beit Yoseif in the name of the Ran), but our custom is not like that because there is no Kaddish before the Bar'khu of Arvit. And after they complete the blessing of Yotzeir Or, they say Avot and G'vurot and K'dushah, and "Atah Kadosh", and this is called "Passing before the Ark". And we do not do these things with less than 10 [men] because they are matters of sanctification [of God's name]. And one should search for 6 [men] who have not heard [Kaddish or Kedusha], for this is the majority of 10. And if they can't find [at least 6 men], then even for the sake of one [man] who has not heard, they say [these things]. And even one who has heard can be "Poreis al Sh'ma" and pass before the Ark for the sake of the one who has not heard. However, if the one who did not hear is an expert on "Poreis al Sh'ma" and passing before the Ark, it is better that he should "poreis" and pass before the Ark rather than one who already heard should "poreis" and pass before the Ark. Rem"a: And the one who passed before the Ark and said the 3 first blessings should complete the entire prayer, and not make any interruption, even if he already prayed, but the others may interrupt after that. And certainly if the one who does "poreis" and passes before the Ark has not already prayed, he should first complete his prayer (ie. Sh'mona Esrei) even though he [still] needs to recite the Sh'ma afterwards and [by doing so] will not adjoin redemption to prayer [Beit Yoseif in the name of the Mahari]. And it is forbidden for one to interrupt for these things (ie. to be poreis al shema) between redemption and prayer or the Recitation of the Sh'ma and its blessings, and therefore, it is forbidden for the prayer-leader to interrupt between the Sh'ma and prayer (i.e. Sh'mona Esrei] or within the Sh'ma and its blessings in order to "poreis al Sh'ma" for those who came to the synagogue after the congregation prayed Kaddish and Bar'khu and began the blessing of Yotzeir Or. But in the blessings of Aravit [i.e. Maariv Aravim in the evening service] which is optional, one can interrupt in order to fulfill the obligation of others. And in any case, another person can "poreis al Sh'ma" or pray the entire prayer for 10, even in the same synagogue which has already prayed, in order to fulfill the obligation of others. However, the second chazzan should not stand in the place that the first chazzan stood, in that this would seem disgraceful to the first ones because it's like [they are saying that] the first ones have not fulfilled their obligation (Teshuvah of the Mahari of Mainz Siman 15). And it seems to me that this is specifically when the first ones are still in the synagogue but have completed their prayers, but if the first ones left, the chazzan can stand even in the the place that the first one did.

Se’if 2ב׳

סוּמָא, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא רָאָה מְאוֹרוֹת מִיָּמָיו, פּוֹרֵס עַל שְׁמַע וּמְבָרֵךְ יוֹצֵר הַמְּאוֹרוֹת שֶׁהוּא נֶהֱנֶה בַּמְּאוֹרוֹת שֶׁרוֹאִין אֲחֵרִים שֶׁיּוֹרוּהוּ הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר יֵלֵךְ בָּהּ:

A blind person despite that he never saw lights, may "poreis al Sh'ma", and bless "the Former of the lights", since he enjoys the lights that others see when they direct him on the road on which he walks.

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Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim — Torat Emet 363 edition, via Sefaria — public domain

English: Sefaria Community Translation — CC0