Mar-Cheshvan

22. The inhabitants of Eretz Yisrael start saying the words “vesein tal umatar leverachah” (ותן טל ומטר לברכה) in the berachah of “Bareich aleinu” in Shemoneh Esrei on the 7th of Mar-Cheshvan. Those who live outside of Eretz Yisrael do not start saying this until the first week of December.

23. If an individual from outside of Eretz Yisrael is visiting Eretz Yisrael on 7 Mar-Cheshvan  (or earlier) and will be staying there until after 4/5 December, he should say “vesein tal” in “Bareich aleinu1.”

24. If that individual will be leaving Eretz Yisrael before 4/5 December, then he should say “vesein berachah” during “Bareich aleinu,” and then in “Shema koleinu” (before the words “ki Atah”) he inserts the words “vesein tal umatar leverachah2.”

According to other opinions, while he is in Eretz Yisrael he should say “vesein tal.” in “Bareich aleinu” as everyone else in Eretz Yisrael is doing3.

According to Rav Ovadia Yosef he should say “vesein tal” in “Bareich aleinu” while he is in Eretz Yisrael, and then when he leaves Eretz Yisrael he should insert “vesein tal” in “Shema koleinu” until 4/5 December4.

25. If he arrives in Eretz Yisrael after 7 Mar-Cheshvan and will be departing before 4/5 December, he should insert “vesein tal” in “Shema koleinu5.”

26. If one forgets to say “vesein tal,” he does not have to go back or repeat the Shemoneh Esrei, 6 however there are opinions which state if he has already started saying “vesein tal” and at a later date forgets to say it, he does have to go back or repeat the Shemoneh Esrei7.

27. If a resident of Eretz Yisrael arrives to another country prior to 7 Mar-Cheshvan and intends to eventually return to Eretz Yisrael, he should say “vesein berachah” when saying “Bareich aleinu” just like all the other congregants and when he reaches “Shema koleinu” insert the words “vesein tal umatar [be’artzeinu hakedosh 8 ] leverachah9.”

28. There are those that say that if he intends to return to Eretz Yisrael that same year, or even if his wife and children are still in Eretz Yisrael [and he doesn’t necessarily intend to return that same year], then he should say the words “vesein tal” in “Bareich aleinu10.”

29. If one who lives in Eretz Yisrael arrives to another country after 7 Mar-Cheshvan and thus has already started saying “vesein tal” when he was in Eretz Yisrael, he should continue saying it in “Bareich aleinu11.

30. If someone from Eretz Yisrael who is visiting a different country forgets to say “vesein tal,” he can add it in “Shema koleinu” (before the words “ki Atah”)12.

If however he does not realize his omission until after saying G-d’s name in that berachah (“Shema koleinu”), he does not have to go back or repeat the Shemoneh Esrei13.

31. If the visitor is serving as a chazan during the period between 7 Mar-Cheshvan and 4/5 December, then in the silent Shemoneh Esrei he should say what he is regularly saying, but when he repeats the Shemoneh Esrei he should follow the custom of the shul, i.e. in Eretz Yisrael say “vesein tal” and in other countries say “vesein berachah14.”

It is the author’s understanding that Rabbi Moshe Feinstein was of the opinion that the silent Shemoneh Esrei of the chazan serves as a preparation for his repetition of the Shemoneh Esrei for the congregation. Therefore the chazan should say for his silent version the same text as he will for the repetition. From this can be deduced that in the situation under discussion, the chazan should be consistent in both recitations with the saying of “vesein tal” or “vesein berachah.”