Shulchan Aruch: Chapter 582 - Order of Prayers During the Ten Days of Repentance and Rosh HaShanah

SECTION 582 The Order of Prayers During the Ten Days of Repentance and Rosh HaShanah. (1–17)

1 Throughout the year, one [concludes] the third blessing of Shemoneh Esreh [with the words] HaE-l hakadosh (“the holy G‑d”), and the eleventh blessing [with the words] Melech ohev tzedakah u’mishpat (“the King who loves charity and justice”).1 During the ten days from Rosh HaShanah through Yom Kippur,2 however, one must say HaMelech hakadosh (“the holy King”) and HaMelech hamishpat (“the King of judgment”), for on these days the Holy One, blessed be He, reveals His Sovereignty [by] standing in judgment over the [entire] world.

[The following principles apply] if one errs and says HaE-l hakadosh or is uncertain if he said [HaE-l hakadosh or] HaMelech hakadosh: If he became aware [of his error] only after he ended [the third] blessing — and needless to say, if he already began the fourth blessing — and the time it takes for a student to greet his teacher3 had already elapsed, he must recommence Shemoneh Esreh. [He cannot simply repeat the third blessing,] because the first three blessings [of Shemoneh Esreh] are considered as one unit.4

2 If one became aware [of his error immediately,] before this timespan passes, he should [correct himself and] say HaMelech hakadosh; there is no need to recommence [Shemoneh Esreh].

Similar laws apply with regard to [correcting oneself if one said Melech ohev tzedakah u’mishpat instead of] HaMelech hamishpat. However, if one became aware [of his error] after this timespan, he need not return to the beginning of Shemoneh Esreh, because [by saying the former phrase, he also] mentioned G‑d’s Kingship.

Some authorities, however, maintain that if one became aware [of his error] before completing Shemoneh Esreh, he should return to [the eleventh] blessing, Hashivah [shofteinu, and repeat it and all the following blessings]. If he became aware [of his error] after completing Shemoneh Esreh, he should recommence Shemoneh Esreh, according to the principle explained in sec. 117[:3-5].5

[Their rationale is] that there is a [significant] difference between the phrases Melech ohev tzedakah u’mishpat and HaMelech hamishpat. Throughout the year, tzedakah (“charity”) is the dominant theme, and that is why [the Sages] gave it precedence over the theme of judgment. On these days, by contrast, mishpat (“judgment”) is the dominant theme, so charity is not mentioned at all. [Thus the conclusion recited throughout the year is not appropriate during these days.]

With regard to the actual ruling, [we follow the principle that] whenever there is a doubt [as to whether or not] a blessing [should be recited], we rule leniently;6 [i.e., the blessing should not be recited].7 Therefore, if one became aware of his error before completing Shemoneh Esreh, he is not required to return to the blessing Hashivah, in order that he should not recite a blessing that is possibly unwarranted. After completing Shemoneh Esreh,8 however, it is advisable to repeat Shemoneh Esreh as a freewill [prayer],9 [and this time recite the appropriate wording in the eleventh blessing]. One is not obligated to make a personal addition [to justify the repetition, as is usually required if Shemoneh Esreh is recited as a freewill prayer], because its present recitation is due to the doubt [as to whether or not he had previously fulfilled his obligation], as stated in sec. 107[:1].

3 [The fact that] one has said Baruch Atah HaShem HaMelech hakadosh (“Blessed are You, HaShem, the holy King”) or Baruch Atah HaShem HaMelech hamishpat (“Blessed are You, HaShem, the King of judgment”) 90 times10 [is of no avail in removing the above doubt]. If one is [nevertheless] unsure as to whether he said HaMelech hakadosh in Shemoneh Esreh, all authorities agree that he must repeat Shemoneh Esreh. This situation does not resemble [the case] explained in sec. 114[:11, with regard to adding the words morid hageshem].11 In this situation, he is not permitted to pronounce G‑d’s name as it should be pronounced, because doing so would constitute the recitation of a blessing in vain. [This repetition will thus not serve to change his habit, and] therefore, when he pronounces G‑d’s name properly in the course of Shemoneh Esreh, he will [presumably] revert to his established pattern and say HaE-l hakadosh.

4 On Shabbos Teshuvah,12 and similarly when either Rosh HaShanah or Yom Kippur falls on Shabbos, when the sheliach tzibbur recites the blessing [Meiein Sheva] that summarizes the seven blessings of [the Shemoneh Esreh of] Friday evening, he should say HaMelech hakadosh [instead of HaE-l hakadosh]. When concluding the blessing, however, he should mention only Shabbos and not Rosh HaShanah or Yom Kippur, for the reason explained in sec. 268[:14].13

5 There are people whose custom is to stoop somewhat while reciting Shemoneh Esreh on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.14 They must, however, stand erect at the beginning of every blessing and its conclusion, before saying Baruch Atah, so that they will not appear to be adding to the directive of our Sages who ordained that we bow [four times in Shemoneh Esreh]: at the beginning and end of the first blessing, and at the beginning and end of the blessing [that begins with the word Modim]; see sec. 113[:1].

In the first blessing [called Avos] and in the latter blessing [called Hodaah], [a person who prays while stooped] must stand upright when he comes to the last few words before the conclusion of the blessing, and then bow again when he reaches its conclusion as ordained by the Sages, for the reason explained in [the above-mentioned section].

6 The Geonim15 ordained that [several additions be made to Shemoneh Esreh] during the Ten Days of Repentance. In the first blessing, [one should add the phrase beginning] Zochreinu (“Remember us…”); in the second blessing, [the phrase beginning] Mi Chamocha (“Who is like You…”); in the blessing Modim, [the phrase beginning] U’Chsov (“Inscribe…”), and in the blessing Sim Shalom, [the phrase beginning] BeSefer16 (“In the book…”).

If one forgot to recite [any of] these phrases and remembered before he finished the blessing in which they should be recited, he should recite them when he remembers. If, however, one forgot to recite [any of] these phrases and [did not] remember [until] after he mentioned G‑d’s name in the conclusion of the blessing, he should not recite them when he remembers. Nor should he repeat the blessing, for it is forbidden to [recite] a blessing in vain. [This ruling is given,] because [these] additions were ordained only by the Geonim.17

7 [The word] lechayim (“for life”) [in the phrase Zochreinu lechayim] should be vocalized with a sheva under the lamed and not a patach, so that the word would not be sounded as “lachayim,” which could be misunderstood as lo chayim (“not life”).18 [The rationale is that] these days are days of judgment, and therefore one must be precise and articulate carefully when reciting one’s prayers. During the other days of the year, we say vehaamideinu malkeinu lachayim, with a patach.19 We are not concerned [there with the possibility of misinterpretation], for the words are understood according to the intent20 of one’s heart.

8 [In the phrase Zochreinu,] one should simply say lechayim (“for life”) and not lechayim tovim (“for good life”); only later, in the phrase U’Chsov lechayim, should one say lechayim tovim. [The rationale is that] a request should first be modest and only later should be expanded.

9 On Rosh HaShanah, [during Shemoneh Esreh,] one should say Vatiten lanu es Yom HaZikaron hazeh (“You have granted us this Day of Remembrance”). There is no need to mention Rosh Chodesh21 by adding the words ve’es yom Rosh HaChodesh hazeh (“and this day of Rosh Chodesh”), because the phrase Yom HaZikaron includes Rosh Chodesh, which is referred to by the term zikaron, as it is written,22 “On your days of rejoicing, on your festivals, and on your Rosh Chodesh days…, they shall be a remembrance for you.”

If [Rosh HaShanah] falls during the week, in Shemoneh Esreh and in Kiddush, we say yom teruah mikra kodesh23 (“a day for sounding [the shofar], a holy convocation”). If it falls on Shabbos,24 we say zichron teruah25 (“a remembrance of sounding [the shofar]”).

10 On Rosh HaShanah and on Yom Kippur, we do not say moadim lesimchah, chagim u’zmanim lesason26 (“festivals for rejoicing, holidays and seasons for gladness”), because these days were not given [to us] for rejoicing and gladness.27 Similarly, we do not say Vehasieinu… es birkas moadecha (“Grant us… the blessing of Your festivals”), because this phrase relates only to the three Pilgrim Festivals, as it is written,28 “Three times a year [all your males shall appear]… according to the blessing which G‑d your L‑rd [has granted you].” Likewise, in the Mussaf prayers [on Rosh HaShanah], we do not say ve’ein anu yecholim la’alos veleiraos… lefanecha29 (“and we are not able to go up and appear… before You”). Instead, we say: ve’ein anu yecholim30 la’asos chovoseinu…(“and we are not able to fulfill our obligations”) — for the mitzvah of re’iyah [i.e., appearing before G‑d in the Beis HaMikdash] applies only to the three Pilgrim Festivals.

11 t the conclusion of the blessing — in Shemoneh Esreh, after the haftorah, and in Kiddush — one says udvarcha emes (“And Your word is true…”); one should not say udvarcha Malkeinu emes (“And Your word, our King, is true…”).31

12 The word shehashaltan should be pronounced with a kamatz under the second shin, so that the word will mean “sovereignty.” That letter should not be pronounced with a chirik, because then the meaning would be “the ruler.”

13 The word veharish’ah should be pronounced with a chirik under the resh.

14 One does not say Ve’az tzaddikim (“And then the righteous”), but U’vechein tzaddikim (“And accordingly, the righteous”).32

15 We do not say be’ahavah mikra kodesh (“with love, a holy convocation”),33 but rather yom teruah mikra kodesh (“a day of sounding [the shofar], a holy convocation). On Shabbos, [one should say] zichron teruah mikra kodesh (“a remembrance of sounding [the shofar], a holy convocation”).34

16 In all the Kaddeishim35 that are recited from Rosh HaShanah through Yom Kippur, [instead of le’eila min kol birchasa — “beyond all the blessings…,”] one says le’eila ule’eila mikol birchasa — “sublimely beyond all the blessings.”36

17 It is customary for people to wish each other LeShanah Tovah Tikaseiv37 (“May you be inscribed for a good year”). This blessing should not be given after midday on the second day, for the inscription of Rosh HaShanah has already been completed.