Kitzur Shulchan Aruch - Chapter 19: Laws Dealing With Additions to Shemoneh Esrei

There are seasons of the year when special prayers are added to the Shemoneh Esrei. This chapter deals with three such additions: Mashiv haruach, tal u'motor, and yaaleh v'yovoh. It also deals with the laws of Aneinu which is said on Fast days.
During the winter we add mashiv haruach (Causer of the wind to blow) umorid hageshem (and the rain to fall) to the second berachah of Shemoneh Esrei. We begin (this addition) with the Musaf prayer of Shemini Atzeres. The shamash (sexton) announces before [Musaf:] Mashiv haruach umorid hageshem. If he did not announce it it is not said then at the silent Musaf prayer. An ill person who prays at home privately, likewise the villagers who have no minyan, should wait with [their] Musaf prayers until the hour of which it is certain that the city synagogues have completed Musaf prayers, and then they, too, can pray Musaf and say mashiv haruach umorid hageshem. It (mashiv haruach…) is said until Musaf of the first day of Pesach (Passover). The congregation as well as the chazzan still say it during the silent prayer. When the chazzan repeats [the Musaf prayer], he (the chazzan) discontinues saying it, and after that the congregation does not say it at the Minchah prayer, because they have already heard that the chazzan has discontinued saying it.1 A person praying privately, should say the Musaf prayer early enough, in order [to be sure] that the chazzan has not yet discontinued saying it in the city synagogues, because whoever prays [Musaf on the first day of Pesach] after the chazzan has discontinued saying [mashiv haruach] at Musaf, no longer says it [himself]. There are congregations2 that add, mashiv haruach umorid hatal during the summer. [In those places] the shamash should announce it before Musaf on the first day of Pesach, and then the [congregation] begins to say it in the silent [Shemoneh Esrei of Musaf,] and they discontinue saying umorid hageshem.

If by mistake you did not say: mashiv haruach umorid hageshem, if you remembered before you completed the berachah mechaye hameisim, then you may say it at the place you remembered, but only if you are not in mid-phrase. For instance, if you remembered after you said: umekayim emunaso, (and fulfiller of His faithfulness) [you continue and] say also i. e. lisheinei afar (to those who sleep in the dust) and [then] you say mashiv haruach … [and continue] mi chamocha … (who is like You). If you prefer, you may repeat the whole paragraph, that is, mashiv haruach umorid hageshem, and then continue: mechalkeil chaim … But, if you did not remember [the omission] until after you completed the berachah: mechayei hameisim, you are required to return to the beginning of Shemoneh Esrei.3 (And it will not suffice to begin [again] [from] atah gibor (You are mighty), because the first three berachos are considered as one [unit] in this regard, [meaning] that if you completed [any] berachah [of these three] improperly, you must return to the beginning of Shemoneh Esrei. If by error during the Ma'ariv service of Pesach or during the Shacharis service or during Musaf you failed to say it (mashiv haruach), you need not return to the beginning to say it.4

Some congregations add mashiv haruach umorid hatal, in the summertime (see footnote 2.) If you erred and said it also during the winter, or if you did not remember [that you should have said:… umorid hageshem] until after you said Baruch atah Hashem, you should complete the berachah mechayei hameisim. You are not required to repeat the berachos in order to mention geshem, since you already mentioned tal (dew).5 But if you remembered before you said Hashem, (you said Baruch atah, but not yet Hashem) then you should say: morid hageshem at the place you left off.

If you erred during the summer and said: mashiv haruach umorid hageshem, if you remembered (realized your error) before you completed the berachah, mechayei hameisim, you should go back and begin Atoh gibor (i. e. the beginning of the berachah). (This is not because the berachah is invalid, but so that it is apparent that the berachah does not include mashiv haruach umorid hageshem). But if you did not realize [your error] until after you completed [Baruch atah Hashem] mechayei hameisim, you must return to the beginning of Shemoneh Esrei. If you only said mashiv haruach [and realized your error] and did not say morid hageshem, [the berachah] is not invalid at all and you may continue mechalkeil chayim … If you erred at maariv or in Shacharis of Shemini Atzeres and added (Mashiv haruach …) you need not go back to the beginning.6

Introduction: The sixth berachah of Shemoneh Esrei begins, "Bareich aleinu …" It is a prayer for bountiful harvests and ample rainfall for the earth and its inhabitants. Therefore, when the season for rain arrives, we add a special prayer for "dew and rain" (tal umatar).
We begin to say tal umatar in the Shemoneh Esrei of Maariv of the sixtieth day after the Tishri (Fall) season,7 which comes on the fourth or the fifth of December,8 and it is said, until [the first day of] Pesach.

If you erred and did not say tal umatar: If you remembered before ending the berachah of mevarech hashanim, say: [before the close of the berachah] vesein tal umatar livrachah al pnei ha'adama vesabeinu … and conclude [the berachah] properly (i. e. Baruch… mavarech hashanim). If you did not remember until having completed the berachah, continue on, and in the berachah of Shema koleinu, after the words: "reikom al tisheveinu" ["Do not turn us away empty-handed,"] say: vesein tal umatar livrachah Ki atah shomea … And even if you did not remember then, but only after you said, Baruch atah, as long as you had not yet said Hashem, you may say: vesin tal umatar livrachah, ki ata shomea … But, if you did not realize [that you forgot to add tal umatar] until after you completed the berachah Shomea tefillah, [then] you must go back and begin Bareich aleinu … And if you did not remember until you said the verse [at the end of Shemoneh Esrei]: Yihyu le'ratzon … you must go back to the very beginning of the Shemoneh Esrei.

If you erred during the summer and added tal umatar you must return to the beginning [and say:] Bareich aleinu. But, if you did not realize [that you added tal umatar] until after you said the verse, Yihyu le'ratzon, you must go back to the beginning of the Shemoneh Esrei.

If you are in doubt [about] whether you added mashiv haruach or not, [then] if thirty days have passed, [meaning:] you already said Shemoneh Esrei ninety times properly,9 it can be assumed that now, too, you prayed [and added mashiv haruach] by virtue of habit. But [if the doubt arose] within [or before] thirty days [elapsed], you are required to repeat Shemoneh Esrei. The same [rule applies] to tal umatar. If the doubt arose after you already prayed ninety Shemoneh Esreis properly, we presume that now, too, you prayed properly. But before that (before 30 days), you must repeat the Shemoneh Esrei.

If you erred at Maariv on the first night of Pesach, and you prayed the Shemoneh Esrei of the weekdays, and you realized [your error] after you began Bareich oleinu, the law being [that even having begun a berachah in error] you must complete that full berachah, but do not add tal umatar, since the congregation also omits it. If the she'eila (petition) (that is, the day that we begin to pray— or "petition" for tal umatar) falls on Shabbos, and by mistake you prayed [the Shemoneh Esrei] of the weekdays and also began [the berachah] Bareich aleinu, you do not say tal umatar, since the congregation has not yet started, and the individual always follows the congregation.

If you forgot [to add] Yaaleh veyavo on Rosh Chodesh in the Shacharis or Minchah service, or on Chol Hamo'ed either in Shacharis, Minchah, or Maariv, if you realized [your error] before you said: Yihyu le'ratzon you should go back and begin Retzeih. Even if you remembered before you started Modim, as long as you have completed the berachah: hamachazir shechinaso letzion, you must begin [again] at Retzeih, (as we wrote, above, in regard to mashiv haruach). However, if your realized before [completing] the berachah: hamachazir shechinaso letzion, you say it there (at the point where you realized) and you conclude: vesechezena eineinu … If you did not remember until after Yihyu le'ratzon … you must go back to the beginning of Shemoneh Esrei. On Rosh Chodesh [however,] if you forgot Yaaleh veyavo in the Maariv service, whether Rosh Chodesh be two days or only one day, once you [already] said: Baruch atah Hashem, and mentioned: Hashem, you no longer need to go back, [to insert Yaaleh veyavo] but complete [the berachah] hamachazir shechinaso letzion and [go on] to complete Shemoneh Esrei. The reason for this [allowing the completion of Shemoneh Esrei without Yaaleh veyavo] is because [Rosh Chodesh] was not sanctified at night.10

If you forgot to say Yaaleh veyavo on Rosh Chodesh or Chol Hamoed, in Shacharis, although you did not realize it until after you prayed Musaf (where you already mentioned Rosh Chodesh or the festival), nevertheless, you are required to repeat the prayers of Shacharis. If the time [of Shacharis] has passed you may compensate for it at Minchah.11

Whenever you must repeat the Shemoneh Esrei prayer, you are required to wait the time it takes to walk four amos.12

If the chazzan erred during the silent Shemoneh Esrei, he does not repeat Shemoneh Esrei because it would be a burden on the congregation,13 but he may rely on the prayer that he will pray aloud. (Therefore, after he repeats the Shemoneh Esrei [aloud] he should say: Elokai netzor… and step back three paces.)14 But if he erred in the first three berachos and realized it before he completed his [silent] Shemoneh Esrei, in a manner15 that his repetition will not constitute a burden on the congregation, he should go back and repeat Shemoneh Esrei.

On fast days, whether a communal fast day16 or a private fast day, we add aneinu to the Minchah prayer in the berachah Shema koleinu. After reciting the words: bechol eis tzarah vetzukah, we conclude: ki atah shomea … If you forgot to say aneinu, and you did not remember until after you said: [Baruch Atah] Hashem of the berachah Shomea tefillah, you do not repeat [the berachah] to say [aneinu.] But rather after completing the entire Shemoneh Esrei, after Elokai netzor, before you move your feet, you say it (the aneinu prayer) until [the closing words]: bechol eis tzarah vetzukah and [then] conclude [with the usual] Yihyu le'ratzon …. If you did not remember until after you moved your feet [back] you no longer say it (aneinu).17