In the symphony of synagogue prayer, one individual leads the congregation, setting the tone and saying key parts on their behalf. Known as the chazzan1 or shliach tzibur—“the emissary of the congregation”—this role carries deep spiritual significance. The chazzan is a representative of the entire congregation, helping them express their wishes and requests to our Father in Heaven.

If you’re chosen to be a chazzan, your sacred role comes with specific responsibilities, guidelines and halachot (Jewish laws). Let’s explore what it means to serve as a chazzan and how you would fulfill this vital mission.

Who Can Serve as Chazzan?

Since the chazzan represents the congregation and helps them fulfill their obligation, he would need to be equally obligated to pray in order to serve in this role. In other words, the candidate fits the bill if they’re a Jewish male over the age of bar mitzvah.

But wait, there’s more.

Ideally, the chazzan should be free of sin, and possess a good reputation. He should be humble, respected by the congregation, and accepted as a leader. Additionally, he should have a pleasant and melodious voice that inspires the heart and be knowledgeable in Scripture, ensuring fluency in the verses of prayer.2

If no one who possesses all these qualities is available, the congregation should select someone who excels in wisdom and good deeds.3

In many congregations today, less emphasis is placed on meeting all the ideal criteria, especially for regular prayers throughout the year. This is due to the practical challenges of finding a perfect candidate and the fact that most congregants now have prayerbooks, making the chazzan less central to fulfilling the communal obligation.4 Additionally, mourners or those observing a yahrtzeit often lead prayers.

However, during special times, such as the High Holidays, congregations strive to choose a chazzan who meets most of the ideal qualifications.5

How Should I Dress?

When praying, especially for the Silent Prayer, you should dress as though standing before a king, reflecting reverence and respect. This applies to all who pray, but as the chazzan, you’re representing the congregation, so avoid casual clothing or bare legs or arms.6

In many congregations, the custom is for the chazzan to wear a tallit even if he does not do so when praying on his own, including afternoon Minchah prayers (and in some congregations even for the evening Maariv prayers).7 However, the Chabad custom is that the chazzan does not wear a tallit for Minchah or Maariv. And for morning prayers, unmarried guys do not put on a tallit when acting as chazzan. Rather, they should dress up with a hat and jacket.8

What Do I Do When Asked to Lead the Congregation?

If you’re the designated chazzan, you can begin to lead the prayers without waiting for the congregation’s request for you to go up to lead the prayers. But if you aren’t designated, wait to be asked. Furthermore, formal synagogue etiquette dictates that you should decline the first request to lead, citing unworthiness. After the second request, you can prepare to go up, but don’t accept and go up until you’re asked a third time.9

If a prominent person such as the rabbi asks you to be the chazzan, accept the request immediately and don’t wait to be asked three times.10

How Fast and How Tuneful?

You can use a melody to express heartfelt devotion, but don’t do so to showcase your voice. Even with holy intentions, you should avoid excessively prolonging prayers, as this places a burden on the congregation (tircha detzibura).11

Indeed, singing is a wonderful way of involving the congregation in the fervor of the prayer. But try to keep to tunes that the congregation is familiar with.12 Also, don’t repeat words of the prayers, even as part of a tune, except where specifically instituted by the sages.13

During chazarat hashatz (the repetition of the Amidah), pause between blessings to allow the congregation to respond baruch hu uvaruch shmo and amen before continuing.

When to Pause and Wait?

In Ashkenazi tradition, you end most prayers out loud, which is indicated in many siddurim. There are, however, a few “stopping points” where you wait to make sure that the congregation has not fallen behind.

Barechu: Technically, your role as a chazzan is only necessary right before Barechu (which is why you sometimes see pre-bar mitzvah boys leading the prayers up until before Barechu).

If a minyan is not yet present, pause silently a few verses before Yishtabach14 until the tenth man arrives, then proceed with Yishtabach and Kaddish. (You may wait up to 30 minutes, the time it takes to recite all of Pesukei Dezimra). When the tenth man arrives, resume from “vehaya Hashem lemelech” (the last words before Yishtabach) aloud.15

(In a congregation where late-coming is a persistent situation, it is advisable to formulate a policy as to how long they would wait for the tenth man to appear, failing which they will proceed without the recital of Kaddish et al).

Shema - Hashem Elokeichem Emet: Traditionally, you conclude with the words “ani Hashem Elokeichem” quietly, then repeat the phrase aloud to gain three additional words (bringing the total amount of words in the three paragraphs of Shema to 248, which correspond to the 248 limbs of the body). Many, including Chabad, include the word emet when reciting these words quietly (“Hashem Elokeichem emet”) and then repeat “Hashem Elokeichem emet” aloud. Others have the custom to omit emet in the quiet recitation.16

In many communities, it is customary for the chazzan to wait for the rabbi to finish the Shema, before saying aloud Hashem Elokeichem emet.

Starting the Silent Amidah: There needs to be at least ten Jewish men present when praying the Amidah for it to be considered that you’ve prayed with a minyan, and at least six of the ten need to actually pray the Amidah silently together for you to then repeat the Amidah. You would, therefore, sometimes pause before starting the Amidah to ensure that there is the requisite number of people.17

However, there is another halachah to bear in mind. We are enjoined in the Talmud to connect geulah (the blessing of redemption) to tefilah (prayer). Practically, this means that you can’t interrupt between the blessing that ends with “ga’al Yisrael” and the Amidah.18

So if you need to pause to ensure that there will be the requisite amount of people praying the Silent Amidah together, you should do so before reciting “Shirah chadashah,” the last paragraph right before the Amidah.

If you have already finished the blessing, immediately begin the Amidah and don’t pause to wait for the rest of the minyan. This holds true even if as a result, there will not be the requisite number of people praying together.19

What If Your Custom Is Different Than the Congregation?

Technically, you’re permitted to pray and lead the congregation in your own nusach, even if it’s different from what the congregation is used to. Nevertheless, if that may lead to disputes or strife, you should lead the congregation in the nusach that they’re used to. Practically, in many congregations, the custom is for the chazzan to pray in the official nusach of the congregation. Nevertheless, while you’re praying the Silent Amidah for yourself, you may still pray in your own nusach (and this is the Chabad custom).20

What If You Make a Mistake in the Amidah?

During Silent Amidah: If you err in your Silent Amidah (such as omitting Ya'aleh Veyavo), don’t repeat it since that will invariably delay the repetition, and instead rely on the repetition of the Amidah to fulfill your obligation. But if the error is in the first three blessings (and you noticed before completing the Amidah), you should restart your Silent Amidah.21

In the event that your repetition of the Amidah is doubling as your personal prayer as well, recite silently the paragraph beginning Elokai Netzor and take three steps backwards following the repetition. This is in contrast to a normal repetition of the Amidah, when Elokai Netzor is not said and you only take three steps back during the “full kaddish” later on.

During Repetition of the Amidah: If a mistake occurs during the repetition, you should correct it following the same rules that apply to a mistake in a person’s silent Amidah. However, as chazzan, if you forgot Ya’aleh Veyavo on Rosh Chodesh or Yom Tov and the repetition is completed, don’t repeat (because you will anyway mention the special day during the Musaf prayers). If, however, you remembered before concluding the Amidah, then you would go back and repeat from the blessing of Retzei.22