The Gemara, Berachot 8a, states that the optimal method of prayer is praying together with the tzibbur (the congregation, i.e. a minyan consisting of ten adult males). This concept is known as tefillah b'tzibbur. This week's issue will discuss the halachic value of tefillah b'tzibbur as it relates to situations of conflict with other halachic virtues as well as personal conflicts.

Is There an Obligation to Pray With the Tzibbur?
The Gemara, ibid, lists the many benefits of praying with the tzibbur, though it stops short of presenting tefillah b'tzibbur as obligatory. Nevertheless, there is another comment of the Gemara, Pesachim 46a, that states that one must travel up to four mil for tefillah (a mil is the distance that one can walk in approximately eighteen minutes). Rashi, ad loc., s.v. L'Gabel, explains that if one is traveling and can arrive at a synagogue within four mil of his travel, he should not stop traveling until he reaches the synagogue. Tosafot ad loc., s.v. U'L'Tefillah, quote the opinion of Aruch, that the Gemara does not refer to how far one must walk to pray with a tzibbur, but rather to how far one must walk to obtain water to wash one's hands in order to pray. Tosafot side with the opinion of Rashi. However, Rambam, Hilchot Tefillah 4:2, sides with the opinion of Aruch. The Gemara then states that this obligation only applies to a traveler who is not going out of his way. However, if he would need to go out of his way, he is not obligated to travel more than a mil.

One can deduce from Rashi that in an ordinary circumstance where one is not traveling, tefillah b'tzibbur is obligatory if there is a minyan available within a mil's worth of travel. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 90:16, codifies Rashi's opinion.

Since the invention of motorized transportation, poskim have discussed whether the mil is a measurement of time (i.e. eighteen minutes) or whether it is a measurement of distance (i.e. the distance one can walk in eighteen minutes). Mishna Berurah, Bi'ur Halacha 163:1, s.v. B'Rachok, in discussing a similar requirement regarding netilat yadayim, rules that the mil is a time measurement. R. Yosef Shaul Nathanson, Sho'el UMeishiv, Vol. I, 3:103, posits that if the rabbis insisted on traveling a certain distance for a specific activity, that distance does not change now that we have faster methods of transportation. [See also R. Shmuel Vosner, Shevet HaLevi 9:37, who suggests that Mishna Berurah's requirement to travel a mil's worth of time for netilat yadayim is limited to netilat yadayim. Perhaps he does not require this effort in order to pray with the tzibbur.] It should be noted that considering the mil a measurement of time may prove to be a leniency for a traveler who is near a synagogue whose time for prayers does not start until later. If the mil is a measurement of time, the traveler is not required to delay himself more than thirty-six minutes (the time that is expended in traveling one mil out of the way and then returning to his original place). If the mil is a measurement of distance, perhaps he is required to wait until the time the tzibbur plans to pray.

One might ask: what is the nature of this limited obligation to seek out a tzibbur? Perhaps that answer is based on a comment of R. Aryeh Pomeranchik, Emek Beracha, Birchot K'riat Sh'ma no. 1. R. Pomeranchik notes Rambam's interesting formulation of the concept of tefillah b'tzibbur. Rambam, Hilchot Tefillah 8:1, states that because tefillah b'tzibbur is so virtuous, one should not pray individually when he has the opportunity to pray with a tzibbur. R. Pomeranchik notes that Rambam precisely formulates the ruling in this manner to state that there is an obligation to pray with a tzibbur. However, that obligation does not exist when one has a reasonable conflict. Based on R. Pomeranchik's insight, one can explain that the obligation to seek out a tzibbur that is within a mil and not beyond is a function of what is considered a reasonable conflict. If tefillah b'tzibbur is not available within a mil, it is considered a reasonable conflict and one is exempt from tefillah b'tzibbur. Otherwise, barring another reasonable conflict, he is obligated to pray with a tzibbur. [See R. Aryeh T. Fromer, Eretz Tzvi, no. 22, s.v. Derech Agav, who writes that nowadays, when most people do not pray with the proper kavana (concentration), there may be a greater halachic requirement to participate in tefillah b'tzibbur than what we find in the classic sources. He adds that for the same reason, one cannot deduce from the actions of great sages who prayed privately, that an ordinary individual may do so.]

One Who Comes Late to the Prayer Service
Given that tefillah b'tzibbur is not obligatory in cases of conflict, one must determine what to do in situations where tefillah b'tzibbur conflicts with another aspect of prayer. One common situation where this occurs is when someone comes late to a prayer service. As we will see, certain prayers are omitted in order to allow someone to pray with the tzibbur, while others may not be omitted, even if it comes at the expense of tefillah b'tzibbur.

Talmidei Rabbeinu Yonah, Berachot 23a, s.v. V'Tiknu, quote R. Amram Gaon that if someone is late to the morning prayers and he does not have time to recite the entire Pesukei D'Zimrah before the congregation reaches Birchot K'riat Sh'ma, he should recite Baruch She'amar, Tehillah L'David (Ashrei) and Yishtabach in order that he may recite the Amidah with the tzibbur. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 52:1 codifies the opinion of R. Amram Gaon.

Talmidei Rabbeinu Yonah then quote Rabbeinu Yonah that if one cannot even recite those three passages, one may begin Birchot K'riat Sh'ma with the tzibbur and then recite Pesukei D'Zimrah after the conclusion of the prayers. Rashba, in his responsa (1:189), also quotes Rabbeinu Yonah and notes that Ramban disagrees and maintains that one cannot recite Pesukei D'Zimrah after the conclusion of the prayers because it was instituted as a preamble to the prayer service. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 52:1, compromises (see Beit Yosef) and rules that one may skip Pesukei D'Zimrah and recite it after the conclusion of the prayers as long as one does not recite Baruch She'amar and Yishtabach (out of concern for Ramban's opinion that reciting these berachot would constitute a blessing in vain).

R. Ya'akov of Karlin, Mishkenot Ya'akov, Orach Chaim no. 67, questions Shulchan Aruch's ruling. He explains that tefillah b'tzibbur cannot displace any other requirement in tefillah. R. Amram Gaon's ruling that one may skip parts of Pesukei D'Zimrah is based on the assumption that if one recites only part of Pesukei D'Zimrah, he has fulfilled his obligation. Therefore, one may omit anything beyond the bare minimum in order to pray with the tzibbur. Rabbeinu Yonah's opinion is consistent with this approach. Rabbeinu Yonah is of the opinion that one can fulfill the obligation to recite Pesukei D'Zimrah after the prayer service. Since reciting Pesukei D'Zimrah is only an ideal, one may forgo that ideal in order to pray with the tzibbur. Mishkenot Ya'akov contends that Ramban, who does not allow one to recite Pesukei D'Zimrah after the prayer service, would not allow one to skip Pesukei D'Zimrah in its entirety. Since it is obligatory and it must be recited before the Amidah, one cannot omit it in order to pray with the tzibbur. Therefore, Shulchan Aruch's recommendation to skip Pesukei D'Zimrah does not fulfill Ramban's opinion. Mishna Berurah 52:6, codifies the opinion of Mishkenot Ya'akov and rules that one may not skip Pesukei D'Zimrah in its entirety in order to pray with the tzibbur.

There is a concept of s'michat geulah l'tefillah, which means that one should recite the Amidah immediately after Birchot K'riat Sh'ma. Rashba, in his responsa (1:236), rules that if one must choose between tefillah b'tzibbur and s'michat geulah l'tefillah (i.e. by reciting Birchot K'riat Sh'ma and K'riat Sh'ma after the Amidah), one should choose s'michat geulah l'tefillah at Shacharit and tefillah b'tzibbur at Ma'ariv. The rationale is that the Ma'ariv prayer is technically optional and therefore, s'michat geulah l'tefillah cannot be obligatory, whereas, s'michat geulah l'tefillah is obligatory at Shacharit. Therefore, if one comes late to the Shacharit services, he may not skip Birchot K'riat Sh'ma in order to pray with the tzibbur. If one comes late to the Ma'ariv services, he may begin the Amidah with the tzibbur and then recite Birchot K'riat Sh'ma and Sh'ma afterwards. Rashba's ruling is codified by Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 111:3 and 236:3.