In last week's issue, we discussed the virtue of tefillah b'tzibbur (prayer with the congregation) and how it relates to personal conflicts and conflicts within the tefillah. In this week's issue, we will define what exactly constitutes tefillah b'tzibbur and whether there are multiple levels of tefillah b'tzibbur.

Tefillah B'Tzibbur at the Expense of Kedusha or Kaddish
As discussed in last week's issue, tefillah b'tzibbur does not displace other obligations within the prayer, while it does displace other virtues of the prayer. The Gemara, Berachot 21a, cites the opinion of R. Yehoshua Ben Levi that if someone is late to the prayer services, he may not start the Amidah unless he is able to finish before the shaliach tzibbur reaches Kedusha. Mordechai, Berachot no. 70, adds that one should not begin the Amidah if doing so will cause him to miss responding to Kaddish (i.e., the Kaddish following chazarat hashatz).

Magen Avraham 109:2, notes that if someone comes late to Mincha and his waiting to start the Amidah until after Kaddish will cause him to miss praying Ma'ariv with the tzibbur, he should not wait to begin the Amidah of Mincha because tefillah b'tzibbur is more important than responding to Kaddish. P'ri Megadim, ad loc., questions Magen Avraham's ruling. He notes that it is evident from this entire discussion that responding to Kaddish and Kedusha is more important than tefillah b'tzibbur, for if the opposite were true, there is no need to ever delay praying with the tzibbur in order to respond to Kaddish and Kedusha. P'ri Megadim suggests that the answer to this question is that there are different levels of tefillah b'tzibbur. If someone comes late to the prayer service and is planning on beginning his Amidah after the congregation has already begun, it is considered a lower level form of tefillah b'tzibbur. If one starts together with the tzibbur it is considered the ideal form of tefillah b'tzibbur. Therefore, if someone is late to prayers, he must forfeit his opportunity to pray with the tzibbur if doing so will cause him to miss responding to Kedusha or Kaddish. However, in the case of someone who is late to Mincha, the question is whether he should miss the ideal form of tefillah b'tzibbur at Ma'ariv or respond to Kedusha and Kaddish. P'ri Megadim rules that the ideal form of tefillah b'tzibbur overrides the virtue of responding to Kedusha and Kaddish.

R. Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe, Orach Chaim 3:4, disagrees with P'ri Megadim's premise that one must begin with the rest of the tzibbur in order to achieve an ideal tefillah b'tzibbur. He resolves P'ri Megadim's question by answering that the reason why Magen Avraham rules to begin Mincha immediately is that if he were to wait until after Kaddish, he would miss tefillah b'tzibbur at Mincha and Ma'ariv. The virtue of responding to Kaddish and Kedusha does not override two opportunities for tefillah b'tzibbur.

Mishna Berurah, Biur Halacha 109:1, s.v. HaNichnas, applies the suggestions of P'ri Megadim to a different situation. Suppose someone's Amidah is longer than the rest of the congregation. According to the ruling of R. Yehoshua Ben Levi, he should, ostensibly, never have the opportunity to pray with the tzibbur since doing so will not allow him to respond to Kedusha. Based on P'ri Megadim's suggestion, Mishna Berurah posits that if one is beginning his Amidah with the tzibbur, he does not need to be concerned about responding to Kedusha. R. Yechiel M. Epstein, Aruch HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 109:5, provides the same theory as justification for all those whose Amidah lasts longer than the rest of the congregation. [R. Feinstein, op. cit., who rejects P'ri Megadim's suggestion, does not address the issue of one who normally finishes his Amidah after the shaliach tzibbur reaches Kedusha. Nevertheless, it is difficult to imagine that he requires one to wait to begin his Amidah until after Kaddish.]

Praying Together With the Shaliach Tzibbur
Semag, Aseh no. 19, states that if one comes late to the prayer service and knows that he is unable to complete his Amidah before the shaliach tzibbur reaches Kedusha, he should begin his Amidah together with the shaliach tzibbur and recite the Amidah silently with the shaliach tzibbur (word by word). Rama, Orach Chaim 109:2, rules that this suggestion should only be utilized in a situation where there is no other choice (e.g. there is no time to wait). However, ideally, one should wait until the completion of Kedusha (or Kaddish if his Amidah will not finish before chazarat hashatz) to begin one's Amidah. Nevertheless, R. Eliyahu Shapira, Eliah Rabbah 109:9, rules that one may utilize this suggestion l'chatchilah (ab initio) and there is no need to wait until Kedusha. Mishna Berurah 109:14, seems to side with Eliah Rabbah.

Eliah Rabbah's leniency to pray together with the shaliach tzibbur obviates the need to wait until Kedusha to recite the Amidah. He does not indicate whether this is considered tefillah b'tzibbur. Chazon Ish, Orach Chaim 19:7, claims that praying together with the shaliach tzibbur is a form of tefillah b'tzibbur. R. Aryeh T. Fromer, Eretz Tzvi 2:6, notes that the most ideal form of tefillah b'tzibbur is when the entire tzibbur recites the Amidah together (word by word) with the shaliach tzibbur. The reason why we don't do that is that it is too difficult for everyone to recite the Amidah together. [Based on R. Fromer's comments, in a situation that warrants the shaliach tzibbur reciting chazarat hashatz until Kedusha before the silent Amidah (see Shulchan Aruch and Rama, Orach Chaim 124:2), the preferable method is for the congregation to recite the Amidah together with the shaliach tzibbur. This in fact was the practice of R. Yosef D. Soloveitchik (see Nefesh HaRav pg. 126). See however, Mishna Berurah 124:8, who advocates beginning the silent Amidah after Kedusha unless time does not allow for that.]

Passive Members of a Minyan
The definition of a minyan is ten adult males. Nevertheless, Rambam, Hilchot Tefillah 8:4, writes that if there are ten adult males present, but four of them already prayed elsewhere, one may recite chazarat hashatz, Kedusha and Kaddish based on the principle of rubo k'kulo (the majority is like the whole). [Rubo k'kulo does not mean that one can constitute a minyan with six people. Rather, it allows the minority to assume the status of the majority. Therefore, the ability of the four people to become part of a minyan is reactivated and a complete tzibbur is formed. See R. Chaim Soloveitchik, Chiddushei HaGrach Al HaShas, "B'Din Ain Holchin B'Mamon Achar HaRov."]

R. Mordechai Karmi, Ma'amar Mordechai 69:6, rules that one can apply this principle to tefillah b'tzibbur and therefore, if there are ten present and only six are actually reciting the Amidah, it is nevertheless considered tefillah b'tzibbur. R. Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe, Orach Chaim1:28, disagrees and maintains that having only six who have not yet prayed is only helpful to recite chazarat hashatz and Kaddish. If there are less than ten adult males reciting the Amidah together, it is not considered tefillah b'tzibbur. Mishna Berurah 90:28, also implies that ten are required for tefillah b'tzibbur. [See however, Piskei Teshuvot 90:12, who provides an alternative interpretation to Mishna Berurah's comments.]

Reciting Shacharit While the Congregation Recites Musaf
Suppose someone comes late to the Shabbat morning services and reaches the Amidah of Shacharit when the congregation is reciting Musaf. If he recites Shacharit while the congregation recites Musaf, is that considered tefillah b'tzibbur? Magen Avraham 90:17 (and 236:3) states that it is not considered tefillah b'tzibbur. R. Yechezkel Landa, Tzelach, Berachot 6a, s.v. Ain Tefillato, implies that it would be considered tefillah b'tzibbur if he prays together with them in the synagogue. Mishna Berurah 90:30 (and Sha'ar HaTziun 23), rules in accordance with the opinion of R. Landa. [See R. Yitzchak Elchanan Spector, Be'er Yitzchak, Orach Chaim no. 20, who sides with the opinion of Magen Avraham.]