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Davening Outside for Latecomers

in 109:1 the Shulchan Aruch discusses the case if one comes late to shul and won’t finish shemonei Esrei until the Shatz reaches kedusha; The mishna brura says in that case one can daven in the ezras nashim. I don’t understand the advice. Does one get credit for tefilla betzibbur when davening in the Ezras nashim or a different room? I am assuming that the shul isn’t visible from that local. If not isn’t it better to say the Shmonei Esrei together with the Shatz in order to be yotzi davening in a shul and tefila btzibbur?

Answer:

The Mishnah Berurah apparently doesn’t hold of the concept of davening with the chazan as tefillah be-tzibbur. This idea is stated by the Eshel Avraham (52), by the new teshuvos of the Shasam Sofer (3; see Iggros Moshe Orach Chaim 3:9), and by others — but is not held of unanimously (see Peri Megadim 52:1; 109:4).

Yet, it is interesting to note that the Chafetz Chaim is cited (by Beis Baruch 19:25 in a footnote) as having davened word for word with the Chazan. The idea, at any rate, is not mentioned by the Mishnah Berurah.

Beyond this, however, the actual idea of the Mishnah Berurah appears strange. If Kedushas takes precedence over tefillah be-tzibbur, what does one gain from davening outside the shul? Surely one anyway misses kedushah? And if the intention is that one makes it on time to answer kedushah, they why shouldn’t the person enter the shul?

It appears that for a person outside shul, the Mishnah Berurah is content to rely on the opinion that one can hear kedushah without answering (Rashi), and fulfill the obligation by hearing alone. However, one cannot do this inside the shul, because this is not optimal, since one remains silent while everybody else is answering kedushah.

Therefore, it is permitted to daven without waiting, but not when one is actually inside the shul, and one remains publicly silent while others recite kedushah. According to this reasoning, it is of course preferable that the shul should be visible, and the azarah connected with the shul, for the purpose of tefillah be-tzibbur.

 

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