Reciting Shmone Esrei with the Shliach Tzibbur

Question:

HI,
1. Can you explain the concept of davening together with the Shatz as tefillah btzibbur?

2. Must every word be said together, including Kedusha, Birchas Kohanim, Elokai Netzor, etc?
   What I daven a different nusach?
3. Am I still counted for the minyan of the tzibbur if there only 10 people?

Answer:

1. The main reason for davening together with the shatz is not to miss out on kedusha, modim, amen etc. Regarding if it considered tefillah b’tzibbur or not, while it is not as good as starting and davening together with the actual tzibbur, there are poskim who say that it is still considered tefillah b’tzibbur.
2. A person that is davening shemona esrei together with the chazzan says is shemona esrei the way the chazzan does. He says l’dor v’dor, together with the chazzan. He doesn’t have to actually say each word together with the chazzan, rather he should make sure that he is together with him so he won’t miss kedusha, hakel hakadosh, shomeya tefillah, and modim. Regarding birkas kohanim it is controversial, some say that it can be said together with the chazzan, while a number of other poskim say not to. Regarding davening Ashkenaz if the chazzan is davening Sefard, according to R’ S. Z. Auerbach zt”l the person should say with the chazzan word for word even if it is in a different nusach. It should be noted that on a taanis when the chazzan says a special bracha of aneinu, the private person saying it should not say it together with the chazzan. After the chazzan finishes the last bracha, you can then say elokai nitzor on your own, as the chazzan doesn’t say it.
3. You can daven shemona esrei even if here are only ten people in that minyan. You are still considered as answering to the chazzan, since you are saying the shemona esrei together with him, it is as you heard it from him and answered to it.

Best wishes

Sources:

1. O:CH 109-2, M:B 66-35, Be’er Moshe 4-12, Halichos Shlomo 8-41.
2. M:B 109-11, Aruch Hashulchan 109-11, Shevet Halevi 3-15(3), Shulchan Shlomo (Tefillah) chap. 8 ftnt. 64.
3. Halichos Shlomo ( Tefillah) 9-2.