Question:
Hello and thank you for this service.
To give a little background.
I am the gabbai for the outdoor minyan which has taken place in the chatzer between a couple of neighboring buildings (in Sharie Chessed/Rechavia Yerushalayim), our minyan is a big mix with many chariedy bnei torah as well as a modern crowd and everything in between.
Over the last couple of months we have had somebody who works in the neighborhood join us for mincha once or twice a week. He is in the year of avielus for his mother and he asked to daven for the amud and we granted his request.
His voice is rather low (those far away can’t hear), his pronunciation has a lot of room for improvement, not everybody was thrilled but we decided we’ll let him continue to daven because it seems very meaningful for him and generally being the type of minyan it is, all different types daven for the amud (primarily chariedy).
Recently he has started coming with a microphone and speaker in order that his voice can be heard. an additional piece of information I just found out that he is currently suffering from cancer which potentially can be contributing to his low voice
My question is twofold,
1-what is the halachical implications of using a microphone regarding chazaras hasha kedusha and kaddish?
2- I’m of the understanding that there are people in the minyan uncomfortable with the chassan using a microphone, additionally I’m concerned that new and occasional people will come to the minyan see the chassan with a microphone and decide they’re not coming back to this (mordernish) minyan, which will lesson our numbers which may be an issue when we enter the cold winter.
What should we do?
1- Let him continue with the microphone?
2 -Let him continue davening for the amud but without the microphone, he’ll have to try to be somewhat loud, and not everybody will hear him?
3- Tell him that the Amud is not working out and we’re going to answer his kaddish with lot’s of kavana.
Thank you again.
Answer:
Hello,
Generally speaking, we do not use microphones for berachos. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (who lived in Sha’arai Chessed!) wrote a response (Minchas Shlomo 9:1) explaining why a microphone is not considered a person’s voice, and therefore a person cannot even answer Amen after a beracha heard via a microphone. The Chazzon Ish (quoted by Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach in the above responsa) and Rav Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe O:C 2:108, and O:C 4:126) are more lenient in theory, but even Rav Moshe agrees that it should not be done.
A possible solution for your very delicate situation is to have 9 people standing close to the Chazzan who are able to hear the Chazzan’s actual voice. Everyone else would be able to answer Amen as this would be similar to the case of “waving the flags in Alexandria” that is brought in the Gemara Succah 51b and Shulchan Aruch O:C 124:8. Rav Shlomo Zalman himself mentions a similar scenario in the above responsa (ד”ה גם ראיתי).
When I discussed your question with Rav Yisrael Gans shlita (who actually grew up in Sha’arai Chessed and was extremely close to Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach) he immediately suggested the above solution. Most likely, if you tell the other members of the Minyan that Rav Gans paskened like this, they will except his psak.
It should be noted that Mishna Berura 124:33 writes that lechatchila everyone should hear the actual words of Chazaras Hashas and not rely on just knowing which beracha the Chazzan is up to. However, the Mishna Berura’s choice of words “ויש לחוש לזה לכתחילה” leaves open the option to be lenient in case of need. The above case certainly qualifies. This point was also discussed with Rav Gans and he agreed.
Wishing you much hatzlacha
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