Where Should You Wait Before Barchu? The Halacha Many People Don’t Know
Question
I would like to ask the Rav a question:
Sometimes I finish Pesukei DeZimra before the chazan reaches Barchu. At what point should I stop and wait for the chazan?
Should I wait after Az Yashir before saying Yishtabach, so that I can say Yishtabach right before Barchu together with the tzibbur, or should I say Yishtabach immediately by myself and then wait after Yishtabach until the chazan reaches Barchu?
Answer
Thank you for your question.
This is a very practical and important question, and it is something that can happen on a daily basis. The answer depends on whether you are davening as part of the tzibbur or whether you are serving as the chazan. Therefore, we will divide the answer into two parts.
Davening as Part of the Tzibbur
If you are davening yourself and you finish Pesukei DeZimra before the chazan is ready to continue, the best thing to do is to continue and say Yishtabach, and then wait after Yishtabach for the chazan.
The source for this halacha is the Magen Avraham (Siman 53, Sif Katan 4), brought in the Mishnah Berurah (Siman 53, Sif Katan 9), and the Kaf HaChaim (Siman 53, Sif Katan 10). They write that a person who is davening by himself should not wait before Yishtabach, but rather should say Yishtabach so that Yishtabach is recited immediately after Az Yashir.
The same applies on Shabbos. For example, if you finish Pesukei DeZimra before the shliach tzibbur, one should not wait at Shochen Ad. Rather, one should continue until after Yishtabach and wait for the chazan there.
This is an important halacha that many people are not aware of, and think that one should wait for the Chazzan at Shochen Ad, but according to halacha, one should finish Yishtabach and only then wait for the chazan.
If You Are the Chazan
However, if you are the chazan and you reach the end of Pesukei DeZimra and realize that you cannot yet say Kaddish, the halacha is different.
As explained earlier, when a person is davening by himself, Yishtabach should be connected to Az Yashir, and therefore he should say Yishtabach right away and wait afterwards.
However, regarding the chazan, since the chazan has to say Kaddish immediately after Yishtabach, the halacha is that he should wait before Yishtabach, so that Yishtabach will be connected to the Kaddish.
The Exact Place for the Chazan to Wait for the Tsibbur
We do find the opinion of the Yosef LaLev (Siman 53, Sif Katan 5) that the ideal place for the chazan to wait is not exactly at the end of Az Yashir, but rather just before the passuk:
“V’hayah Hashem L’Melech al kol ha’aretz, bayom hahu yihiyeh Hashem echad u’shemo echad.”
Then, immediately afterwards, he should continue with Yishtabach Shimcha…
The reason for this is that the daled of “Echad” connects with the yud and shin of “Yishtabach”, which together form the name of Hashem Shin-Daled-Yud.
This is based on the Sefer Chesed La’Alafim, written by the Pele Yoetz (Siman 53, Sif Katan 2), see there.
However, me’ikar hadin, the chazan may finish the entire Az Yashir and wait at the beginning of Yishtabach.
How Long May the Chazan Wait?
We find in halacha that a chazan may not wait as long as he wants between Az Yashir and Yishtabach. Rather, there is a specific amount of time that one may wait. This is what the Shulchan Aruch refers to as:
“Sho’ho kedei ligmor es kulah”
(waiting the amount of time it takes to complete the section of Tefillah).
HaGaon HaRav Amrom Fried shlit”a writes that this means the amount of time it takes the tzibbur to say the entire Pesukei DeZimra, which is half an hour.
Bedi’eved, even if the chazan waited this amount of time, if the reason he waited was because of an ones (circumstances beyond his control), he does not need to go back and start again from Baruch She’amar. Rather, he may continue from Yishtabach.
For more sources on this subject, Morenu HaGaon HaRav Amrom Fried shlit”a discusses this extensively in Azamroh Lishmecho, Issue # 331.
Wishing you well, and may all your tefillos be miskabel b’rachamim u’veratzon.
Source
- Magen Avraham 53:4
- Mishnah Berurah 53:9
- Kaf HaChaim 53:10
- Yosef LaLev 53:5
- Chesed La’Alafim 53:2
- Azamroh Lishmecho, Issue #331 (HaGaon HaRav Amrom Fried shlit”a)
