A Minimal Minyan of Ten and One Falls Asleep

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Question

When there is a minimal minyan of ten in the synagogue, and one falls asleep, should he be awakened for Kaddish and Kedusha?

Answer

Ideally, he should be awakened so that he is at least dozing. If it is impossible to awaken him, when one is asleep, Kaddish can be recited, but the repetition of the Amidah should not be said; instead, everyone should perform a kind of short Mincha where the chazan begins the Amidah prayer aloud until after "HaKel HaKadosh," and they say Kedusha in their prayer so that the blessings of the repetition are not in vain.


Source

The Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, Siman 55, Sif 6 writes: "If one of the ten began to pray alone and cannot answer with them, or he is asleep, even so, he joins them."

The Mishnah Berurah there, S"K 34, writes: "In any gathering of ten adults, the Shechinah dwells among them, as it is said 'And I will be sanctified among the children of Israel,' and it is not similar to a child who is not an object of sanctity. See Taz, who disagrees regarding the sleeping one and holds that he does not join, and Pri Chadash agrees with him that a sleeping person is considered like a fool. Therefore, ideally, one should certainly awaken him or at least have him dozing. See Biur Halacha."

In Biur Halacha, D"H "or he," see in MB what we wrote that ideally, at least, he should be awakened. If this is impossible, this also raises questions in practice because, although in PM"G it is written that if it is impossible, one who relies on SA does not lose, and this is also implied from Chayei Adam, nevertheless, Berkei Yosef and Derech HaChaim agree with Taz and Pri Chadash. It is possible that in a place where Kaddish and Kedusha are prayed aloud and the rest quietly, it is permissible to be lenient in a case of necessity with a sleeping person, as there is no concern of a blessing in vain, and this is also implied from PM"G that this is more lenient.

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