Using Recordings for Prayers and Blessings - Shome’ah ke’oneh.

Hi Rabbi, I was traveling with a group touring Israel, and at the beginning of the trip, the tour guide would recite the Tefilat Haderech, and then we would all answer 'Amen!' so I thought it would be a great idea that I record the Tefilat Haderech for my commute to work and then respond with 'Amen.' Would that be halachically acceptable, or is a recording considered different?

Thank you for your question.

I think it would be informative for you to understand the halachic principle of Shome’ah ke’oneh, How does it work? Don't we all need to recite the blessing ourselves? How does it help me if someone else recites the blessing, such that it is considered as though I recited it myself?

תלמוד בבלי מסכת סוכה דף לח עמוד ב

הוא אומר “ברוך הבא” והן אומרים “בשם ה'” מכאן לשומע כעונה.

אתמר נמי, אמר רבי שמעון בן פזי אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי משום בר קפרא: מנין לשומע כעונה - דכתיב את כל דברי הספר אשר קרא יאשיהו מלך יהודה, וכי יאשיהו קראן? והלא שפן קראן, דכתיב ויקראהו שפן את כל הדברים האלה לפני המלך? אלא מכאן לשומע כעונה

The Halacha of shome’ah ke’oneh is brought in Tractate Sukkah 38b;

"He (the Chazzan) says 'Blessed is he who comes,' (ברוך הבא) and they respond 'In the name of the Hashem.' (בשם השם) From here, we learn that one who listens is as if they have responded"

This piece of Gamara is speaking about the way they would recite the Hallel prayer, The Chazzan would say aloud ברוך הבא and the congregation would continue בשם השם

The congregation listened to the beginning part of the verse recited by the Chazzan and only recited the second half of the verse themselves. This is considered as having recited the full verse, even though they did not verbalize the first part.

This teaches us, says the Gemarah that listening to a blessing or prayer is regarded as having said it oneself.

Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi, citing Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi in the name of Bar Kappara brings proof from a Passuk in Kings 2 Perek 22, Verse16;

"As it is written: 'All the words of the Torah that the king of Judah (Josiah) has read.'
Did King Josiah read them? Was it not Shaphan who read them, as it is written: 'Shaphan read them before the king'? Rather, from here we learn that listening is like responding."

However, there is a dispute among the Rishonim and Achronim regarding how to understand the halachic concept of 'shomea ke'oneh'.

First, I will outline the two ways of understanding this concept

1. Is 'shomea ke'oneh' considered as though I have independently recited the blessing by listening to the person who is reciting it?

2. Alternatively we could say, 'shomea ke'oneh' may not be considered as though I am reciting the blessing myself, but rather it is a way to participate in the blessing that the other person is reciting, and it will exempt me just like it exempts him.

There is a big difference le’halocho between these two approaches,

For instance, when someone is in the middle of praying Shemoneh Esrei and the Chazzan begins the repetition and then starts Kedusha. Should one continue praying Shemoneh Esrei, or should they pause their prayer and exempt themselves from the mitzvah of saying Kedusha by listening to the Chazzan?

According to the first opinion, it would be better not to stop, as listening to the Chazzan would be considered as having recited the Kedusha oneself, and that would be considered as an interruption (hefsek). However, according to the second approach, by listening, one is not considered as having recited the Kedusha oneself. Therefore, it would be permissible to pause praying the Shemoneh Esrei and listen to the Chazzan's recitation of the Kedusha.

These two approaches is a machlokes (dispute) between Rashi and Tosfot.

Rashi writes that one should pause praying and listen to the Chazzan.

רש"י מסכת סוכה דף לח עמוד ב

וכן למתפללין בצבור ושליח צבור אומר קדיש או יהא שמיה רבא - ישתקו בתפלתן וישמעו בכוונה, והרי הן כעונין, וכשיגמור הקדושה - יחזרו לתפלתן, וכן יסד רב יהודאי גאון בעל הלכות גדולות.

Tractate Sukkah, 38b:

"And so, for those praying in a congregation, when the chazzan says Kaddish or Yeha Shmei Raba, they should cease their prayers and listen attentively, and they are considered as if they have responded. And when the Kedushah is concluded, they should resume their prayers. This was established by Rav Yehudai Gaon, author of Halachot Gedolot."

Tosfot (ד"ה שומע) writes that, on the contrary, it would be considered an interruption (hefsek), and therefore one should rather continue to daven.

The Beit Yosef brings these two opinions, and in the Shulchan Aruch, (YD Siman 104 Seif 7), he concludes that the halacha follows Rashi, and one should pause praying and listen to the Chazzan's repetition.

So we see that according to all opinions, by listening to a bracha being recited one is participating in an actual blessing that is being recited, similar to the guide who recited the Tefilat Haderech during your trip in Israel. However, by listening to a recording, there is no real bracha being recited, so one cannot exempt themselves from such a blessing.

Wishing you all the best.

1. Talmud Bavli, Tractate Sukkah, 38b

2. Rashi's Commentary on Sukkah, 38b

3. Tosfot's Commentary on Sukkah, 38b

4. Beit Yosef on Orach Chayim, Siman 104, Seif 7

5. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim, Siman 104, Seif 7