Q&A: A Communal Tallit and a Prayer Leader Who Swallows Letters
A Communal Tallit and a Prayer Leader Who Swallows Letters
Question
Greetings and blessings to our master, the great and mighty genius, Rabbi Michael Abraham, may he live long and well.
We would be grateful if the Rabbi would answer the following questions:
Q: Does one need to recite a blessing over a communal tallit?
(In my humble opinion, it seems that although the Mishnah Berurah (14:11), Arukh HaShulchan (14:10), and Ben Ish Chai (Parashat Lekh Lekha, sec. 5) ruled that one does recite a blessing over a communal tallit, since it is like a tallit owned in partnership, in practice many instruct that this is specifically when one wears the tallit for the sake of the commandment of tallit, in which case one recites a blessing. But if one wears the tallit because of the honor of the congregation, one does not recite a blessing, and so it appears in Halikhot Shlomo (3:12), responsa Mishneh Halakhot (9:234), and responsa Revavot Ephraim (1:21; 4:14). It seems this is precise in the words of the Biur Halakhah (in the name of Be'er Heitev and Sha'arei Ephraim), because one who wraps himself in a tallit only for the honor of the congregation is not included in “with which you cover yourself” — and this is not a wrapping that obligates tzitzit. I heard a simple suggestion in order not to enter this dispute: to renounce one’s share in the tallit, and then clearly one would not need to recite a blessing over the tallit. See also Be'er Heitev (18:4), which cites in the name of Lechem Chamudot that one who wraps himself for the honor of the congregation does not recite a blessing, and this is also mentioned in the Biur Halakhah there under “Question.” See also responsa Avnei Derekh (14:65) by Rabbi Elchanan Panirtz, may he live long and well.)
Q: And if one is in a hurry, can he exempt himself from the blessing?
Q: Is it permitted for the prayer leader to pray while carrying a weapon?
Q: There is a cantor who swallows letters — can he be appointed? Do people fulfill their obligation through him?
(It seems to me that this is a problem. However, care must be taken not to offend him, because human dignity is of great importance — and certainly one must be sensitive when he asks to lead on a yahrzeit. As is well known, the Shulchan Arukh (53:12) ruled that one does not appoint a prayer leader who does not pronounce the letters properly — and all the more so if he swallows them. This is also brought in responsa of the Radbaz (1:394), Shulchan Arukh HaRav (53:16), Magen Avraham (53:15), Mishnah Berurah (53:37), Kaf HaChayim (53:59), responsa Kinyan Torah (5:9), and others; see also Biur Halakhah 53, s.v. “One does not appoint.” Likewise, the halakhic authorities discussed someone who is heavy of mouth and tongue, who should not be appointed, and so it appears in Maimonides (Prayer 8:12) and in the Mishnah Berurah mentioned above. See also responsa Shirga HaMeir (7:84).)
Answer
As I wrote to you, I do not answer lists of practical Jewish law questions for the purpose of printing them in a book. Therefore I will address only the detailed questions — though even in them I did not really see much of an actual question.
1.
A. The reasoning that wrapping oneself for the honor of the congregation does not require a blessing does not seem convincing to me at all.
B. If there is a dispute regarding the blessing on a communal tallit, the rule is: when there is doubt concerning blessings, one is lenient. I see no reason at all to renounce one’s share in the communal tallit in order to recite a blessing; rather, when there is doubt concerning blessings, one is lenient, and that is that.
C. Still, if for some reason he nevertheless wants to recite a blessing, then apparently he can renounce his share, and good luck to him. But I do not think such a renunciation is effective, because even after he renounces it, he is still part of the congregation, and therefore the tallit still belongs to him as well. He does not own a particular share in the tallit; rather, the entire tallit belongs to the collective congregation. As proof of this, see Bava Batra 43 regarding a Torah scroll that was stolen, where the case requires that he remove himself from the city, and it is not enough for him merely to renounce his share in the Torah scroll. That is obvious.
2.
If a cantor swallows letters, there is no reason to appoint him. The issue is not that people do not fulfill their obligation through him, because usually they do fulfill it through him — he would have to swallow in very particular ways and places for them not to fulfill their obligation. Rather, the issue is that it is not fitting for such a person to serve as prayer leader and represent us. Exactly like a prayer leader whose singing is unpleasant, and as in the sources you cited. One can explain to him gently that it is not appropriate to put such a person up as prayer leader, especially since here we are not dealing with a defect but with a manner of speech. If he undertakes to improve, then of course there is no problem. This is true even if it is a yahrzeit.
I again ask that you not send random questions, and certainly not questions meant to be printed in a book. Whoever wants to write books should do so himself. If there is some real doubt and you want to clarify a question, even if it is for the sake of writing in a book, that is fine. But then explain what exactly the point of doubt is and what the question is.