Running Late for Davening: What Are You Allowed to Skip?
Question
Hi Rabbi, if a person comes late to shul and realizes he cannot both daven in the proper order and finish Shemoneh Esrei before sof zman. Which takes priority according to halacha?
Answer
Thank you for your question.
If somebody came late to davening and realizes that if he davens the Pesukei DeZimrah as normal he will miss sof zman tefillah, meaning he will not be able to finish Shemoneh Esrei before sof zman tefillah passes, then the halacha is that he may skip Birchos Hashachar, and Birchos HaTorah. As we will see later from the sources, he should have in mind during Ahavah Rabbah to exempt the Birchos HaTorah, and after davening he should immediately learn some Torah.
If need be, he may also skip putting on his tallis and tefillin, as well as all of Pesukei DeZimrah, including Baruch She’amar, Ashrei, and Yishtabach, and immediately begin Yotzer Or.
He may also skip the parshiyos of Krias Shema and recite them after davening. All of this is in order that he should be able to recite the entire Shemoneh Esrei before sof zman tefillah.
However, one should not skip Birchos Krias Shema for this purpose.
Therefore, if a person sees that the time of Teffilah will soon pass, and if he says Baruch She’amar, Ashrei, and Yishtabach he will not be able to finish Shemoneh Esrei before sof zman tefillah, he should not begin directly from Shemoneh Esrei. Rather, he should begin from Yotzer Or and only skip the parshiyos of Krias Shema.
This is even in a case that by saying Birchos Krias Shema will cause him to say the Shemoneh Esrei after sof zman tefillah, he should nevertheless do so, since Birchos Krias Shema before sof zman tefillah take precedence over saying Shemoneh Esrei before sof zman tefillah.
If Sof Zeman Teffilah arrives when one is in the middle of Birchos Krias Shema, then it depends on the reason why he was delayed. If the reason for his delay was an “ones” - meaning beyond his control, then he may continue saying the Birchos Krias Shema as normal. But if it was not an “ones”, then he may not conclude the brachos by saying “Shem UMalchut” - Hashem’s Name and Kingship.
Nevertheless, all of this applies only in a case where a person was delayed and suddenly realized that sof zman tefillah was approaching. A person is obligated to come early to davening in order to daven the Shemoneh Esrei before sof zman tefillah.
After davening, one should go back and recite the Birchos Hashachar that he skipped, and he should also recite Elokai Neshamah. However, this only applies if he had in mind not to exempt Elokai Neshamah with the bracha of Mechayeh HaMeisim in Shemoneh Esrei.
He should then put on his tallis and tefillin, and together with the tefillin he should recite Krias Shema. Even if he already recited Krias Shema earlier, nevertheless, l’chatchilah a person should not put on tefillin and immediately remove them without saying anything. Rather, he should at least recite Krias Shema again, or another parsha, or a mizmor of Tehillim.
L’chatchilah, a person should also recite the Pesukei DeZimrah that he skipped. However, if he skipped Baruch She’amar or Yishtabach, he may no longer recite them after Shemoneh Esrei.
Similarly, if he skipped the parshiyos of Krias Shema, he should recite them afterwards even if the time for Krias Shema has already passed, in order to accept upon himself Ol Malchus Shamayim and to fulfill the remembrance of Yetzias Mitzrayim, as brought in Siman 58 seif Katan 66and the Mishnah Berurah Seif Katan 27.
The reason for each of the halachos mentioned above is as follows:
The Reason One May Skip Birchos Hashachar
The reason why a person is allowed to skip Birchos Hashachar is because they can be recited after the tefillah.
Why Tefillah B’Zmanah Takes Precedence Over Netilas Yadayim
The reason why a person may skip Netilas Yadayim, even though it cannot be recited after the tefillah, is because tefillah b’zmanah, meaning reciting Shemoneh Esrei before sof zman tefillah, takes precedence over the bracha of Netilas Yadayim. (see Mishnah Brurah Siman 92 seif Katan 20)
Elokai Neshamah
With regard to Elokai Neshamah, a person should have in mind not to fulfill the bracha of Elokai Neshamah with the bracha of Mechayeh HaMeisim in Shemoneh Esrei, and then he should recite Elokai Neshamah after the tefillah.
Birchos HaTorah
Regarding Birchos HaTorah, a person should have in mind during Ahavah Rabbah to fulfill Birchos HaTorah, and then learn some Torah immediately after the tefillah. (If he did not have this in mind during Ahavah Rabbah, one should see Azamrah L’Shmecho by HaGaon Rav Amrom Fried shlit”a, issue 309, where this matter is discussed in detail).
Tallis and Tefillin
Regarding tallis and tefillin, it is written in the Mishnah Berurah (Siman 25 Seif Katan 4, and in Siman 46 Seif Katan 33, and Siman 58 Seif Katan 5), that reciting Krias Shema before Sof Zeman takes precedence over putting on tallis and tefillin.
We can therefore say that tefillah b’zmanah surely takes precedence. This is because it is not brought in the Gemara that one must specifically recite Shemoneh Esrei while wearing tefillin.
Skipping Pesukei DeZimrah
Regarding skipping the entire Pesukei DeZimrah, this is based on the Mishnah Berurah Siman 71 seif 4, where he writes that a person may skip Pesukei DeZimrah in order to daven tefillah b’zmanah.
(Even though the Mishnah Berurah writes that one should skip Pesukei DeZimrah specifically according to the framework mentioned in Siman 52, nevertheless, it seems that one may skip the entire Pesukei DeZimrah, including Baruch She’amar, Ashrei, and Yishtabach, since according to the Shulchan Aruch, one is permitted to skip all of it for tefillah b’tzibur, although, as mentioned in issue 327, one should not skip the entire Pesukei DeZimrah for tefillah b’tzibur, nevertheless for tefillah b’zmanah one may skip the entire Pesukei DeZimrah.)
Birchos Krias Shema May Not Be Skipped
With regard to Birchos Krias Shema, they may not be skipped, as mentioned in the Mishnah Berurah (Siman 71).
However, regarding the parshiyos of Krias Shema themselves, as explained earlier, if one sees that there is not enough time unless he skips the parshiyos of Krias Shema, since he has already passed sof zman Krias Shema, there is no longer a fulfillment of the mitzvah of Krias Shema by reciting them now.
The reason why Krias Shema is recited before Shemoneh Esrei, even after sof zman Krias Shema, is in order to “la’amod b’tefillah mitoch divrei Torah,” as brought in the Shulchan Aruch Siman 60 Seif 2. However, this advantage is set aside when one needs to catch tefillah b’zmanah.
Wishing you well.
Source
Azamroh Lishmecho - #328
Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim Siman 52
Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim Siman 58
Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim Siman 71
Mishnah Berurah Siman 25 Seif Katan 4
Mishnah Berurah Siman 46 Seif Katan 33
Mishnah Berurah Siman 58 Seif Katan 5
