Shacharit Responses

TEFILAH TIP FOR SHABBAT NASO

RESPONSES DURING THE SHACHARIT AMIDAH

OR

WHO ARE "SHMO AND MO" AND WHAT ARE THEY DOING IN OUR SERVICE?

By Jeff Levy

"Tefilah tips" is designed to make congregants more comfortable with our services by explaining aspects of the liturgy. Although some of us may be experienced with the fine print of our services others may not feel comfortable asking for explanations. When you are at home with what is going on you will be more comfortable, more relaxed and more able to get into the flow of praying.

When I joined Rodef Shalom 16 years ago my prior experience was in a Reform congregation. It took me a while to figure out who "Shemo" and "Mo" were. Because I was supposedly a smart guy (not a wise guy) I was embarrassed to ask and I had to read a lot of books before I figured it out. So let me help you if are having the same questions.

Shabbat services at Rodef Shalom include two instances of the Amidah: once during Shacharit and again during Musaf, which follows the Torah Service. It is our custom to have the prayer leader repeat the Shacharit Amidah after we have said it individually during Shacharit. The repetition includes the Kedusha or Sanctification section, which is only said when a minyan is present. The Musaf Amidah has a different format at Rodef Shalom and does not include a repetition.

When the leader repeats the Amidah is appropriate for the congregation to respond in ways that have been prescribed for centuries. There are three principle responses to be familiar with.

1) The first, best known, most common and most universally used response is "Amen." When we say "Amen" we give our endorsement to and identify with what was just said. It has the sense of implying "so may it be. "Therefore, "Amen" is offered at the end of a blessing.

2) In addition to "Amen" another common response during the Amidah, and in a few other places in the liturgy that don't concern us now, is "Baruch hu, u'varuch shemo" "Blessed is He and blessed is his Name."

This is used when we hear the name of God (Adonai) at the beginning of a blessing. However, we do not say "Baruch hu, u'varuch shemo" in response to any blessing with the intent of fulfilling our own obligation to say the blessing. That is why this is used as a response to the prayer leader during the repetition; it comes after we have said the Amidah silently and fulfilled our own obligation of the commandment to say the various blessings.

This is where "Shmo and Mo" come in. What is really being said is "Baruch hu, u'varukh shemo" So lets try that – [use LARGE flash cards].

You will notice that it takes more than one and less than three seconds to get the words out and we are all thinking about herring, challah, and cake so who wants to slow down the service. Baruch hu u'varukh shemo easily gets morphed into shemo (with the reciter innocently pretending he said or more generously stated mentally having said the first three words all for the sake of efficiency, I am sure.) Human nature being what it is, it is a mere slip of the tongue to go from "shemo" to "mo".

But now that you the proper and respectful way to respond I am sure that you will all say [flash cards again]

3) The last response comes during the recitation of the Priestly Blessing, which you will find on page 119. After each of the three blessings, it is appropriate to respond "Ken y'hi ratzon – may it be His will" which you will find transliterated on the left hand page.

You may ask why we don't respond "Amen" to this blessing but instead "Ken y'hi ratzon"? The reason

is that the prayer leader is not actually performing the act of blessing the people. The leader is only reading the textual reference to the act. However, it is a significant passage of Torah and deserves our attention and response.

I will add parenthetically that when I was in Israel last year we went from the airport to Shacharit at my cousin's shul in Herzliah. When we came to this passage in the repetition, I never having don't it before in Israel, and having been traveling for two days started to say "Ken y'hi ratzon" and was able to stop myself when I heard everyone else responding with "Amen". In Eretz Israel if a Kohen is present the blessing may be said every day. In that case the congregation is actually being blessed and the appropriate response is, of course, 'Amen"

Remember, it is our custom to use a different form of the Amidah for the Musaf, which follows the Torah service. In this case we begin the Amidah together and continue silently after the Kedusha until the end, with no repetition. So, at Rodef Shalom you must get here in time for the Shacharit Amidah to practice your responses.

Hopefully I have succeeded and you now know all about responses to the Amidah that you were afraid to ask.

Let yourself get into the davening. Responses help you to feel more a part of the congregation. They help you to be carried along and to carry others along with the spirit of your prayers.

Shabbat Shalom