Avodah Mailing List

Volume 43: Number 62

Sat, 11 Oct 2025

• 1. Re: value independent of halacha? (Akiva Miller)

.
R' Joel Rich asked:

> From a pure halachic viewpoint ISTM there is no benefit for an
> avel to lead services up to, but not including, yishtabach (some
> minyanim have no one leading that portion). Is the value that
> klal yisrael has invested it with value independent of halacha?

You have hit upon a point which has caused me great frustration over the
decades.  The Psukei Dzimra Chazan (or however you want to refer to him)
does serve a very important function. He does the chessed of helping the
tzibur pace themselves.

Everyone, whether earlybird or latecomer, needs to know whether they need
to quicken their pace, or if they can slow down. They need to know if they
will be able to say all of Pesukei D'Zimra, or if they'll have to skip a
few paragraphs.

I can imagine only two ways to convey this information to the people:
Either have a sufficiently loud chazan, or post a sign somewhere with the
scheduled time for Yishtabach of Shochen Ad. Alas, I have been in far too
many shuls, shteiblach, and yeshivos, which have neither. Sometimes they do
have someone up front mumbling quietly, and I might work up the nerve to
look over his shoulder to see what page he is on. Other times, I try to
find someone who looks like a local, so I can ask him what time they get to
whatever, but too often, for some reason beyond my comprehension, they
simply don't know.

I'd genuinely appreciate it if someone could please help me out here,
because I never got that memo. How do YOU pace yourself in those minyanim?

By the way, yes, I *am* aware that there is no mitzva to say Yishtabach
together with the minyan. However: (A) Knowing when they'll get to
Yishtabach does make it easier to estimate when they'll get to Shmoneh
Esrei. and (B) If you're going to reach Yishtabach either before or after
the Chazan, make sure you remember the halachos of being mafsik to answer
Kaddish and Borchu.

So, to get back to RJR's question, I do concede that the Psukei D'Zimra
Chazan is not actually motzi anyone on any brachos, nor is he leading the
tzibur in any Davar Sheb'kedusha. But I believe that he DOES DO a great
chessed for the minyan, and will get sechar commensurate to the effort that
he puts into it.

Akiva Miller
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