Rav Yosef Sholom Elyashiv, zt”l
Rav Yisroel Pesach Feinhandler (Avnei Yashfei, Tefilah) wrote about a case that occurred. A certain town had only two Minyanim for Shacharis, one at Neitz (K’Vasikin, sunrise), and the other at seven o’clock.
The Chazan for the seven o’clock Minyan moved away from the town, and since the people attending this later Minyan didn’t feel comfortable leading the Davening, the Minyan was left without a Chazan. They then remembered that there was a very talented Chazan who was a regular at the Neitz Minyan, and they thought of hiring him to be their Chazan.
When they approached him, however, he explained that he was not interested. He said, “I would love to help you, but I just can’t give up on my regular Minyan. The Halachah says that someone who regularly Davens K’Vasikin is better off Davening alone than with a later Minyan. How can I lose out on such a special Zechus?”
But those who had approached him felt his position was selfish and wrong. They admonished him and said, “But you know that those who attend the later Minyan simply cannot Daven for the Amud as the Chazan. Some are not fluent enough in the Tefilos, while others Daven too slowly. All of us have never been a Chazan before. Do you really think that it would be better for you to Daven at the ideal time while abandoning your fellow Jews? What about Chesed? Isn’t that also important?”
But the Chazan would not budge. He said, “If one of the great Poskim rules that I am obligated to help you, I will do as I am told. But without that, I disagree.”
The people approached Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, zt”l, who ruled that the Chazan was wrong. He said, “A person who is needed by the community to serve as the Chazan for Shacharis should not pursue his ideal of Davening at Vasikin. Instead, he should serve as the Chazan for the Minyan that really needs him!”
Reprinted from the Parshas Ki Sisa 5786 email of Rabbi Yehuda Winzelberg’s Torah U’Tefilah
