ברוך ה' לעולם
Enactment of ברוך ה' לעולם
37. Shuls were originally in fields, and people were afraid to stay late in the fields until the zman for Maariv. Chazal enacted the saying of these pesukim, which mention Hashem’s name 18 times, corresponding to the 18 brachos of the Maariv Shemoneh Esrei, followed by Kaddish. Even though we now daven Maariv in shuls, the original minhag was not annulled (טור סי' רל''ו, מ''ב שם סק''ה ).
38. סומך גאולה לתפילה . One may not interrupt between the bracha of גאל ישראל and Shemoneh Esrei of Maariv. The bracha of השכיבנו is not a hefsek, as it is related to geula. Bnei Chutz l’Aretz who say ברוך ה' לעולם should not interrupt between יראו עינינו וכו' and Shemoneh Esrei, as Shemoneh Esrei should be next to גאל ישראל at Maariv too (שו''ע סי' רל''ו ס''ב ). The saying of ברוך ה' לעולם itself does not constitute a hefsek, as it is “an extended geula” (מ''ב סק''ו ). Saying ושמרו on Shabbos night between גאל ישראל and Shemoneh Esrei is also not a hefsek, as it is like geula – if Klal Yisroel were to keep two Shabbosos, the geula would come immediately (טור סי' רס''ז ). Similarly, one may announce “Yaaleh v’Yavo” or the like (above, 6).
Eretz Yisroel, Chutz l’Aretz
39. Today, the Sefardi minhag is not to say ברוך ה' לעולם (כנה''ג בהג' ב''י, כף החיים סקי''ב ). In Eretz Yisroel, the Ashkenazi minhag is also not to say it (ס' א''י להגרימ''ט סי' א'). The Ashkenazi minhag in Chutz l’Aretz is to say it. There are differing minhagim on motzei Shabbos.
40. Ben Chutz l’Aretz in Eretz Yisroel. The minhag is for a ben Chutz l’Aretz in Eretz Yisroel to follow the local minhag and not say it (שו''ת משנה הלכות ח''ה סי' כ''ט ). If one specifically wants to say it himself, he may do so if he will have enough time to daven Shemoneh Esrei with the tzibbur (שו''ת אג''מ ח''ב סי' ק''ב ).
41. Ben Eretz Yisroel in Chutz l’Aretz. A ben Eretz Yisroel visiting Chutz l’Aretz does not need to say this bracha. He should extend Krias Shema and its brachos a bit so it does not look like he is separating himself from the tzibbur by sitting quietly while everyone is davening. However, if one is the shliach tzibbur, he should say this bracha with the tzibbur and not deviate from the local minhag (משמרת שלום כ "ב ,ב ,' אג''מ שם, שו''ת להורות נתן ח''א סי' י "ג ).
