Birchos Hashachar K'halachah Aloud with Kavanah Bechavrusa

Derech Emunim

The Halachos of Answering Amen

Pausing to Answer Amen in Krias Shema and Birchos Krias Shema

Words of kedushah that are permitted to answer in the middle of the perek of Krias Shema – are permitted to stop for even if one is in the middle of a passuk. But the poskim differ as to whether one can stop even if he is in the middle of an inyan in the passuk, or only when he is between inyanim. L’halachah, one who is in the middle of a passuk should try to hurry and finish the inyan, and if he cannot do that, he can stop and answer even in the middle of an inyan, and then he should go back to the beginning of the passuk. Likewise, if he stopped to answer at the end of one of the Birchos Krias Shema before signing off the brachah, he should go back to the beginning of the inyan that was near the closing.

1. Shulchan Aruch (66 1) based on Yerushalmi Brachos (2 6). The Ben Ish Chai wrote (Parashas Va’eira 20) that one who pauses to answer a dvar kedushah in the middle of the passuk should then go back to repeat from the beginning of the passuk. And it seems from his words that even when he pauses between two inyanim in the passuk, in any case he has to go back to the beginning of the passuk. See further footnote 3.
2. The Kessef Mishneh (Krias Shema 2 15) brought in the name of Rabbeinu Manoach that even for words of kedushah that are permitted to answer in the middle of the passuk in Krias Shema, still one should not stop to answer them unless he is between one inyan and the next in the passuk. But in the middle of an inyan in the passuk he should not stop. As an example, Rabbeinu Manoch cites the passuk (Devarim 11:18): “Vesamtem es devarai eileh al levavchem v’al nafshechem ukeshartem osam l’os al yedchem...” that after “nafshechem”, the first inyan in the passuk ends, and even though it is the middle of a passuk one may pause there. But when he is in the middle of the first inyan or the second inyan, he should not pause even to answer devarim shebikedusah that are permitted to answer in Krias Shema. The Magen Avraham (66 3) cites the Kessef Mishneh, and the Derech Hachaim also rules this way (Dinei Krias Shema Ubirchoseha 5). But the Shulchan Aruch Harav (ibid 2) ruled like those who hold that devarim shebikedushah that are permitted to be answered in the middle of the perek in Krias Shema and its brachos, may also be answered in the middle of an inyan in the passuk [and see Biur Halachah (ibid 1) which proves that the Shulchan Aruch concurs]. But he wrote that lechatchilah one should take into account Rabbeinu Manoach and therefore, if a person can hurry to finish the inyan before he answers, he should do so. The sefer Avodas Hayom (65 2) and Mishnah Berurah (ibid 10) concur.
3. Both the Shulchan Aruch Harav (ibid) and the Mishnah Berurah (ibid) wrote that when one stops in the middle of an inyan to answer devarim shebikedushah, he should then go back to the beginning of the passuk. And it seems that even if he stopped in the middle of the second inyan in the passuk, it is not enough to go back to the beginning of the inyan, rather he should go back to the beginning of the passuk. But the Tehillah LeDovid (ibid 1) wrote that in the case where he stopped in the middle of the second inyan in the passuk, it is enough to go back to the beginning of the inyan, and what the Shulchan Aruch Harav noted to go back to the beginning of the passuk is because he is also addressing there the case when the person stopped in the middle of the first inyan in the passuk – in which case, the beginning of the passuk is also the beginning of the inyan.
4. For example, if he paused near the closing of Birchas Yotzer Ohr, he should go back to say “hamechadesh betuvo...” and in the brachah of “Ahavah Rabbah” he should go back to “vekarveinu malkeinu” (Ketzos Hashulchan 19 1).