Davening for Shabbat at Home Friday, April 3-Saturday, April 4, 2020 By Rabbi Chaim Wecker
I hope everyone is doing well. Below are guidelines for what tefillot (prayers) you should say when davening by yourself on Shabbat. Please remember that although it seems we are praying separately, we are in fact coming together as a community, praying the same words at the same time. The good news is that most of davening can be recited individually. The major exceptions are Torah reading, Kaddish, Barchu, and the repetition of the Amidah, including Kedushah.
Friday evening We will be davening Mincha together at 6:30 pm but if you need to bring Shabbat in earlier, please make sure Kabbalat Shabbat begins after 6:14 pm.
• For Kabbalat Shabbat, everything is recited as usual. I would encourage all of you to sing as much of Kabbalat Shabbat as you know, especially Lecha Dodi.
• For Maariv, everything is the same until we finish the Amidah. After the Amidah, recite the next paragraph of Vayechulu, but afterwards skip to Aleinu. You may sing Yigdal.
Shabbat morning
• Regular davening until Torah reading. Anim Zmirot is skipped without an Aron Kodesh (an Ark). • As mentioned above, Torah reading is only an obligation when there is a minyan present, but it is worthwhile to read through it either in Hebrew if you can, or English if you can’t. (The Haftorah of Shabbat Hagadol is also optional.) • Of the three paragraphs which we recite after the Haftorah, beginning with Yekum Purkan, the second two are definitely not recited without a minyan because they refer to a community, but the first is a debate amongst the rabbis. If you wish to recite it, kudos to you! • The Av Harachamim paragraph is usually recited even when davening alone, but because it is the month of Nisan, this paragraph is skipped. • Continue with Ashrei and Musaf. You may sing Adon Olam at the end.
Shabbat afternoon • Regular Mincha without Torah reading. • We do recite the Va-ani Tefilloti line that we usually recite before removing the Torah. Please make sure mincha is completed by 7:34 pm.
Motzaei Shabbat (Post-Shabbat) davening:
• Regular davening with Havdallah. Please note that we skip the Vehi Noam after the Amida because it’s only recited when there’s a full work week ahead. Next week obviously is when Pesach begins. Continue with Veyitein Lecha and Aleinu. Ideally, maariv should be recited after 8:17 pm.
Lastly, I encourage those of you who may in the past have skipped all or some of davening to daven a little bit more from now on. Those of you who have been reciting the entire davening, take a little bit of extra time and say the words slower and with more feeling.
Please remember that the Beth Tfiloh clergy is here and would love to hear from everyone Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Wishing everybody a healthy, restful, and wonderful Shabbat!