QUESTION: Must the shliach tzibur pause between the berachos of chazaras ha’shatz to allow the minyan to answer Amen?

ANSWER: Shulchan Aruch (124:9) writes that a shliach tzibur is required to wait for the congregation to answer Amen. However, if there are some people who delay in answering or elongate their Amen more than usual, the shliach tzibur is not required to wait for them. The Mishnah Berurah (124:37) explains that the shliach tzibur is only required to wait until the majority of the congregation has completed reciting Amen before beginning his next beracha. Moreover, he writes that once the shliach tzibur begins the next beracha, the congregants may no longer answer Amen for the previous beracha. Although there is an obligation to answer Amen for every beracha, once the shliach tzibur begins the next beracha, it is forbidden to answer Amen for a previous beracha. Therefore, the congregation must answer Amen immediately after the beracha, and the shliach tzibur must pause for an adequate amount of time to allow for its proper pronunciation. The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (20:3) writes that the shliach tzibur must be very careful not to rush into the next beracha before the congregants can answer Amen, because otherwise he will be punished for causing Amen to be omitted.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.