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May a Chazzan decide on his own to do a Hechi Kedushah, or are there rules for when it is appropriate/mandated?

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Seth J
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    Alternatively known as "Hoiche / Heiche Kedushah" or "Chatzi Kedusha." (Actually, I don't think I've ever heard it pronounced "Hechi.") – Dave Jun 11 '12 at 21:09
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    @Dave, I'm generally pretty Makpid on spelling/transliterating Hebrew, but since I'm not even entirely sure what language it is, I spelled it the way it generally sounds to me when I hear it. – Seth J Jun 11 '12 at 21:16
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    @SethJ - no prob, I just wanted to clarify for those who might not understand the title. – Dave Jun 11 '12 at 21:29
  • @SethJ - Also known as Heicha Kedushah? – Adam Mosheh Jun 12 '12 at 16:17
  • @AdamMosheh, I think your above 2 points were already addressed earlier. – Seth J Jun 12 '12 at 16:51
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    Side note: The Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe said about a personal Hechi Kedushah that its bad enough you came to shul late, but now you want to announce it to the entire congregation? –  Jul 02 '12 at 18:05
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    @user1292 That's a good reason for the latecomer to avoid coming late again, NOT to ignore part of Halacha. – Double AA Jul 30 '13 at 21:28

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I read in The Making of a Gadol that (according to R' Yaakov Kaminetzky) in Kenesses Yisroel in Slabodka during the week they did a hoiche kedusha for mincha because the institution of chazaras hashatz was for a beis hakenneses where baal habatim davened because of the possible presence of the ignorant, not for a beis medrash of baalei torah. Friday mincha, though, they did a full chazaras hashatz because many baalei batim came for shabbos davening. (I guess that made it into a shul?)

YDK
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    Wow, I really don't like the logic there, but thanks for the interesting anecdote! I'm not sure it answers the question, but since I'm not sure it doesn't, and since it's really interesting, +1 from me. – Seth J Jun 11 '12 at 23:53
  • I have heard that this logic is what a number of y'shivos rely on. – msh210 Jun 12 '12 at 07:33
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    related: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/16958/why-do-we-still-do-chazarat-hashatz – Menachem Jun 12 '12 at 08:01
  • @msh210, I'm not actually criticizing the logic per se (I know, it sounded like I was); I'm criticizing questioning inquiring about the assumption that the logic is based upon, that Ḥazarath HaSha"Tz is only for the ignorant and is superfluous in a B"M or Yeshivah. – Seth J Jun 12 '12 at 13:48
  • @YDK - Which page in the book is it on? – Adam Mosheh Jun 12 '12 at 16:21
  • I do not know. I have since returned the book to its owner in Eretz Yisrael. – YDK Jun 13 '12 at 17:18
  • I've tried unsuccessfully to find earlier sources that make this point. Isn't it odd that such an important built-in heter to a common takana isn't mentioned prominently until the last century? – Double AA Sep 09 '12 at 18:43
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    @YDK So all of the chachamim that davened with a normal chazaras ha'shatz before them were baalei batim? If such a reason developed so late, seems a little funny... – Yehoshua Jul 30 '13 at 21:39
  • @sethJ, I also thought part of the Chazarat HaShatz was to end up with 100 berachot each day per Dovid haMelech. – RavingRabbi Feb 04 '14 at 01:10
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The Shulchan Aruch (OC 232:1) recommends doing this when השעה דחוקה=the time is pressing, which the Rama (OC 124:2) defines as when the congregation is afraid that if they do the full repetition they won't finish by the end of the allotted time for that prayer. (See Biur Halacha OC 124 sv SheYa'avor who debates if this is Chatzot or Sof Zman Tefillah in regards to Shacharit.)

The Mishna Berurah there (sk 6) points out that if it is not a pressing time one should not do this, as the proper form of the enactment of Chazal is to have the repetition come after the silent prayer.

The Aruch HaShulchan (OC 232:7) suggests that, at a very small minyan where it is doubtful that 9 people will answer Amen (as they tend to talk, etc.), one should always do a Heichi Kedusha lest the leader's blessings during his repetition be levatala.

Seth J
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Double AA
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  • Although it's odd, I've actually seen a Shul do it for Musaf on Shabbath. I'm pretty sure they weren't pressed for time bc of Zeman, but they might have (legitimately) felt pressure to finish by a certain time for logistical and Tzorech HaTzibur issues. Does anyone state that the ShU"'A might allow for other pressing situations? – Seth J Jun 11 '12 at 23:58
  • @SethJ - I once heard of a (Conservative?) Shul that does this for both Shacharith and Musaf on Shabbath. – Adam Mosheh Jun 12 '12 at 16:24
  • @AdamMosheh, Interesting. Any idea where? – Seth J Jun 12 '12 at 16:52
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    Our Conservative shul in Gaithersburg, Maryland, does a Heiche Kedushah for mussaf on Shabbat. We have a lot of families with young children and our Rabbi feels pressure to finish the main service in sync with the children's services, so that families are reunited before the kids "have a melt-down." We have experimented with a break-away minyan for Mussaf (both to have a full Amidah and to experiment with alternative niggunim) but it didn't seem to attract the attendance it needed. – Ted Hopp Jun 12 '12 at 21:33
  • It is my experience that many Conservative synagogues do a heicha kedusha for musaf. I have also been in a Chabad that did this for the same sorts of reasons (the tzibbur will not tolerate more davening/won't pay attention anyway). – Ze'ev misses Monica Aug 21 '12 at 07:03
  • @Ze'evFelsen Probably better to cut out half of Pesukei Dizimra, all the Yekum Purkan stuff, and Anim Zemirot than to skip the repetition. – Double AA Mar 01 '16 at 22:02
  • @DoubleAA, Maybe those are things they should have done. I am merely eporting what they actually did. – Ze'ev misses Monica Mar 04 '16 at 04:18