The Choreography of Shabbat Musaf

 

  1. Musaf always begins with a Chatzi (half) Kaddish.  We use a special melody[1] reserved for Shabbat and Festivals. Some Baalei Tfillot chant Vimru Amen in one phrase and then the congregation responds amen and other Baalei Tfillot chant vimru and then the congregation and leader say  amen. In either case, the Baal Tfillah needs to be aware that the congregation will respond amen, brich-hu and yheshme rabba.

 

  1. If the Musaf is said with a Chazarat HaShatz (repetition by the leader), then the Musaf is said silently first. If the Musaf is said in Hoicha Kedusha (meaning outloud Kedusha- implying that only the kedusha is outloud and the rest is silent) then the Musaf begins immediately after the hatzi kaddish. There are many rulings about how long to wait until the repetition can begin. If a rabbi or gabbai is present he or she should make the call. One ruling is to wait until almost the entire congregation has completed the silent Amidah. Another ruling requires only the majority of the congregation to have completed the silent amidah. This is done so as not to let congregational pressure force anyone to hurry through their Amidah.

 

  1. The Avot (ancestors) paragraph begins the musaf. The Shatz (an acronym for Shaliach Tzibbur, meaning congregational representative, the leader) keeps his/her feet together for the entire Amidah (standing straight like the assembled hosts of angels in HashemÕs service). The Shatz bends the knees at the opening word Baruch bows at atah and straightens at Adonai. There are four places in the Amidah where the Shatz bends and bows. This is the first. The second is the bracha at the end of this paragraph (ending magen avraham).

 

  1. The Shatz continues with Gvurot, beginning Atah Gibor... The phrase mashiv haruach is added only between  Sukkot and Pesach. Some people add Morid HaTal in the summer. This is not the usual custom outside the land of Israel, but it is growing in popularity.

 

  1. The Kedusha is the most important and significant part of the Amidah. The congregation begins by reciting naaritzcha..  audibly, but by themselves. The Shatz repeats and the congregation responds Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh.  The Shatz can sing these words with the congregation or not. In either case, the congregation immediately afterwards recites Kvodo audibly, but by themselves.

 

  1. If the Shatz has chosen not to respond Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh with the congregation then he must say it (remembering to raise up on the tips of the toes for each of the three words kadosh). The Shatz then recites kvodo and the congregation responds Baruch KÕvod Adonai Mimkomo and then they recite mimkomo hu yifen audibly but by themselves.

 

  1. If the shatz has not responded Baruch Kvod Adonai Mimkomo with the congregation he must say it and then follows it with mimkomo. The congregation responds shma yisrael and then recites hu Eloyenu audibly, but by themselves.

 

  1. The shatz then says Shma if he has not already done so with the congregation. The Shatz then sings Hu Elohenu and the congregation responds Ani Adonai Eloheychem and then the shatz responds Uvdivrei Kodeshcha and then the congregation recites Yimloch Adonai... As before, the Shatz can recite the congregationÕs lines with them or repeat them.

 

  1. The Shatz then sings Ldor Vador. This part is sung only by the Shatz and is not preceded or chanted by the congregation. The Kedusha formally ends with Yimloch Adonai Lolam, so the congregants are permitted to  take their feet apart and move about but not sit down. After Ldor Vador they can sit. The Shatz must remain standing with feet together until the Kaddish Shalem.

 

  1.  If the Musaf is being done in Hoicha Kedusha then the congregants should go back do the beginning of the Amidah and recite the whole tfillah silently.  In some congregations, the kahal will daven the avot and gvurot paragraphs with the Shatz, in which case they will continue to recite the musaf beginning with Tikanta Shabbat. The Shatz in either case continues silently with Tkanta Shabbat. The Shatz then concludes with   Kaddish Shalem (no. 18 below)

 

  1. The Shatz continues with Tkanta Shabbat...

 

  1. The Shatz then continues with Yismchu. It is a widespread custom to sing yismchu using a popular metrical melody.

 

  1. The Shatz continues with Eloyenu VElohey Avotenu Retze..

 

  1. The Shatz continues with Retze and Modim. The Shatz bows for the third time at Modim, bending at the waist only. The shatz straightens at adonai. The remainder of the paragraph is said in an undetone. The congregation says the Modim Drabban to themselves. The Shatz concludes by reciting the Chatima (concluding lines) of  the paragraph out loud beginning with the word Hatov.

 

  1.  The Shatz then continues with VAl Kulam. The Shatz bows for a fourth and final time at the Bracha ending this paragraph. The procedure is the same as the first two bows: bend the knees at Baruch, bow at Atah and then raise at adonai at then conlude hatov shimcha ulcha nÕe lhodot.

 

  1. The Shatz continues with the Birkat HaKohanim  the priestly blessing. In this case, the blessing is not said by the cohanim. The congregation responds ken yhe  Ratzon three times.

 

  1. The Musaf Amidah concludes with Sim Shalom. It is customary to set  Sim Shalom to a popular metrical melody.

 

  1. The shatz recites a quick Kaddish Shalem. The shatz takes three steps back before saying Oseh Shalom bows right at hu yase shalom, left at Aleinu val kol yisrael and then takes three steps forward at amen.

[1] There are four different  melodies for the following Musaf Services: 

1. Rosh Codesh and Chol HaMoed  (which follow the standard weekday melody)

2. Shabbat, Shabbat Rosh Chodesh,  Festivals and Hoshanna Rabba

3. First day of Pesach and Shmini Atzeret

4. Rosh Hashanna and Yom Kippur.