Hefsek
From Halachipedia
Revision as of 16:04, 26 December 2017 by YitzchakSultan (talk | contribs)
The term Hefsek in general means an interruption. It can apply to the performance of any mitzvah or bracha. For the detailed halachot of each topic, please see the respective page below.
- Interruptions to a Bracha
- Talking between the Beracha and eating
- Other interruptions between the Beracha and eating
In the Middle of a Mitzvah
| Tefillah | Tefillah | Other Mitzvot | Other Mitzvot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fit | Unfit | Fit | Unfit | |
| Rif | Restart | Restart | Continue | Continue |
| Tosfot | Continue | Restart | Continue | Restart |
Shemona Esrei
- If someone stops in the middle of Shemona Esrei and he waited the time it would take to complete the entire Shemona Esrei, whether he was silently pausing, talking, or doing an activity, according to the Rif is a break and needs to restart the Shemona Esrei.[1]
- If someone's Shemona Esrei was interrupted because of a halachic circumstance that prevented him from doing the mitzvah, such as if a child within 4 amot soiled his diaper, if one interrupts the Shemona Esrei for as long as it takes to do the entire Shemona Esrei, according to everyone it is an interruption and one needs to start the mitzvah again.[2]
Other Mitzvot
- If someone stops in the middle of a mitzvah and he waited the time it would take to complete the entire mitzvah, whether he was silently pausing, talking, or doing an activity, that doesn't constitute a break and one can return to where one was up to in that mitzvah.[3]
- If someone was prevented from doing a mitzvah because of a halachic circumstance, such as if someone was reading Shema and then a child within 4 amot soiled his diaper, if one interrupts the mitzvah for as long as it takes to do the entire mitzvah, according to the Rif it isn't an interruption and according to the Tosfot it is an interruption and one needs to start the mitzvah again. Sephardim hold like the Rif that it isn't an interruption. Ashkenazim hold like Tosfot for Biblical mitzvot such as Shema and Birkat Hamazon, however, for derabbanan mitzvot such as Hallel, Megillah, and birchot kriyat shema, they rely on the Rif that it isn't an interruption. [4]
Sources
- ↑
- The Gemara Brachot 23a explains that someone who urinates in the middle of Shemona Esrei if he pauses for a short time there is a dispute whether he needs to restart his Shemona Esrei or not. However, the gemara implies that if he paused for as long as he needs to say the entire Shemona Esrei it is considered a complete break and needs to restart his Shemona Esrei. Tosfot Brachot 22b s.v. elah ask how an interruption here invalidates the mitzvah while the Gemara Megillah 18b says that an interruption in Megillah doesn't invalidate it. Additionally, the Gemara Rosh Hashana 34b states that for Tekiyat Shofar the mitzvah isn't invalidated because of a long pause.
- The Tosfot answer that the interruption in Brachot is more serious since he was in a state that he was unfit to recite the Shema since he was urinating. However, any interruption that is optional such as a pause doesn't invalidate the mitzvah as was the case by Megillah and Tekiyat Shofar. On the other hand, the Rif (Brachot 16a) answers differently; he answers that for Tefillah an interruption even if one is fit is an interruption since he paused as long as it takes to say Shemona Esrei, that can't possibly constitute a Tefillah before Hashem. For other mitzvot even an interruption that is as long as it takes to complete the entire mitzvah it doesn't invalidate the mitzvah. The Rashba (Brachot 23a s.v. VehaRaavad) quoting the Raavad, Rosh (Brachot 3:23), and Tur 65:1, 78:1, 85:1, 104:5 accept the opinion of Tosfot, while the Rambam (Kriyat Shema 2:12, Tefillah 4:13) follows the Rif. The Rama 65:1 and 78:1 accepts the Tosfot and Shulchan Aruch 65:1, 78:1, 85:1, 104:5 follows the Rif. Nonetheless, the Biur Halacha 65:1 s.v. kara based on Darkei Moshe 422 writes that for derabbanan mitzvot even Ashkenazim can follow the Rif and not consider it to be an interruption.
- ↑ See the previous footnote. It is noteworthy that the Rashba Brachot 23a s.v. pesak understands that the Rif would invalidate a Shemona Esrei with an interruption because of something that renders him unfit even if it is shorter than the time it takes to complete Shemona Esrei. Yet, the Bet Yosef 104:5 and Biur Halacha 65:1 s.v. kara don't accept this understanding and simply write that the Rif only invalidates a Shemona Esrei if there is a pause of the time it takes to complete Shemona Esrei.
- ↑ Shulchan Aruch and Rama 65:1
- ↑ Biur Halacha 65:1 s.v. kara
