May the word emes be repeated?

As we have learned, one may not separate the words Elokeichem at the end of Shema and the word emes at the beginning of the next brocha. If the chazan begins emes v’yatziv immediately afterwards, one should not repeat the word emes. Doing so gives the impression that there are (chas v’sholom) two powers. If there was a short break between an individual’s completion of Shema and the beginning of the next brocha, he may choose to say the word emes twice, but it is not required. Similarly, whenever a person stops in the middle of a brocha, he can return to the point where he left off and does not have to repeat any words.

סעיף ו ס"ק לא

May one put on his tallis right before Shemoneh Esrei?

A person must be somech geulah l’tefilah. This means that Kriyas Shema and its final brocha of Go’al Yisroel must be connected to Shemoneh Esrei. It is forbidden to return a greeting or even to take an extended pause between Go’al Yisroel and Shemoneh Esrei. If, however, one was unable to lay tefillin until that point, he may put them on without a brocha. He may not wrap himself in a tallis, though, since a tallis is not as critical to proper tefilah. If one is concerned that he will miss zman tefilah, he should go ahead and daven even without tefillin.  



סעיף ח וס"ק לח ו־מ; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 31 ו־36

Should one answer Amen to Go’al Yisroel?

As mentioned, it is forbidden to interrupt between the completion of the brocha of Go’al Yisroel and the beginning of Shemoneh Esrei. Shulchon Aruch rules that it is even forbidden to answer Amen when the chazan finishes the brocha. Rema maintains that it is not a hefsek and one should answer Amen. The Achronim offer four possible ways to circumvent the issue and avoid the possibility of answering Amen at the wrong time:  1) One should wait for the chazan at Shira Chodosha and respond to his brocha at that point. Later Achronim disapprove of this method, since it is forbidden to answer when one is in the middle of a perek. 2) The tzibur should complete the brocha with the chazan and thus avoid having to answer Amen to his brocha. 3) Each individual should start Ado-noy sefasai tiftach before the chazan completes the brocha. 4) The chazan should complete the brocha quietly so that the tzibur will not hear the end of the brocha. The poskim debate whether this method is acceptable, since it may be inappropriate for the chazan to refrain from saying the whole brocha out loud.

סעיף ז וס"ק לה-לו; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו 29        

• If a person is called up for an aliyah while he is in the middle of Shema, its brochos, or bein haprakim, the Rishonim disagree about whether he should go up. Shulchon Aruch is stringent, but Mishnah Berurah quotes Achronim who say that the custom follows the other opinion unless one is in the middle of the pasuk of Shema or Boruch Shem.

• L’chatchilah, a person who is in the middle of Shema or its brochos should not be called up for an aliyah. If he is the only Kohein or Levi in the shul, however, the poskim disagree about whether he should be called up.

• The prakim of Shema and its brochos are as follows: the first brocha, the second brocha, the first parsha of Shema, and the second parsha of Shema. Upon completing the third parsha of Shema, one must immediately say the word emes. 

• Responding to Kedusha without interrupting between geulah and tefilah

• Can one respond to Kedusha on Shabbos between geula and tefila?

• Is one yotzei if he confused V’yatziv with V’emunah?