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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION
Siman ק׳ · Reviewing the festival prayers
תפילת המועד צריך לסדר — the prayers of the festivals (מועדות) and of Rosh Chodesh, one must review them (להסדיר) before praying so they be fluent on the tongue (שגורה בפיו) ; gloss of the Rama : from the siddur (מתוך הסדור) — it is permitted, and this is the practice
סימן ק׳ · סעיף אחד
תפילת המועד צריך לסדר
🌱 Introductory level · Beginners
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This siman teaches that one must review (להסדיר) the prayers of the festivals (מועדות) and of Rosh Chodesh before praying, כדי שתהא שגורה בפיו — so they be fluent on the tongue. Since these are texts said only לפרקים (occasionally), one prepares them so as not to stumble. The gloss of the Rama qualifies: this applies only to one who prays by heart ; but one who prays מתוך הסדור (from the siddur) — it is permitted without reviewing, since he sees what he is praying. Hebrew text, fluent English translation and explanation of the single seif, with a section of practical cases.
Topic: Reviewing the festival prayers — להסדיר, שגורה בפיו, מועדות וראש חודש, מתוך הסדור
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן ק׳ · סעיף אחד
Compiled by: רב יוסף חיים סממה
DAAT · daattorah.com
The Shulchan Aroukh rules (אורח חיים ק׳): צריך להסדיר תפלתו קודם שיתפלל כדי שתהא שגורה בפיו — one must organize one's prayer before praying, so that it be flowing on his tongue. The siman deals with prayers one does not say every day — those of the מועדות (festivals) and of ראש חודש — with which one is not familiar: one prepares them so as not to stumble. We study here at the level of principle ; for personal conduct, one refers to the custom and to the ruling of the Rav.
📑 Study outline
A. The single seif — the din of the Mechaber (להסדיר, שגורה בפיו) and the gloss of the Rama (מתוך הסדור)
1. Practical case — preparing the Yom Tov Amidah said by heart: reviewing in advance
2. Practical case — praying from the siddur: permitted without reviewing (וכן נוהגין)
3. Practical case — Rosh Chodesh and the יעלה ויבוא: prepare it like the מועד
+ Comprehension questions and going further
A. Reviewing the festival prayers — the single seif
תְּפִלַּת הַמּוֹעֵד צָרִיךְ לְסַדֵּר — the festival prayer, one must order it — the Amidah of the festivals and of Rosh Chodesh is said only occasionally (לפרקים) and not every day ; a person is therefore not fluent in it and is liable to get confused. This is why one must review it (להסדיר) before praying, so that it be שגורה בפיו — flowing and ready on his tongue. The gloss of the Rama distinguishes whether one prays by heart or from the siddur.
The din of the Mechaber — צריך להסדיר תפלתו
תפלות של מועדות ושל ראש חודש צריך להסדיר תפלתו קודם שיתפלל כדי שתהא שגורה בפיו.
The prayers of the festivals (מועדות) and of Rosh Chodesh, one must organize one's prayer before praying, so that it be fluent on the tongue (שגורה בפיו).
These prayers are said only at intervals (לפרקים): Yom Tov, Rosh Chodesh, the festival days. One is not accustomed to them as to the daily Amidah, and is liable to hesitate or err. The Shulchan Aroukh therefore requires reviewing them in advance (להסדיר), before beginning, so that the prayer be שגורה בפיו — that it flow without a hitch.
The gloss of the Rama — מתוך הסדור מותר
וי״א דוקא כשמתפללים על פה אבל כשמתפללין מתוך הסדור מותר דהא רואה מה שמתפלל וכן נוהגין.
And some say (וי״א): this is specifically when praying by heart ; but when praying from the siddur (מתוך הסדור), it is permitted (מותר) without reviewing, since one sees what one is praying (דהא רואה מה שמתפלל), and this is the practice (וכן נוהגין).
The Rama brings an opinion: the duty to review applied only to one who prays by heart (על פה), who is liable to stumble without the text before him. But one who prays from the siddur sees the text in front of him — he therefore need not review it beforehand. The Rama concludes: וכן נוהגין — such is the widespread custom.
The siman in one sentence: the prayers of the מועדות and of ראש חודש, said only לפרקים, one must review them before praying (להסדיר) so they be שגורה בפיו ; and according to the Rama this applies only to one who prays by heart, whereas one who prays from the siddur is exempt (וכן נוהגין).
Practical cases
Case 1 — Preparing the Yom Tov Amidah (by heart)
Situation: he intends to say the Yom Tov Amidah by heart, without a siddur. Must he prepare for it?
Conduct: according to the Mechaber, yes — he reviews in advance (להסדיר) the festival text, before beginning, כדי שתהא שגורה בפיו, so as not to hesitate or stumble in the middle of the prayer. For the practical application, one follows one's Rav.
Case 2 — Praying from the siddur
Situation: he prays the festival Amidah reading from the siddur. Must he still review it beforehand?
Conduct: according to the gloss of the Rama, one who prays מתוך הסדור (from the siddur) need not review beforehand, דהא רואה מה שמתפלל — since he sees what he is praying before him. The Rama adds וכן נוהגין — such is the custom. For the details, one follows one's Rav.
Case 3 — Rosh Chodesh and the יעלה ויבוא
Situation: on Rosh Chodesh, one adds יעלה ויבוא in the Amidah — a passage said only intermittently. Must it be prepared?
Conduct: the Mechaber ranks ראש חודש with the מועדות: these are texts said only לפרקים. One who prays by heart therefore prepares the passage (such as the יעלה ויבוא) so it be שגורה בפיו ; one who prays from the siddur is exempt (Rama). For borderline cases, one follows one's Rav.
Comprehension questions
Check your understanding:
- What does it mean to להסדיר the prayer, and when must it be done according to the seif?
- What does שגורה בפיו mean, and why is it the goal of the review?
- Why the prayers of the מועדות and of ראש חודש in particular (and not the daily Amidah)?
- According to the Rama, who is exempt from reviewing, and for what reason (רואה מה שמתפלל)?
- What does וכן נוהגין mean at the end of the Rama's gloss?
Going further
If you wish to deepen this siman:
📖Join the khavroutha
- 📚 Level 2 — Lamdan: for the pilpoul — טעם ההסדרה : אינו רגיל בהן אלא לפרקים ; גדר «שגורה בפיו» ויחסו לכוונה ; הגהת הרמ״א : מתוך הסדור מותר דהא רואה מה שמתפלל
- ✨ Level 3 — Synthesis: for review and quick memorization
- 👑 Level 4 — Daat HaRav (the Alter Rebbe): the shitah of the Shulchan Aroukh HaRav — להסדיר, שגורה בפיו, מתוך הסדור, והפיוטים שחמור פירושם