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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION

Siman ק״ו · Who is exempt from prayer

מי הם הפטורים מן התפילה — who is exempt from prayer: whoever is exempt from the ק״ש is exempt, except those escorting the dead (obligated in the ק״ש but exempt from prayer); women and slaves — obligated in prayer; children of educational age; and one whose Torah is his occupation
סימן ק״ו · ג׳ סעיפים
מי הם הפטורים מן התפילה
🌱 Introductory level · מתחילים
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This siman teaches who is exempt from prayer (the Amida): whoever is exempt from the ק״ש is exempt from it (כל הפטורים מק״ש פטורים מתפלה), except the מלווי המת (those escorting the dead) — obligated in the ק״ש but exempt from prayer; נשים ועבדים (women and slaves) are obligated in prayer (מ״ע שלא הזמן גרמא); the קטנים שהגיעו לחינוך (children of educational age); and מי שתורתו אומנתו (one whose Torah is his occupation). Hebrew text, fluent English translation and explanation of the ג׳ seifim, with a section of practical cases.

Topic: Who is exempt from prayer — הפטורים מק״ש, מלווי המת, נשים ועבדים וקטנים, תורתו אומנתו
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן ק״ו · ג׳ סעיפים

Compiled by: רב יוסף חיים סממה
DAAT · daattorah.com

The principle that opens the siman: כל הפטורים מקריאת שמע פטורים מתפלה — whoever is exempt from the ק״ש is exempt from prayer, and whoever is obligated in it is obligated in prayer. Its foundation is that one who is engaged in a mitzva is exempt from another (עוסק במצוה). The siman draws from it the concrete cases: those escorting the dead, women and slaves, children of educational age, and one whose Torah is his occupation. 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 ג׳ seifim — הפטורים מק״ש ומלווי המת (seif 1), נשים ועבדים וקטנים (seif 2), תורתו אומנתו (seif 3)
1. Practical case — escorting the dead: obligated in the ק״ש, exempt from prayer
2. Practical case — the prayer of women: מ״ע שלא הזמן גרמא
3. Practical case — one whose Torah is his occupation: to interrupt or not
+ Comprehension questions and going further

A. Who is exempt from prayer — the ג׳ seifim

הַפְּטוּרִים מִן הַתְּפִלָּה — those exempt from prayer — the siman links the exemption from prayer to that of the ק״ש: whoever is exempt from the ק״ש is exempt from prayer, since one engaged in a mitzva is exempt from another (עוסק במצוה). It then specifies three categories: the מלווי המת (an exception: obligated in the ק״ש yet exempt from prayer), the נשים ועבדים and the קטנים, and finally מי שתורתו אומנתו.

Séif 1 — הפטורים מק״ש ומלווי המת: the general rule

כל הפטורים מקריאת שמע פטורים מתפלה, וכל שחייב בקריאת שמע חייב בתפלה, חוץ מהמלוין את המת שאין למטה צורך בהם, שאף על פי שהם חייבים בקריאת שמע פטורים מתפלה.
Séif 1: whoever is exempt from the קריאת שמע is exempt from prayer, and whoever is obligated in the קריאת שמע is obligated in prayer — except those escorting the dead whom the bier does not need, for although they are obligated in the קריאת שמע, they are exempt from prayer.
The general rule: exemption from the ק״ש and from prayer go together, because one engaged in a mitzva is exempt from another (עוסק במצוה). But there is an exception: those escorting the dead, even those whom the bier does not need, are obligated in the ק״ש (which is short) but exempt from prayer — for prayer is said standing (עמידה) and requires one to tarry, whereas the ק״ש, whose essential kavana is the first verse, is easily done.

Séif 2 — נשים ועבדים וקטנים: women, slaves and children

נשים ועבדים אף על פי שפטורים מקריאת שמע חייבים בתפלה, מפני שהיא מצות עשה שלא הזמן גרמא; וקטנים שהגיעו לחינוך חייבים לחנכם.
Séif 2: women and slaves, although they are exempt from the קריאת שמע, are obligated in prayer, because it is a positive mitzva not bound by time (מצות עשה שלא הזמן גרמא); and children who have reached the age of education — one is obligated to educate them (to pray).
Women and slaves are exempt from the ק״ש, which is a positive mitzva bound by time (day and night). But prayer is presented here as a positive mitzva not bound by time (מצות עשה שלא הזמן גרמא) — a plea for mercy that may be offered at any moment; that is why they are obligated in it. As for the children of חינוך age, their father is obligated to educate them to pray.

Séif 3 — תורתו אומנתו: one whose Torah is his occupation

מי שתורתו אומנתו כגון רבי שמעון בן יוחאי וחביריו מפסיק לקריאת שמע ולא לתפלה, אבל אנו מפסיקין בין לקריאת שמע בין לתפלה.
Séif 3: one whose Torah is his occupation, like Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his colleagues, interrupts (his study) for the קריאת שמע but not for prayer; but we interrupt both for the קריאת שמע and for prayer.
One whose Torah is his occupation (תורתו אומנתו), in the image of רשב״י וחביריו, interrupts his study for the ק״ש (accepting the yoke of Heaven) but not for prayer — for study is his very life, and prayer is a plea concerning the needs of this world. But we, who are not at that level and often interrupt our study, interrupt for both — for the ק״ש as for prayer.
The siman in one sentence: whoever is exempt from the ק״ש is exempt from prayer (עוסק במצוה), except the מלווי המת who are obligated in the ק״ש and exempt from prayer; women and slaves are obligated in prayer (מ״ע שלא הזמן גרמא) and one educates the children of חינוך age; finally, one whose Torah is his occupation interrupts for the ק״ש and not for prayer, but we interrupt for both.

Practical cases

Case 1 — Escorting the dead

Situation: he escorts a deceased to burial while the time for prayer is passing. Must he pray?
Conduct: those escorting the dead are exempt from prayer (מלווי המת), even those whom the bier does not need, since they cannot tarry for the standing Amida; but they remain obligated in the ק״ש, which is short and whose essence is easily done. For the exact modalities (before or after the burial), one follows one's Rav.

Case 2 — The prayer of women

Situation: is a woman obligated in prayer like men, although she is exempt from the ק״ש?
Conduct: according to the siman, women and slaves are obligated in prayer, for it is here a positive mitzva not bound by time (מ״ע שלא הזמן גרמא) — a plea for mercy. The exact measure of this obligation (which prayers, how many times) is discussed among the Poskim; on this point one follows the custom and the ruling of one's Rav.

Case 3 — One whose Torah is his occupation

Situation: someone studies without pause: must he interrupt his study to pray, like רשב״י?
Conduct: only one whose Torah is truly his occupation (like רשב״י וחביריו) interrupts for the ק״ש and not for prayer. We, on the other hand, interrupt for both — for the ק״ש as for prayer — for we are not at that level. To determine who falls under תורתו אומנתו, one follows one's Rav.

Comprehension questions

Check your understanding:
  1. What is the general rule linking the exemption from the ק״ש and that of prayer, and on what principle does it rest (seif 1)?
  2. Why are those who escort the dead exempt from prayer although they are obligated in the ק״ש?
  3. Why are women and slaves, exempt from the ק״ש, obligated in prayer (seif 2)?
  4. What is חינוך and who is bound to ensure it?
  5. How does one whose Torah is his occupation differ from us regarding interruption (seif 3)?

Going further

If you wish to deepen this siman:
Continue to the next simanSiman 107 →
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DAAT · רב יוסף חיים סממה

סימן ק״ו · ג׳ סעיפים · Level 1 — Introduction
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