One is davening Shmoneh Esrei and forgot to say one of the phrases that are seasonally added, e.g., V’sein Tal Umatar Livracha, and he has completed the bracha. He doesn’t know the halacha as to where he should add the words he has forgotten. May he go to the back of the shul in the middle of his em>Shmoneh Esrei and look up the halacha? May he ask the Rav what the halacha is?

These questions were raised by the Chayei Adam (Klal 25:9). He rules that he may look up the halacha. As far as interrupting his davening by asking the Rav, the Chayei Adam first writes “tzarich iyun” – it requires more research, but then concludes that “it appears to me to be permitted.” In his commentary Nishmas Adam, the Chayei Adam explains that the halachic precedent for his ruling is the halacha we find in Maseches Brachos 40a: Any speech required for a bracha is not considered an interruption. For example, one can ask for salt to be brought even after reciting Hamotzi and it is not considered an interruption between his blessing of Hamotzi and his partaking of the bread since the bread needs to be dipped in salt. The same applies to anything required for tefilla such as finding out the halacha.

The Emek Bracha by Rav Aryeh Leib Pomeranchik, zt”l (p. 11) strongly disagrees. There is a basic difference in this regard between tefilla and other brachos. True, anything needed for the bracha does not constitute an interruption, but tefilla is different. As we learned in a previous Halacha Yomis, Rav Chaim Solovetchik, zt”l argues based on the Rambam that tefilla requires the constant awareness that one is standing in the presence of the Shechina. Any interruption, whether it be looking in a sefer or asking a Rav a shayla, breaks that awareness. The tefilla has abruptly ended.

It is obvious that one should study the halachos of tefilla in advance and be proficient in these areas so that such questions do not arise in the middle of davening.

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