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Thought for the Day: Once Again -- Davening כוותיקין is a Super Power

There is nothing like davening just at sunrise. Mind you, I've rarely actually seen a sunrise these last 30 years; that's because I am davening at that moment and have much more important things on my mind. For those of us who daven כוותיקין regularly, it becomes a passion.

By passion I mean that it is very difficult to start the day any other way. Fortunately, that isn't much of a problem, even when traveling. First, it is usually (though not always) earlier than any other minyan (especially on Shabbos). That means I can (nearly always) daven כוותיקין and then get to the, ahem, later minyanim for Torah reading, musaf, etc. What about davening with a minyan you ask? Ah... davening כוותיקין is a super power -- it trumps davening with a minyan! In fact, even if a person did not have his t'fillin, one who is careful to daven כוותיקין should daven with הנץ החמה. See Biur Halacha to siman 59, ומצווה מן המובחר וכו. (I love the Google translation of that: a command from the Elite; my capitalization.)

There is one tricky situation, though. Sometimes people either want to help out a group needs to travel early, or whatever; and they decide to put together a minyan to daven כוותיקין. Wonderful! Best of both worlds. One little problem: That sort of minyan often misses the moment of sunrise by a minute or two or four. Not a big deal if they are early. In that case I can just wait. The problem is when they are running late. Why? Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim siman 90, syef 10: When standing with the congregation, אסור להקדים תפילתו/it is forbidden to start one's t'filla earlier than the congregation.

What to do? The Dirshu Mishna Brura actually addresses this situation. See Dirshu note 11 on siman 59 on that same Biur Halacha. R' Elyashav, zt"l, felt one should not advance his t'fila, but should say kri'as shema before הנץ החמה/sunrise, as that is the main point intention of the וותיקין. R' Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, zt''l, felt one should step out to daven with הנץ החמה. What do I do?

I asked R' Fuerst, who told me to go ahead and daven in the shul and start my t'fila with הנץ החמה. I asked what was the case of the Shulchan Aruch to not advance one's t'filah? The rav answered, for anyone not davening כוותיקין. I looked back for myself at the Mishna Brura 90, sk 35, where he concludes: The ma'amar mordechai says there is not intrinsic prohibition, just that one thereby loses t'fila b'tzibbur. Ahh... but as noted above, davening כוותיקין beats t'fila b'tzibbur.

Like I said, davening כוותיקין is a super power.

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