Beginning Ma’ariv this past Motz’ei Shabbos (Saturday night), December 4th, in the Diaspora, in the b’rachah of Bareich Aleinu, we say V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah (Israeli pronunciation: V'tein) instead of V’sein B’rachah.[1],[2] . In Israel, we begin on the 7th of Cheshvan, almost a month ago.
If one did not say V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah as required, the correct procedure is dependent upon when one realizes one’s error, as follows:
If one realized one’s error before saying Hashem’s Name at the end of the b’rachah of Bareich Aleinu (i.e., Baruch Attah Hashem), one should go back to the words V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah and continue from there.[3]
If one already said Hashem’s Name at the end of the b’rachah of Bareich Aleinu, one should not go back to V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah; rather, one should continue reciting Sh’moneh Esrei as usual until the b’rachah of Shema Koleinu. Then, in the b’rachah of Shema Koleinu, one should insert the words V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah (see note)[4] just before the words Ki Attah Shomei’a, and continue davening from there. (But see note.)[5]
If one did not insert V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah before the words Ki Attah Shomei’a but realized one’s omission before saying Hashem’s Name at the end of the b’rachah of Shema Koleinu (i.e., Baruch Attah Hashem), one should say V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah, go back to Ki Attah Shomei’a and continue from there.[6]
If one already said Hashem’s Name at the end of the b’rachah of Shema Koleinu, one should say the words לַמְּדֵנִי חֻקֶּיךָ (Lam’deini Chukecha),[7] then say V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah. One should then go back to Ki Attah Shomei’a and continue from there.[8]
If one already finished the b’rachah of Shema Koleinu (see note)[9] but realized one’s omission before beginning the next b’rachah (Retzei), one should say the words V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah at that point and simply continue reciting Sh’moneh Esrei with the b’rachah of Retzei.[10]
If one already began the b’rachah of Retzei and realized one’s omission before saying the “Yih’yu l’ratzon....” that immediately precedes Oseh Shalom at the end of Sh’moneh Esrei,[11] one should go back to the beginning of the b’rachah of Bareich Aleinu and say V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah in the proper place in the b’rachah of Bareich Aleinu.[12] One should then continue reciting Sh’moneh Esrei from there, saying all the b’rachos that follow Bareich Aleinu in the regular order, despite having said them already.
If one did not realize one’s omission until one said the pasuk (verse) “Yih’yu l’ratzon....” that immediately precedes Oseh Shalom at the end of Sh’moneh Esrei, even if one did not take three steps back, one is considered to have finished Sh’moneh Esrei[13] without saying V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah, and one must, therefore, repeat the entire Sh’moneh Esrei from the beginning, and say V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah in the proper place in the b’rachah of Bareich Aleinu.[14]
Prior to Ma’ariv on January 3rd (within 30 days from December 4th), if one is unsure whether or not one said V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah, one must assume one did not say it, and one should follow the guidelines above. (See, however, one exception, below.) Beginning with Ma’ariv on January 3rd, one may assume that one said V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah as required.[15] But see note.[16]
It is possible to “train” oneself to say V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah to ensure that one will say it every time one recites the weekday Sh’moneh Esrei. One does so by saying V’es Kol Minei S’vu’asah L’tovah V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah[17] 90 times (but see note).[18] If one “trains” oneself and later davens Sh’moneh Esrei and is unsure whether or not one said V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah, one may assume that one said it as required. See note.[19]
Prior to Ma’ariv on January 3rd, if one knows for certain that one intended – before starting Sh’moneh Esrei – to say V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah as required but “long afterwards” (see note)[20] one becomes unsure whether or not one said V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah, one may assume that one indeed said V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah. If, however, one became unsure during Sh’moneh Esrei or immediately after finishing Sh’moneh Esrei,[21] one must assume that one did not say V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah, despite having intended – before beginning Sh’moneh Esrei – to say it. See note.[22]
Sources:
[1] Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 117:1. In Israel, more rain is required for the crops (Mishnah Berurah 117:5), so the requirement to say V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah begins much earlier, at Ma’ariv of the night of Marcheshvan 7. In the Diaspora, however, we begin saying V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah at Ma’ariv of the sixtieth day (inclusive) from Tekufas Tishrei (S.A. O.C. 117:1; M.B. 117:4). (Tekufas Tishrei is the halachic Autumn Equinox, which is different than the astronomical Autumn Equinox.) This year, Tekufas Tishrei fell out in the morning on October 7, which coincided with Cheshvan 1. The sixtieth day from Cheshvan 1 (inclusive) is Teves 1. Thus, we begin to say V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah at Ma’ariv of Teves 1, which is at Ma’ariv on December 4th.
[2] We continue saying V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah until Pesach (Passover).
[3] M.B., end of 117:15; Bi’ur Halacha 114:6 s.v. Bamakom Shenizkar, citing Pri Megadim.
[4] Shulchan Shlomo (117:4) and Aruch HaShulchan (O.C. 1117:6) rule that whenever one inserts the words V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah one should also say also the words Al P’nei Ha’adamah.
[5] S.A. O.C. 117:5; M.B. 117:15-16. See note 8. If one is concerned that one might forget to say V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah in the b’rachah of Shema Koleinu, one may instead finish the b’rachah of Bareich Aleinu (by saying the words Mevareich Hashanim) and say V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah before beginning the next b’rachah (T’ka B’shofar); see Ishei Yisrael (n.e. 23:44 note 177). (See also Shulchan Shlomo 117:4 and Aruch HaShulchan O.C. 114:10 who rule such always, seemingly even if one is not concerned that one might forget to say it later.) If one does so, one should preferably also insert the words V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah in the b’rachah of Shema Koleinu so as to satisfy all opinions. See also previous note.
[6] See Bi’ur Halacha 114:6 s.v. Bamakom Shenizkar.
[7] Once one says Hashem’s Name at the end of the b’rachah, one should be required to finish the b’rachah by saying the concluding words “Shomei’a Tefilah” so as not to say Hashem’s Name in vain. However, there is a pasuk (verse) in Tehilim (Psalms 119:12) that – in its entirety – consists of the words בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' לַמְּדֵנִי חֻקֶּיךָ (Baruch Attah Hashem Lam’deini Chukecha – Blessed are You, Hashem, teach me Your statutes). Thus, saying the words Baruch Attah Hashem can be considered the start of the recitation of that pasuk, which may be finished by saying the concluding words לַמְּדֵנִי חֻקֶּיךָ (Lam’deini Chukecha). After doing so, one may then say V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah and continue with Ki Attah Shomei’a. See note that follows.
[8] M.B. 117:19. This allowance, which is not agreed to by all Poskim (halachic authorities), is permitted by many Poskim only in this case, since if we were to not permit doing so, remedying the omission would necessitate going back to Bareich Aleinu and repeating many b’rachos (per the halacha presented below in the article). This allowance is not permitted in the case (mentioned earlier in the article) in which one did not say V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah in the b’rachah of Bareich Aleinu and realized one’s error after having said Hashem’s Name at the end of the b’rachah of Bareich Aleinu, since one is able to rectify the error by merely inserting the words V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah in the b’rachah of Shema Koleinu, without repeating any b’rachos (per the halacha presented above in the article); cf. note 5. See Ishei Yisrael n.e. chapter 23, note 175.
[9] If one did not yet finish the b’rachah but said the word Shomei’a that follows Hashem’s name (or even just began saying the word Shomei’a), it is questionable whether one may say the words לַמְּדֵנִי חֻקֶּיךָ to allow oneself to say V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah in middle of the b’rachah (per the halacha presented above in the article), even if one would be able to say the words לַמְּדֵנִי חֻקֶּיךָ within toch k’dei dibbur (approximately 1–3 seconds); see Eishel Avraham (Buchatch) 422:1.
[10] S.A. O.C. 117:5.
[11] This Yih’yu l’ratzon is sometimes referred to as the “second Yih’yu l’ratzon” to distinguish it from the first Yih’yu l’ratzon, which is proper to say before the beginning of Elokai-Netzor.
[12] S.A. O.C. 117:5.
[13] There is a dispute in the Poskim whether one is considered to have finished Sh’moneh Esrei when one begins the pasuk of Yih’yu l’ratzon (Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 76:18), or when one completes it (Pri Megadim, Eishel Avraham 422:2).
[14] S.A. 117:5; M.B. 117:18; cf. Aruch HaShulchan O.C. 117:7-8. There is a dispute amongst the Poskim whether when repeating Sh’moneh Esrei one need say the opening pasuk of Hashem Sefasy Tiftach; see Dirshu Mishnah Berurah n.e. 111:1 note 3.
[15] See S.A. O.C. 114:8. The reason is that after 30 days have gone by, we assume that one became accustomed to saying the newly required text; see M.B. 114:37 with Sha’ar Hatziyun 114:28. If one serves as the Sh’liach Tzibur (Chazan) during the 30 days for weekday Shacharis (the Morning Prayer) or Minchah (the Afternoon Prayer), the cutoff date could be earlier (Sha’arei Teshuvah 114:15; Aruch HaShulchan O.C. 114:14); see also Kaf Hachayim 114:51.
[16] See previous note. If one knows for certain that at Ma’ariv of January 3rd (or afterwards) that one is not properly accustomed to saying the new text, the Poskim disagree whether or not one should consider oneself accustomed halachically (see Dirshu Mishnah Berurah note to 114:37); cf. note 19, below. Conversely, if one knows for certain that even before 30 days have passed by that one is properly accustomed to saying the new text, one may consider oneself to be accustomed halachically (see Dirshu Mishnah Berurah ibid.).
[17] Shulchan Shlomo (117:4) says to say also the words Al P’nei Ha’adamah.
[18] M.B. 114:40. The Chasam Sofer rules (cited in M.B. 114:41) that one should practice 101 times. The Mishnah Berurah (ibid.) writes that it is preferable to do so, but that if one practiced only 90 times, one may consider oneself to have trained oneself properly.
[19] If one knows for certain that even after one has practiced 90 times that one is not properly accustomed to saying the new text, one should not consider oneself accustomed halachically until such time that one knows that one is accustomed to saying it (see Dirshu Mishnah Berurah note to 114:41); cf. note 16, above.
[20] It is not clear how to define “long afterwards” and even whether it is dependent on finishing Sh’moneh Esrei (Sh’miras Shabbos K’hilchasah vol. 2, chapter 57 note 17).
[21] M.B. 114:38. See, however, Sh’miras Shabbos K’hilchasah (vol. 3, page 74 – comments on chapter 57 note 17) where he challenges this part of this ruling – based on the Mor Uktziah, the original source of this halacha cited in the Mishnah Berurah – and opines that perhaps if one did not become unsure until after one finished Sh’moneh Esrei – even immediately afterwards – one may assume that one indeed said V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah.
[22] If one intended immediately before starting the b’rachah of Bareich Aleinu to say V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah as required, and even shortly afterwards becomes unsure whether or not one said V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah, it is probable that one may assume that one indeed said V’sein Tal U’Matar Livrachah as required (V’Aleihu Lo Yibol chapter 114 in the name of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, cited in Ishei Yisrael n.e. chapter 23, end of note 134).
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