Errors in Amida - Part 1: Tashlumin

Richard B. Aiken

Introduction to Missed Amida/Tashlumim

If you accidentally miss any amida, you may make up for it (tashlumin)--unless you intentionally missed it.

Regular Days

Missed Ma'ariv Amida

If you accidentally did not say the amida for ma'ariv:

  • Say the normal shacharit amida the next morning with the other men in the minyan.
  • Say ashrei.
  • When the leader begins his repetition of the amida, say the amida along with him, word for word, including kedusha.
  • After saying ha'el ha'kadosh, finish your amida at your own pace.
  • If you are not with a minyan, say ashrei and then repeat the shacharit amida.

Missed Shacharit Amida

If you accidentally did not say the amida for shacharit:

  • Say the normal mincha amida with the other men in the minyan.
  • Say ashrei.
  • When the leader begins his repetition of the amida, say the amida along with him, word for word, including kedusha.
  • After saying ha'el ha'kadosh, finish your amida at your own pace.
  • If you are not with a minyan, say ashrei and then say the mincha amida a second time.

Missed Mincha Amida

If you accidentally did not say the amida for mincha:

  • Say the normal ma'ariv amida with the other men in the minyan.
  • Say ashrei.
  • Say the ma'ariv amida a second time. Skip modim.
  • If you are not with a minyan, say ashrei a second time and repeat the ma'ariv amida.

Note: At the next prayer service, say whatever is the correct amida for that later prayer service, even if it is not the same amida that you missed.

Example: If you miss mincha on Friday, say the ma'ariv service for Shabbat and repeat that amida again.

Note: Once the time for the next amida has passed, you may not make up the missed amida.

Example: If you missed mincha on Thursday, you may only say tashlumin for mincha as long as you may still say ma'ariv, which is daybreak of Friday morning.

Shabbat/Jewish Festivals

Even if you forgot to say a prayer service on Shabbat and Jewish festivals, say the next prayer service amida and repeat THAT amida to make up (tashlumin) for the one you missed--even if it is no longer Shabbat or the Jewish festival.

Exception: There is no tashlumin for musaf. However, you may say musaf until sunset, even if you already said mincha.

Note: If the time for mincha has arrived (½ hour after halachic midday), you must say mincha before saying musaf (but if you could join a mincha minyan later, you may say musaf now).

Situation: You miss Shabbat mincha.

What to Do: Say ata chonantanu in ma'ariv, but only for the first time you say the amida, not the second time (which is tashlumin).

Situation: You forget to say ma'ariv on Saturday night.

What to Do: Say ata chonantanu on Sunday morning in the second amida (which is tashlumin).

If Doubt about Whether You Said Amida

If you are not certain whether you said an amida:

  • On a weekday, assume that you did not say the amida and say it anyway.  Intend that:
    • If you forgot the previous amida, this makes up for it, and
    • If you did say the previous amida, the second one is a nedava (free-will “offering”).
  • On Shabbat and Jewish festivals, do not say the amida twice as tashlumin.

Reason: You may not say a voluntary prayer service (nedava) on these days.

Men who intentionally delayed saying shacharit past the fourth halachic hour of the day still say that amida until midday but if they did not say it by midday, they may not say tashlumin.

Copyright 2015 Richard B. Aiken. Halacha L’Maaseh appears courtesy of www.practicalhalacha.com Visit their web site for more information.