125. Tashlumin

21:1 We have previously explained, in chapter 18, that if one intentionally delayed so that he missed the time for prayer, he cannot make up this missed prayer. If he was prevented by circumstances beyond his control, or if he made an error in his prayers, requiring him to Shemoneh Esrei and now the hour has passed, one says a compensatory prayer (tashlumin) following the regular Shemoneh Esrei of the next prayer service. In such a case, one says the proper prayer for the time in which he is praying, then the one he missed. For example, if one was prevented from davening shacharis, then when mincha time comes, he first says Shemoneh Esrei for mincha, followed by Tachanun. He then says Ashrei and another Shemoneh Esrei, to compensate for the one he missed at shacharis. If he missed mincha, when he davens maariv, he does not say Ashrei. Instead, he says his maariv Shemoneh Esrei, waits the time it takes to walk four paces (six feet), then immediately says another Shemoneh Esrei prayers to make up for the mincha he missed. If one missed maariv, then after the Shemoneh Esrei of shacharis, he says Tachanun, Ashrei, and another Shemoneh Esrei, to make up for the missed maariv. After this, he continues with Lamnatzeiach and U’va l’Tziyon as per usual. Just as one may not eat in the morning before saying his regular Shemoneh Esrei, he likewise must complete his compensatory prayer. (While one should not interrupt between his normal Shemoneh Esrei and his make-up prayer, Mishnah Brurah 108:11 clarifies that the reader’s repetition of Shemoneh Esrei is not considered an interruption since it is still “on-topic.”) 21:2 If one did not say Shemoneh Esrei because he thought he still had time to finish what he was doing, or if one was preoccupied with his business, fearing he would lose money, with the result that he missed the time to pray, even though he should have been more careful, this is still considered “circumstances beyond his control” and he may say a compensatory prayer. The same is true if one missed prayers because he was intoxicated, even if he started drinking when it was already time to pray. Even though it ought not be done, if he did it, it is considered beyond his control and he may say a tashlumin.

Did you miss a tefillah? Find out more about making up for missed davening here.