94. Interrupting between Sections of Shema

16:2 Between the sections described in 16:1, one may answer “Amen” to any blessing and certainly to Kaddish, Kedusha and Barchu. However, one may not respond “Baruch Hu u’baruch shmo” at these junctures. If a person hears the congregation saying Shema and he is in a different spot in his prayers, he does not say it with them. He does, however, say his prayers out loud in a manner resembling the way in which one says Shema in order to appear as one of the group. 16:3 In the middle of a section, one may not reply “Amen” except after the blessings of HaKeil HaKadosh and Shomeiah Tefillah in Shemoneh Esrei. One may reply “Amen Y’hei Shmei rabbah…” to Kaddish; he may also say “Amen” after “d’amrin b’almah” but not the other Amens in Kaddish. One should not say the introductory paragraph to Kedusha; he should just listen to the shaliach tzibbur. One does respond with the verses “Kadosh, kadosh, kadosh” and “Baruch kavod Hashem,” but nothing else. One may reply to Barchu, including the Barchu said by those receiving aliyos to the Torah. He may also say Amen to the blessings over the Torah. If the congregation says Modim, he should bow and say only the words “Modim anachnu lach” but not the rest of the paragraph. (This appears to be the case between the sections of Shema as well – MB 66:20.) Some authorities permit one to recite the blessing over hearing thunder but others disagree. (Mishnah Brurah 66:19 cites an opinion that one may say the blessing over hearing thunder between sections of Shema and its blessings but not in the middle of a section.)