Torah

Question: Is the chazan required to daven his silent Sh’moneh Esrei in the same nusach as the tzibur and with which he will use for Chazaras HaShatz?

 Short Answer: While the chazan must daven Chazaras HaShatz in the same nusach of the tzibur, many poskim allow him to daven his silent Sh’moneh Esrei in his own nusach. Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l, however, required even the private Sh’moneh Esrei to be the same nusach as the tzibur.

Question: May a person wearing shorts serve as the chazan? 

Short Answer: Most poskim hold that a chazan should not wear shorts, while some poskim allow it if it is the norm for that tzibur to wear shorts.

Question: A man is saying Kaddish for a grandparent. Does he have the right to join the rotation of men serving as chazan, each in memory of a parent? Does it matter whether he is saying Kaddish for his maternal or paternal grandparent?

Question: May one serve as chazan if he has a family member who is no longer shomer Torah u’mitzvos (i.e., “off the derech”)?

Short Answer: According to the Rambam, he would not be allowed to serve as chazan, yet many Acharonim believe that the ruling of the Rambam is limited to very specific circumstances.

Question: May a chazan sing non-Jewish tunes during davening?

 Short Answer: According to many poskim, a chazan may not sing non-Jewish tunes, especially if the tune originated from another religion’s hymn.

Question: May a non-observant Jew serve as the chazan?

Short Answer: While it is certainly preferable to have a shomer Torah u’mitzvos serve as the chazan, there is room to be lenient in many circumstances and to allow a non-observant Jew to serve as the chazan.