Minhag Chabad on Borchu After Davening

Ask the Rov: Why do some say borchu at the end of davening and should we do it?

By Rabbi Chaim Hillel Raskin – Rov of Anash in Petach Tikvah

Many communities have the custom of repeating borchu at the end of Shacharis and Maariv, after the last Kaddish or before Aleinu. The simple reason is for the sake of those who may have come late and missed borchu earlier in davening.

The Beis Yosef quotes the custom from the Rivash, who writes that if everyone present has already heard the earlier borchu, it shouldn’t be repeated unnecessarily.¹ Some require a certain number of people who missed borchu or that one who missed it should be the one to lead the recital. However, the common minhag in many communities is to say it always so as not to differentiate.²

The Rivash writes that borchu needn’t be repeated on the mornings of Shabbos and yom tov since people come early enough for the first borchu.³Acharonim note that even if someone missed the borchu in davening, they would have heard borchu from those receiving aliyos.⁴ Based on this, some omit the final borchu on days when the Torah is read.⁵

The Alter Rebbe rules that in batei midrash, where there’s no concern of causing machlokes, the minhag should be not to recite borchu unless someone actually arrived late and didn’t even hear borchu from the aliyos.⁶

The Arizal taught that there are specific kavanos behind the borchu after davening beyond filling in for those who missed the first one, and it should be said even on Shabbos and yom tov. ⁷ Many Sefardim and chassidim follow this opinion.⁸

The Rebbe said that from the Alter Rebbe’s omission of this borchu in his siddur⁹—other than on Friday night— it’s clear that he holds it should not be said. Indeed, it wasn’t ever heard of in Beis Harav to say this borchu, though the reason was not given.¹⁰ Yet, if one is in a shul where it is said, he is obligated to answer (like any davar shebikdusha).

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From The Weekly Farbrengen by Merkaz Anash