Tachnun When There’s a Chosson in Shul

If a chosson left shul in the middle of chazaras hashatz, is tachnun recited?

By Rabbi Chaim Hillel Raskin, Rov of Anash in Petach Tikvah.

Tachnun is omitted when a chosson is present, as it is his day of rejoicing, and the simcha spreads to all those who rejoice with him. By a first marriage, it is omitted during the first seven days after the wedding, including the eighth day until the time the chupa took place; by a second marriage for both sides, it is omitted during the first 72 hours.

It was once customary that chosson would not go to shul during his sheva brachos as not to cause the community to omit tachnun for an entire week, and they would instead arrange a minyan in his home. The current custom, however, is that the chosson comes to shul, especially since otherwise he probably won’t daven with a minyan.

On the wedding day, some limit the omission of tachnun to the tefila before the chupa, and some add only if the kesuba is signed before shkia. Yet in practice, we omit tachnun the entire day, and many do so even if the kesuba will only be signed at night, since the physical and spiritual preparations for the chupa begin from the morning.

If a chupa is taking place outside the shul while the minyan is davening, since the chosson isn’t present in the shul, it is questionable to omit tachnun in such a case.

Poskim discuss if the chosson is in shul but is davening in a different minyan. It is reported that in the early years, the Rebbe sometimes inquired whether the chosson was davening with the minyan. However, the prevalent custom is to omit tachnun if the chosson is in the same room. A kalla is in the women’s section isn’t a reason to omit tachnun, but if a group of women daven with her at home, they don’t say tachnun.

If the chosson davened with the minyan but left before tachnun, poskim discuss that his davening with them uplifted them to his level that doesn’t require tachnun, and others hold that the joy is specifically if he was there by the silent shmoneh esrei. This opinion may be followed; however, if the chosson didn’t daven with them and he left before tachnun, tachnun must be recited.

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