Siman 292

We say 'Ashrei' and 'Uva LeTziyon', for on every day we say them in Shacharit, and on Shabbat, since in any case there is length in Shacharit—they left it for Mincha. And we say a half Kaddish. And afterwards we say the verse 'Va'ani Tefilati', based on the Midrash that previously it is written: 'Those who sit in the gate talk about me, and I am the song of drunkards,' David said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Even though we have drunk—'as for me, may my prayer be unto You, Hashem.' That is to say, that other people drink and become intoxicated and engage in revelry, but I, when I drink—I engage afterwards in Torah and prayer. Therefore, on Yom Tov, when there is no reading of the Torah—we do not say it; and furthermore, the 'time of favor' is only on Shabbat at Mincha, and it is called in the Zohar (Shemot page 88b) 'the favor of favors', and this is only on Shabbat as is known. Therefore, on Shabbat, even when one prays in private or in a place where there is no Sefer Torah—nevertheless we say it (see Magen Avraham subsection 1), and so it is in Zohar Terumah.

And the shaliach tzibbur says half kaddish and they take out the sefer Torah, and they say "Vayehi Binsoa HaAron," "Berich Shmeih," "Gadlu," etc., and they do not say "Shema Yisrael" as in Shacharit, and I do not know the reason for this. And perhaps because in Masekhet Soferim chapter 14 it is explained that it is upon the maftir to say "Shema Yisrael," see there, and therefore when there is no maftir—they do not say it. And they stand when they take out the sefer Torah, and likewise during the time of kaddish they are accustomed to stand, and automatically they also stand during the time of the saying of "Va'ani Tefillati," as it is not worthwhile to sit for a few moments. And there is one who says that it is proper to stand during the time of the saying of "Va'ani Tefillati" (Sha'arei Teshuva), and I do not see any reason for this, and the custom is because of the reason we explained.

And they read from the Torah from the coming weekly parashah ten verses for three men: a Kohen, a Levi, and an Yisrael, and this is from the enactment of Ezra for the sake of those who sit at street corners, as has been written in siman 135. And he does not say Kaddish after the reading, because afterwards they do not say anything, for that which they say "A Psalm of David, The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof," and "And when it rested he would say" - is not from the essence of the law, and if they were to say Kaddish after the reading - there would be nothing upon which to say Kaddish before the lectern prior to the prayer, and therefore they left the Kaddish of the Torah reading to be said before the prayer. And so it is in all Torah readings of Mincha, such as on a public fast and on Tisha B'Av and Yom Kippur, and all is for the reason we explained. And after the return of the Sefer Torah to the Heikhal, the shaliach tzibbur stands and says Kaddish and the congregation prays, and the shaliach tzibbur repeats the prayer in a loud voice, and they say Kedushah. (And there are those where the shaliach tzibbur says Kaddish and the congregation prays before they bring the Sefer Torah into the Heikhal, and it is not proper to do so, for behold the one carrying the Sefer Torah passes before those who are praying.)

And also a Yom Tov that falls on Shabbat—we read from the parashah of the week and not regarding the matter of Yom Tov, for there is no reading on Yom Tov, and only the prayer is of Yom Tov. And we pray 'Atah Echad', and the essence of the prayer is 'Retzei Vi'menuchatenu' 'Meadesh HaShabbat', but we precede with 'Atah Echad' as in all the prayers of Shabbat, which we precede first. And they instituted three things: 'Atah Kidashta', 'Yismach Moshe', 'Atah Echad' corresponding to three Shabbats: 'Atah Kidashta'—corresponding to the Shabbat of Creation, 'Yismach Moshe'—corresponding to the Shabbat of the giving of the Torah, and 'Atah Echad'—corresponding to the Shabbat of the future. (Tur) And we say 'U'mi Ke'amcha Yisrael etc.', and it is brought in the Midrash: Three testify about one another, the Holy One, Blessed be He, Israel, and Shabbat. The Holy One, Blessed be He, and Israel testify about the Shabbat that it is a day of rest, Israel and Shabbat testify about the Holy One, Blessed be He, that He is One, the Holy One, Blessed be He, and Shabbat testify about Israel that they are unique (ibid.).

And we say: "Abraham shall rejoice, Isaac shall exult, Jacob and his sons shall rest therein," as it is stated in the Midrash: "The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice" (Proverbs 23:24) - this is Abraham at the time he was given the tidings "this one shall not inherit you" - joy came. And he rejoiced in his heart, as it is said: "And Abraham fell upon his face and laughed." And since this verse refers to Abraham, and it is written therein "father of the righteous" - Isaac was the righteous one, and regarding the righteous it is written: "Exult, O righteous" - and this is "Isaac shall exult." "Jacob and his sons shall rest therein," for it is written regarding him: "And he encamped before the city," and they said in the Midrash: This teaches that he established boundaries while it was yet day - this implies that Jacob and his sons kept the shabbat. But regarding Abraham and Isaac, not all of their sons kept it, for neither Ishmael nor Esau kept the shabbat. "And grant us as an inheritance in love and in favor Your holy shabbat," and some say "Your holy shabbats." And also "and they shall rest in them," because in Mincha the day and the night are included, as it is at the end of the day and close to the night.

After the repetition of the Shliach Tzibbur, it is the custom to say the three verses of Tzidkatkha: "Tzidkatkha tzedek," "Vetzidkatkha asher asita," "Tzidkatkha keharerei el." This is a form of justification of the Divine judgment for three righteous ones of the world who passed away on Shabbat at the time of Mincha: Yosef, Moshe, and David. And although there are proofs that Moshe our teacher died on the eve of Shabbat, for he wrote thirteen Torah scrolls on the day of his death as is explained in the Midrashim—nevertheless, the truth is so, that he died on the eve of Shabbat and was lying in the wings of the Shekhinah until Shabbat at the time of Mincha, and then he was hidden at the hour of the time of favor (Bach and Asarah Maamarot). The Sephardim say "Tzidkatkha keharerei" first and "Tzidkatkha tzedek" at the end, and so it is according to the order of the psalms in Tehillim. The Ashkenazim say "Tzidkatkha tzedek" first, and it seems to me because this verse corresponds to Moshe our teacher, as the conclusion of the verse is "and Your Torah is truth," and therefore they prioritized it out of respect for him.

And if it falls on a day that, were it a weekday, they would not say tachanun—such as Rosh Chodesh, or the eve of Rosh Chodesh, or other days on which they do not say tachanun—they do not say Tzidkat-cha VeTzidkat-cha. And they are accustomed not to establish a midrash between mincha and maariv, out of respect for Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, and for Joseph and David, for when a sage dies, his beit midrash is idle. And there is no concern except for a group, but not for one or two who are occupied with Torah. And they say Pirkei Avot in the summer, and in the winter "Barchi Nafshi" and Shirei HaMa'alot, and some are accustomed to say psalms of Tehillim toward evening, and "Ashrei Temimei Derech" and "Lamnatzeach BiNginot," and every place according to its custom. (And the Perisha wrote that since they eat seuda shlishit between mincha and maariv, they also establish a midrash; and the Ma'adanei Yom Tov wrote that the Maharal of Prague would deliver a discourse between mincha and maariv on Shabbat; so wrote the Eliyah Rabbah, subsection 14, see there; and so wrote the Or Zarua HaGadol, siman 89, from the sages of Reinus.)