On Chanukah, what is the halacha if you forgot to recite על הנסים in Shemone Esre? More specifically, if you realize this mistake after finishing the bracha of הטוב שמך ולך נאה להודות?

Question: On Chanukah, what is the halacha if you forgot to recite על הנסים in Shemone Esre? More specifically, if you realize this mistake after finishing the bracha of הטוב שמך ולך נאה להודות?

Answer: (see below for image of the tefila)

As a way of introduction, על הנסים (on both Chanukah and Purim) belongs to a category of additions to tefilla that if one had finished Shemon Esre and forgot to recite them, he would not have to go back and repeat the Shemone Esre. Other things in this category would be יעלה ויבא בערבית של ראש חודש (not on Chol Hamoed) and עננו on public fast days.

There is a fundamental statement by the Piskei HaRosh that says that when it comes to the above category, since you do not have to repeat Shemone Esre for them, once you complete the relevant bracha in Shemone Esre, even if you did not begin the next bracha, you should not go back and repeat that bracha. Since it is ok after the fact, repeating the bracha would be a ברכה לבטלה.

Rabbeinu Elchonon, however, argues that the only time you would not repeat it, is if you already began the next bracha. But if you have not started it yet, you can still go back and repeat that bracha with על הנסים. The Rashba quotes this and says that even according to Rabbeinu Elchonon, you would not go back and start the bracha anew, rather you would insert על הנסים right there before starting the next bracha. However, the Rashba himself, the Shibulei Haleket and others argue with this position and side with the Rosh that you should not go back, nor recite על הנסים at that point. Rather, just proceed with Shemone Esre as usual. This is also the opinion of Maran Beit Yosef.

To summarize to this point, when realizing you forgot על הנסים and you realize it after saying הטוב שמך ולך נאה להודות, but before beginning the bracha of שים שלום, there are three potential options:

1.     Go back and repeat from מודים and say על הנסים – everyone agrees NOT to do this

2.     Proceed and do not repeat anything, relying on the fact that forgetting על הנסים on Chanukah/Purim does not hold you back from fulfilling a proper Shemone Esre – this was the opinion of the Rosh above.

3.     Say על הנסים itself right then and there before beginning the bracha of שים שלום. This is the option that Rav Ovadia proceeds to analyze more deeply.

Radvaz first quotes the opinion of not going back as that would be a ברכה לבטלה, but proceeds to argue that is only if you go back and repeat the entire bracha from מודים. But he argues you could recite על הנסים right then and there before starting שים שלום as there is no bracha being repeated so no ברכה לבטלה. He further reasons that there is no concern of הפסק, interruption, as על הנסים is totally relevant to this bracha.

However, the Rashba mention above, argues with that directly and says, שבאמצע התפלה כיון שאינו מחויב לחזור, הוי הפסק אם חוזר, that since you do not have to go back and repeat it, repeating it now would be an interruption to your Shemone Esre. Rav Ovadia quotes a number of poskim who agree with this approach. Most notably Maran Beit Yosef when discussing Maariv on Motsei Shabbat, says that if one were to forget the insertion of אתה חוננתנו and one realizes it after חונן הדעת but before beginning השיבנו אבינו לתורתך, he should not go back and he should not even recite it then and there either. He says the same would apply to the other insertions that one would not have to repeat Shemone Esre for; just proceed with Shemone Esre as is. Rav Ovadia provides a long list of Poskim who concur with this position; just proceed with Shemone Esre, do not repeat the bracha, and do not recite על הנסים between the brachot.

One final point of consideration is will the words למדני חקיך help us in this situation. There is a concept that when one is in the middle of a bracha and has said ברוך אתה ה׳,  and realizes that bracha is not warranted, to avoid a ברכה לבטלה, one should say the words למדני חקיך. The logic is that there is a pasuk in Tehillim (119:12) that says ברוך אתה ה׳ למדני חקיך. So in effect, you have recited a pasuk instead of reciting a bracha you shouldn’t have said. So in our scenario, you say ברוך אתה ה׳ but did not yet say הטוב שמך ולך נאה להודות, could you say למדני חקיך, then go back to Modim and say על הנסים?

Rav Ovadia concludes that you cannot do this. His reasoning is that this tactic should not be implemented in one of our situations where you need not repeat the Shemone Esre as it would constitute a הפסק, interruption. This tactic would only be used in a situation where you would have to repeat Shemone Esre if you do not correct yourself, i.e. in Shachrit Rosh Chodesh if you forgot יעלה ויבא and realize it after saying ברוך אתה ה׳, but before saying המחזיר שכינתו לציון, then you could say לומדני חקיך, go back to רצה with יעלה ויבא.

Summary: Rav Ovadia concludes that:

1.     If you catch your mistake after saying ברוך אתה ה׳, but before saying הטוב שמך, (or any time before this in the paragraph of Modim and ועל כולם), you can stop, go back to  על הנסים and then continue from there as usual.

2.     If you do not catch your mistake in time:

a.     You Should NOT:

                                               i.     Go back and repeat the bracha of Modim

                                             ii.     Say על הנסים between הטוב שמך ולך נאה להודות and שים שלום

                                            iii.     Say לומדני חקיך and repeat the bracha of Modim

b.     You Should:

                                               i.     Proceed and finish Shemone Esre without having said על הנסים.

                                             ii.     Rather than just skipping it entirely, you can insert it at the end of Shemone Esre at the conclusion of “Elokai Netzor” before the pasuk of “Yihyu Leratzon.” One should recite, as follows: “Modim Anachnu Lach Al Ha’Nissim etc.” until the end of the paragraph, after which one should conclude the Shemone Esre.

(Summary based on שו׳׳ת יחוה דעת חלק ה׳ סימן מט׳)