Netanel Frankenthal

02-653-6447

Note: this is a rough draft, written during the weee hours of the morning. I hope it is of use and free of mistakes. Your feedback is welcome – feedback will let me know if to continue making these pamphlets on other topics.
On the first day of Pesach we stop saying mashiv haru'ach umorid hageshem משיב הרוח ומוריד הגשם (in the second blessing of the shmoneh esrei prayer). Some have the custom to say in its' place morid hatal.

One who forgot and mistakenly said mashiv haru'ach umorid hageshem משיב הרוח ומוריד הגשם should correct himself by going back in the blessing and say: "mechayeh meisim ata rav le'hoshia morid hatal mechalcel chaim be'chesed…"

"מחיה מתים אתה רב להושיע מוריד הטל מכלכל חיים בחסד...".

If one has already finished that blessing saying baruch atah Hashem mechayeh hamaitim ברוך אתה ה' מחיה המתים then one has to start the shmoneh esrei again.

If one has forgotten whether or not he made a mistake, we assume that the first 30 days (which equals the first 90 times he says shmoneh esrei, 3 times a day x 30 days) he said what he was accustomed to previously, and made a mistake, and one must repeat the shmoneh esrei.

On Pesach(it actually only comes into play from the second night and on), in the blessing of Barech Aleinu ברך עלינו we start saying v'ten beracha ותן ברכה instead of v'ten tal umatar. If one mistakenly said v'ten tal umatar, one should go back to that blessing. If one has finished shmoneh esrey, one has to repeat the shmoneh esrei.

Here too, if one has forgotten whether or not he made a mistake, we assume that the first 30 days (3 times a day x 30 days = the first 90 times he says shmoneh esrei) he said what he was accustomed to previously, and made a mistake, and one must repeat the shmoneh esrei.