Shabbos Bulletin Parshas Vayishlach 5777

Tefilla Halacha

The original word for what we usually call the chazzan is the “sh’li’ach tzibbur”.

What does “chazzan” mean, and where does it come from?

Mishneh Berureh, end of siman 53, brings that the root of the word is the Aramaic for seeing (חזא), and the sh’li’ach tzibbur (chazzan) has to see to it that he davens properly!

משנה ברורה סימן נג ס”ק פז
וקורין ש”ץ חזן שצריך לראות האיך יקרא, ותרגום וירא וחזי (רד”א)