📋 Shiur Overview
Summary of Laws of Prayer and Priestly Blessing – Chapter 5
General Introduction to the Chapter
Chapter 4 enumerated five things that invalidate prayer – things that if one did not fulfill them, the prayer is invalid (clean hands, clean place, intention, etc. – “his prayer is an abomination,” one must pray again).
Chapter 5 goes on to enumerate eight more things that make prayer better, but are not invalidating after the fact.
Five invalidating things plus eight non-invalidating things = thirteen conditions in prayer. The Rambam doesn’t explicitly say the number thirteen, but thirteen is “a nice number.” The list of eight is the Rambam’s own compilation (as are the previous five); for the five the Rambam brings from Rav Saadia Gaon, for the eight we don’t see that he brings a source for the number.
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Law 1 – Eight Things: Overview
The Rambam: “There are eight things that one who prays must be careful about and do them, but if he was pressed or forced or transgressed and did not do them – they are not invalidating.”
Explanation: Eight things one must be careful about initially, but if one is pressed, forced, or even transgresses intentionally – it is not invalidating.
Novel points:
– The Rambam’s language “pressed or forced” is explained: “pressed” means he didn’t have the ability to fulfill the conditions (not that he cannot pray at all – that was the topic in Chapter 4). “Forced” – he couldn’t. And even “transgressed” – intentionally didn’t do it – is also not invalidating.
The List of Eight:
1. Standing – one should stand, and how one should stand.
2. Facing the Temple – praying facing toward the Temple.
3. Preparation of the body – how the body should stand (two feet together, etc.).
4. Preparation of clothing – being well dressed (beyond the basic covering of nakedness/heart which is invalidating).
5. Preparation of the place – a suitable place (beyond the basic non-defiled which is invalidating).
6. Modulation of voice – praying with the right voice: not too loud and not just in the heart.
7. Bowing – when and how one bows in the Amidah.
8. Prostration – bowing down after the Amidah (nefilat apayim).
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Law 2 – Standing
Explanation: One should stand when praying the Amidah.
Novel points:
Why is prayer called “standing prayer”?
“Prayer” means “service,” and service is connected with standing – “seraphim stand above Him.” The King sits and the servants stand. Standing is a sign of servitude – you are a servant, enslaved. This is opposite to the physical intuition (where standing is “higher”), but spiritually standing means you are at a lower level – you serve. “Standing before the King” – we don’t say “sitting before the King.” The Almighty is “King sitting on a high and exalted throne” and you stand before Him. The Baal HaMenoach is brought that prayer = service, and service = standing.
Standing on a ship or wagon
The Rambam says: if one is sitting in a ship or wagon and can stand, one should stand. Does standing on a wagon/ship count as “standing”? – the whole place is moving. Conclusion: The main thing is that you, the servant, are in a “stable state” – you’re not doing anything, you’re standing. It doesn’t matter that the whole place is moving. The principle “riding is like walking” is for other matters; in a wagon/airplane it’s sometimes possible to stand, and that counts.
Riding on an animal
The Rambam: “If he was riding on an animal, even if he has someone who can hold his animal, he should not dismount, but sits in his place and prays”
Explanation: One who rides on an animal need not dismount even when someone can hold the horse, because the mounting and dismounting is a difficult thing that disturbs concentration.
Novel points:
1. Distinction between riding on an animal and wagon/airplane: On an animal one cannot stand at all, but in a wagon, train, or airplane it’s sometimes possible to stand. The main point is not that the place moves, but that the servant must stand – this is a law regarding the worshiper’s state, not the place.
2. Source for a sick person: From this law of riding on an animal we learn that if someone cannot stand (sick person), he remains sitting.
3. Levels of illness: If one is too weak to stand but can concentrate – one should pray sitting. If one cannot even concentrate sitting – one should pray lying down with concentration of heart. The main thing: sitting with concentration is better than standing without concentration.
4. Practical application for airplane: One should sit in one’s seat and pray, not stand in the aisle without concentration.
Thirsty and hungry like a sick person
The Rambam: “Similarly, one who is thirsty or hungry is considered among the sick. If he has the ability to concentrate his mind he should pray, and if not he should not pray until he eats and drinks”
Explanation: A hungry or thirsty person is considered like a sick person. If he can still concentrate – he should pray; if not – he should first eat and drink.
Novel points:
1. Thirsty and hungry is not “preventing things”: “Preventing things” by the Rambam means things of cleanliness (dirty things). Thirsty and hungry is a special category – not that something prevents him, but that he doesn’t have strength to concentrate.
2. Why is this here and not by concentration: Seemingly the law of thirsty and hungry belongs to the previous chapter where we speak of concentration. Answer: Here we’re not speaking of concentration of mind (mental concentration) but of concentration of body – that the body should cooperate and not disturb. This fits together with standing, uncovered legs, and other body-laws that appear in this chapter. The body must be in a state where it doesn’t disturb the prayer.
3. No contradiction to the prohibition of eating before prayer: The Rambam isn’t speaking here of the general prohibition to eat before praying (which comes only in Chapter 6). “Hunger” doesn’t mean he wants to eat breakfast – “hunger” means he feels weak, he can’t concentrate. For example, someone who hasn’t eaten since last night – he is like a sick person and must eat before praying.
4. The Pri Megadim’s distinction: The prohibition of eating before praying is because “afterwards he will drink, this is arrogance” – he takes care of his own pride first and afterwards cares for the Almighty. But when one eats in order to be able to pray – this eating is a preparation for prayer, not arrogance. This is the foundation of the Chabad custom to eat something before praying.
5. Story with R’ Itzikl: R’ Itzikl struggled his whole life to eat a cookie before praying, even when he said he had no strength to eat – because they saw he was weak. This is exactly the Rambam’s law, not just a Chassidic practice.
6. Coffee before praying: Also drinking coffee before praying is on this foundation – it awakens and gives strength to pray.
7. Claim that today concentration isn’t relevant — is rejected: (a) We don’t say one cannot concentrate at all – just that one drifts a bit at a few words. (b) On the contrary – if concentration is difficult, all the more so should one do everything possible (eat, drink) to help with concentration. (c) Even if concentration of mind is difficult, concentration of body – that the body shouldn’t disturb – is still relevant.
8. Shabbat praying late: When one prays Shabbat at ten o’clock (as in Chassidic synagogues), it’s certain that if one doesn’t eat beforehand, most people will be weak – especially when one ate a large meal late at night.
9. Eating in synagogue vs. at home: Eating at home in the morning before praying – that is “this is arrogance.” But eating in synagogue a cookie or drinking coffee – that is clearly a preparation for prayer, no one comes to synagogue to eat a meal.
10. The Rambam’s position on the prohibition of eating before prayer: The Rambam doesn’t hold that it’s a Torah prohibition. Rabbeinu Yerocham holds it’s only an asmachta. The Rambam brings it in Chapter 6.
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Law 3 – Facing the Temple
The Rambam: “If he was standing outside the Land, he turns his face toward the Land of Israel and prays. One standing in the Land of Israel directs his face toward Jerusalem. One standing in Jerusalem directs his face toward the Temple. One standing in the Temple directs his face toward the Holy of Holies.”
Explanation: There are levels of holiness that determine where one turns: outside the Land → Land of Israel; Land of Israel → Jerusalem; Jerusalem → Temple; Temple → Holy of Holies. This is the place of the Divine Presence, the center of the world.
Novel points:
1. The Rambam already mentioned facing the Temple earlier in Laws of Prayer when he speaks of the Torah-period (before the Men of the Great Assembly): “And all would pray facing the Temple.” This is a historical fact from verses. The Rambam is precise that it doesn’t only apply to Jerusalem – even toward the Tabernacle of Shiloh, where the Tabernacle was.
2. The site of the Temple is an absolutely holy place: Often the thought is that “where people sanctify, it becomes holy.” But here we see that there is a place holy in itself – “Your resting place,” “the foundation of Your dwelling,” “the earthly Temple corresponds to the heavenly Temple,” “this is the gate of heaven.” This is a specific place where the Almighty rests.
3. Practical point: Although one is thousands of miles away, “directing one’s heart toward” – one turns the head/heart to that side, and this helps. The Rambam also says “so that he may open a window” – it’s something that helps even from afar.
4. Story of R’ Nachman of Breslov: R’ Nachman said that when one travels and has packages to watch, “east is by the packages” – one must pray where one can watch one’s belongings, not stand by the east and leave the packages unattended. This isn’t just a story – it’s built on the law that concentration is more important than direction, and if one worries about packages one cannot concentrate.
Blind person, one who cannot determine directions, traveling on a ship
The Rambam: “A blind person, or one who cannot determine the directions, or one traveling on a ship — should direct his heart toward the Divine Presence and pray.”
Explanation: One who cannot know which direction to face (a blind person, one without orientation, one on a ship) — should direct his heart toward the Divine Presence.
Novel points:
1. The Rambam’s change of language from the Mishnah: In the Mishnah (Berachot) it says “should direct his heart toward the Holy of Holies,” but the Rambam writes “toward the Divine Presence.” This is a conscious change. Two explanations are proposed: (a) one should imagine the *place* of the Divine Presence (Holy of Holies) in one’s heart, although he doesn’t know the physical direction; (b) one should direct toward the Presence “wherever it is” — the Presence is not bound to a direction, and when one cannot know the place, one directs to the Presence itself, wherever it is. The Rambam intentionally changed from “Holy of Holies” to “the Divine Presence” because he holds that when one cannot know the direction, one is not obligated in a physical direction, but in a concentration of heart toward the Divine Presence.
2. “Direct his heart” here vs. “direct his heart” by concentration: The “direct his heart” here is not the same “direct his heart” of concentration (as if the Presence is before him) that comes later. Here it means directing to the *place* — or to the *direction* — through imagination, when one cannot do it physically.
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Law 4 – Preparation of the Body
The Rambam: “When he stands in prayer — he must direct his feet next to each other, and place his eyes downward as if looking at the ground, and his heart should be free upward as if standing in heaven. And he places his hands on his heart folded, the right on the left. And he stands like a servant before his master in awe and fear and trembling. And he should not place his hands on his loins.”
Explanation: One must stand with feet together, eyes down, hands folded on the heart (right on left), like a servant before his master.
Novel points:
1. “His feet next to each other” — angels and humility: The Gemara brings that this is like the angels stand. But it’s also a humble way to stand — not wide, not in movement, not swaying — but still and straight.
2. “His eyes downward… his heart free upward” — the main novelty: The Rambam’s language “his heart free upward” is a Rambam code-word for “where the person thinks.” The principle is: where a person thinks, there he is. “Upward” means among the angels, toward the Divine Presence — that he imagines he is in heaven. This is connected with the foundation of the Baal Shem Tov: “Where one thinks, there one is.” But even without this foundation one can understand it as imagination — one imagines standing among angels singing to the Almighty.
3. “His eyes downward” — not closing eyes: The Rambam means one should not close the eyes, but look down. This is submission — not looking around, but also not closing.
4. Talmidei Rabbeinu Yonah (first chapter of Berachot): He explains “his heart upward” — “that he should think in his heart as if standing in heaven, and remove from his heart all the pleasures of this world and all bodily pleasures.” He brings the language of “the early ones or the prophets”: “When you want to pray, strip your body and elevate your soul.” Rabbeinu Yonah also gives another explanation — that after one divests from physicality, one must enter the earthly Temple (corresponding to the heavenly Temple). It’s noted that the Rambam would probably not have agreed with Rabbeinu Yonah’s second explanation.
5. “And he should not place his hands on his loins”: This is an arrogant manner. Seemingly, if he already said that hands should be folded on the heart, it’s obviously clear that one doesn’t place them on the sides. But there are levels — the best is hands folded, but at least not hands on the loins.
6. [Digression: Praying with raised hands — spreading of palms:] R’ Kapach brings (in the name of R’ Yaakov Emden) a question: In the Torah and Prophets we see that people prayed with raised hands (spreading of palms), but in halachah it specifically says one should lower the hands. An answer is brought that because the Christians began praying with raised hands, Jews stopped it. R’ Yaakov Emden is not satisfied with this answer. It remains an interesting question — a clear custom from Tanach that disappeared.
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Law 5 – Preparation of Clothing
The Rambam: “He prepares his clothing first, and adorns himself and beautifies himself, as it says ‘Bow to God in the beauty of holiness’. And he should not stand in prayer in his apron, nor with uncovered head, nor with bare feet if the custom of the people of that place is not to stand before important people except with shoes. And in any place he should not hold tefillin in his hand or a Torah scroll in his arm.”
Explanation: One must dress nicely for prayer. Not with a satchel/money belt (apundato), not with uncovered head, not with bare feet (according to local custom). One should not hold tefillin or a Torah scroll in the hands.
Novel points:
1. “Apundato”: Various explanations are brought — a garment with large pockets, a money belt, an undershirt — something that isn’t respectable.
2. “With bare feet” — depends on local custom: The Rambam limits this only to “if the custom of the people of that place is not to stand before important people except with shoes.” That is, bare feet is only a problem if in that place it’s not respectable. But “uncovered head” seems not dependent on local custom — that is a general law.
3. “He should not hold tefillin in his hand or a Torah scroll in his arm”: The reason is because it takes away calmness — he must watch that it shouldn’t fall, and he cannot free himself from it. This isn’t exactly a matter of clothing, but it fits in because it’s similar to “apundato” — something one carries that is burdensome.
4. [Digression: Question about King David:] King David had a Torah scroll always with him (as a king is obligated). How did he pray? Presumably he put it down before praying, or perhaps he had it worn like a garment (not in the hands).
Holding things in the hands — tefillin, Torah scroll, mezuzah, lulav
The Rambam says one should not hold a precious thing in the hands — not tefillin in his hand, not a Torah scroll in his arm, not a mezuzah in his hand — because his heart is troubled by it. But one praying with a lulav in his hand, because this is the mitzvah of the day.
Explanation: Precious things in the hands take away peace of mind — one must watch it shouldn’t fall. Lulav is an exception because it’s the mitzvah of the day.
Novel points — why is lulav different? Three answers:
1. Because it’s the mitzvah of the day, he’s already accustomed to it — he holds it the whole time on the holiday, so it doesn’t take away his mind. Proof: the Gemara says the custom of the people of Jerusalem was to hold the lulav all day — going to comfort mourners, to visit the sick — it didn’t confuse them at all.
2. A novel explanation: lulav is not a disturbance to prayer, because it’s a part of prayer — one says Hallel with it, it’s a part of praying itself.
3. Perhaps because it’s a mitzvah, the burden itself is a mitzvah burden — he looks at it and remembers it’s a day of thanking the Almighty. Such a burden is not separate from prayer, it doesn’t disturb.
Burden on his head
The Rambam says: if it’s less than four kabin, one may pray; more than four kabin — not.
Explanation: He speaks of the ancient custom to carry things on the head. A heavy load on the head disturbs because it doesn’t balance.
Novel points:
– It’s applied to shtreimels humorously: the ancient shtreimels are less than four kabin — obviously one may pray. But today’s shtreimels that weigh a ton — according to this rule one should remove it.
– This is more a topic of honor than burden, but honor and burden are connected.
Wrapping — the way of sages and their students
“The way of sages and their students is to pray while wrapped.”
Explanation: One should be wrapped in a tallit, because the mitzvah of tzitzit has a connection to prayer.
Novel points:
– Is wrapping primarily a preparation of clothing (an honorable way to dress), or is it an extra mitzvah — that he establishes his prayer with many mitzvot? It remains unclear.
– Wrapping can also mean a hat or shtreimel — a head covering is also a way of honor.
– Rama: “A person should always try to be wrapped in a garment obligated in tzitzit, and at the time of prayer one must be especially careful. It is a disgrace for a Torah scholar to pray when he is not wrapped in tzitzit.” — It’s a disgrace only for a Torah scholar, because he knows the mitzvah and can grab another mitzvah. An ignoramus doesn’t know.
– Question about Minchah and Maariv: The Rambam makes no distinction. In the morning one goes with a tallit, at Minchah with a hat — both are wrapping. But this is only a sage and his students; an ordinary Jew doesn’t need a hat when praying, so it says in the Rambam.
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Law 6 (approximately) – Preparation of the Place
Low place
“Preparation of the place how? He should stand in a low place”
Explanation: One should stand on a low, level place — not on a hill or bench. Source: “From the depths I called to You, God.”
And he should turn his face to a wall
“And he should turn his face to a wall”
Explanation: No one should pass before him, he shouldn’t have any distractions.
Windows toward Jerusalem
“And one must open windows or openings toward Jerusalem in order to pray toward them, as it says ‘and windows were open for him’”
Explanation: By Daniel it says his windows were open toward Jerusalem.
Novel points:
– Rabbeinu Manoach says the windows are more so that the soul should rejoice — light brings joy. He brings proof that on a cloudy day they didn’t want to say Tachanun, because a person is gloomy. One opens the windows, the sun shines in, it’s pleasant to pray.
– Question: “Turn his face to a wall” says one shouldn’t have an empty space in front (because people pass by), but windows toward Jerusalem says one should have a window! Answer: In a house where people move around, one prays toward a wall. But if it’s a field or place where no one passes, an empty space with light is a good thing — a settled mind.
– Question: It comes out that he prays east (toward Jerusalem), must the windows also be on the same side? Answer: There’s no contradiction — it can be just a window with a curtain, light comes in but he’s not disturbed by people. Mishnah Berurah on “turn his face to a wall”: one shouldn’t have anything in front. Opening windows also means in a way that one isn’t disturbed.
Establishing a place for prayer
“He should have a fixed place for his prayer always”
Explanation: One should always stand approximately in the same place.
Novel points:
– Dispute of Rishonim (brought in Ketav Sofer): What does “fixed place” mean?
– Rosh (in the name of Yerushalmi): In the synagogue itself one should have a specific place.
– Ketav Sofer himself doesn’t understand — the whole synagogue is a place of prayer! He means that “establishing a place” applies when he prays at home — he should make a special place, a little study hall.
– [Digression: A personal memory — “My father told me that his father had a certain closet, there he would pray Maariv” — this is establishing a place for his prayer.]
One does not pray in a ruin
“And one does not pray in a ruin”
Explanation: One doesn’t pray in a ruin. Two reasons in the Gemara: (1) dangerous place — it might collapse; (2) suspicion — in a ruin one goes to do demon business.
Novel points:
– This applies to praying alone in a ruin, not when there’s a minyan.
– Rabbeinu Yonah brings an important principle about suspicion: we learned in Laws of Repentance that one who suspects the innocent is punished — one may not suspect another Jew. But this is only when the other doesn’t do anything suspicious. If you do something suspicious, you are punished — you caused other Jews to suspect, and you are guilty of their sin of suspecting.
And not behind the synagogue
“And not behind the synagogue, unless he turns his face toward the synagogue”
Explanation: One doesn’t pray behind a synagogue, unless he prays facing the synagogue. When he turns away and doesn’t stand face to face toward the synagogue, it looks like he’s one of the rebels.
Novel point: This is also a matter of suspicion — similar to a ruin. It’s also proposed that “because of suspicion” is actually a “clean language” — it doesn’t only mean that others will suspect you, but it’s a place of temptation. When we say “don’t do it because of suspicion” we mean: don’t go into places where you might actually get caught in suspicion — it’s a way to tell a person he shouldn’t bring himself into temptation.
Not sitting next to one praying
“And it is forbidden to sit next to one standing in prayer… and not behind him and not before him until he distances himself four cubits from him”
Explanation: One may not sit next to, behind, or before someone praying, until one is four cubits away.
Novel points:
1. Why people aren’t careful today: In today’s study halls, where everyone has a fixed place with a bench and table — that is his “four cubits.” The next table is already not in his four cubits. Four cubits is not a “decree of Scripture” — it’s a measure of the person’s private space. When one has a fixed place (bench, table), that is already his place, and the next place doesn’t disturb.
2. The matter of “not before him”: When someone is engaged in other things (at home, for example), and someone passes by with a large pot or mixes something — this takes away the focus of prayer. But in a study hall where everyone prays, it doesn’t disturb as much, because no one is doing other things.
Not praying on a high place
“He should not stand on a high place to pray, not on a bed and not on a chair. And if he was high, if it has four cubits by four cubits which is a domain in itself, it is permitted to pray on it. And similarly if it is a place surrounded by partitions on all sides… it is permitted to pray on it because its height is not noticeable.”
Explanation: One should not stand on a high place to pray, except if the place is four cubits by four cubits (a domain in itself), or if it’s surrounded by partitions.
Novel points:
1. Rabbis who pray on a stage: The Rambam’s permission of four by four is the foundation — if the stage is large enough, it’s a domain in itself.
2. But it’s not the way of humility: Even with the permission of four by four, a problem remains — it’s certainly not “the way of humility” to stand praying on a stage.
3. The real answer — prayer leader: The rabbi stands on the stage because he is the prayer leader for the congregation. Just as the prayer leader stands on the bimah so the congregation can hear him — the stage is not for his honor, but for the honor of the congregation. If a rabbi prayed alone on a stage, it would indeed be problematic.
Workers on a tree
“And if they were working on top of a wall or on top of a tree, they descend below and pray… And if they were on top of an olive tree or on top of a fig tree… they pray in their place because the trouble is great.”
Explanation: Workers on a wall or tree must come down to pray. But on an olive or fig tree, where it’s difficult to come down, they may pray above.
Novel point: The law goes beyond just the matter of place — it also touches on how much one burdens a person in the middle of his work for the sake of prayer.
Workers — for their meal vs. for their wage
If workers work “for their meal only” (paid only with food) — they pray the Amidah. If “for their wage” (paid with money) — they pray “Havineinu” (shorter prayer). “In either case they do not go before the ark and do not raise their hands.”
Novel points:
1. Why for their meal one prays more: When the worker receives only food, one doesn’t have as much pity on the employer — he can let him pray longer. But when he receives wages, one takes away from the employer’s time, therefore he prays shorter.
2. No minyan for workers: The Rambam says that even ten workers together don’t make a minyan — they don’t go “before the ark” and don’t “raise their hands.” The Chinuch answers: “It is the way of the employer to be particular about this” — the employer will be particular about such a long interruption.
3. [Digression: Work in Talmudic times vs. today:] In Talmudic times work in fields was taken very seriously — one had to finish the sowing today, there was no time. But today in an office, going away for an hour to pray Minchah doesn’t disturb livelihood so much.
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Law (approximately 6-7) – Modulation of Voice
The Rambam: “He should not raise his voice in his prayer… and he should not pray in his heart, but should articulate the words with his lips and make them audible to his ears in a whisper, and not make his voice heard, unless he is sick or cannot concentrate his mind until he makes his voice heard.”
Explanation: One should not pray loudly, but also not just in the heart — but say it with the lips, hear for oneself in a whisper, but not that others should hear. A sick person or one who cannot concentrate without hearing himself — may be louder.
Novel points:
1. “Modulation” means the middle way: “Modulation of voice” means “equal” — the middle way, not too loud and not too quiet.
2. Why not loud — not because God doesn’t hear: The Rambam brings that one shouldn’t think the Almighty hears only if one shouts, like the prophets of Baal: “Call out in a loud voice for he is a god, perhaps he is sleeping and will awaken.”
3. Why specifically in a whisper (not just a normal voice)? Several answers:
– Gemara (R’ Yochanan): “Why did they establish prayer in a whisper? So as not to embarrass transgressors” — so one won’t hear which sins someone confesses.
– Prayer is an intimate thing: It’s between a person and God. In Pesukei D’Zimra one shouts — it’s not prayer. The main prayer (Amidah) is when one stands before the King and pours out one’s heart — this is a private thing.
4. Two separate matters: (a) Generally one should pray quietly (matter of privacy/honor), (b) in public — so as not to disturb other people.
5. “And not make his voice heard” — after the fact: Initially everyone must pray quietly. The permission to make one’s voice heard is only after the fact for a sick person or one who cannot concentrate.
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Law (approximately 8-9) – Bowing in Prayer
Five bowings in the Amidah
The Rambam: “One praying bows five times in each and every prayer” — at Avot (beginning and end), at Modim (beginning and end — “Your name is good and to You it is fitting to give thanks”), and at the end of the Amidah.
Explanation: Five times one bows in each Amidah: (1) beginning of blessing of Avot, (2) end of blessing of Avot, (3) beginning of Modim, (4) end of Modim (Your name is good and to You it is fitting to give thanks), (5) when one finishes the Amidah.
Measure of bowing — until all vertebrae of the spine protrude
The Rambam: “One must bow until all the vertebrae of the spine protrude like a bow. And if he bowed a little and pained himself, since it appears as if he is bowing with all his strength – it is sufficient.”
Explanation: One must bow until the back becomes round like a bow. But if one bowed a little and one sees he is bowing with all his strength, it is enough.
Novel points:
– The Rambam means one should bend the back/spine, not just the head. The spine should become round “like a bow” – like a bow.
– Important: The Rambam makes no distinction between “bowing” (kneeling) and “bending” (bowing) in the Amidah – he speaks only of bending the back. He does not say one should kneel on the knees in the Amidah. What children learn to do with the knees – is not in the Rambam.
Steps and giving peace when stepping back
The Rambam: “And when he finishes the prayer he bows and takes three steps backward while he is bowing, and gives peace to his left and afterwards to his right, and afterwards raises his head from the bowing.”
Explanation: One steps back three steps while bowed, gives peace to the left then to the right, and then raises the head.
Novel points:
– What does “giving peace” mean? “Giving peace” means one says peace to the Almighty – like a student who takes leave from his teacher, he says “goodbye,” “all the best, Master of the Universe.” This is the matter of blessing oneself after prayer.
– Why to his left first? The Rambam explains: because his left is the right of the One facing him – his left is the King’s right. One should visualize standing before a King, and one gives peace first to the King’s right (which is the worshiper’s left), then to the King’s left. It’s noted that here lie secrets of the Torah – one first relates to the right – but the simple explanation is as the Rambam says.
[Digression: Entering into prayer — three steps forward]
The Rambam doesn’t bring here how one enters into prayer (three steps forward). The custom of going back and forward (three steps back and three steps forward) is questioned – going out makes sense (one prayed, one goes out), but the entering by first going back is not clear. The answer is that this is a matter of visualizing how one walks three steps to the King – but the Rambam brings this elsewhere.
Bowing by the High Priest and King
The Rambam: “An ordinary person – bows at these four bowings. The High Priest – bows at the beginning of each blessing and at the end of each blessing. A king – prostrates at the beginning and does not raise his head until he finishes his prayer.”
Explanation: Three levels: an ordinary person bows only at the specific blessings; the High Priest bows at each blessing; a king bows once at the beginning and remains bowed until the end of prayer.
Novel points:
– The foundation: The more “power” (importance) a person has, the more humility he must have. The High Priest is more important, he needs more bowings; the king is the most important, he must be bowed the entire prayer.
– An interesting point: A simple person can think “standing before the King,” but the king himself – before whom does he stand? He stands before the King of Kings, and therefore he must bow down even more.
Bowing, kneeling, prostration – three concepts
The Rambam: “Bowing indicates everywhere on his knees. Kneeling on the face. Prostration – spreading hands and feet until he falls on his face to the ground.”
Explanation: Three levels: bowing = on the knees; kneeling = face on the ground; prostration = spread out with hands and feet on the ground.
Novel points:
– A bit of a problem: The Rambam said earlier regarding bowings of the Amidah “until all vertebrae of the spine protrude” – he did not say “on his knees” (on the knees). Now he says that bowing “everywhere” means on his knees. How does this fit?
– Answer (seemingly the straightest explanation): When the Rambam says “everywhere” he means: generally in Torah and the like, bowing means “on his knees.” But the bowing he spoke of earlier in the Amidah is not the bowing that is everywhere – in the Amidah bowing means only bending the back.
– Other opinions want to learn that the Rambam holds that also in the Amidah one must be on his knees actually. But this is rejected: the Rambam himself said that “bowing a little” is enough, and he didn’t mention kneeling on the knees.
—
Law (approximately 10-11) – Nefilat Apayim / Prostration after the Amidah
The basic law
The Rambam: “After he raises his head from the fifth bowing, he sits on the ground and falls on his face to the ground.”
Explanation: After the fifth bowing one sits down on the ground and falls with the face on the ground.
Novel points:
– “Sits on the ground” – why must one sit on the ground? Because in order to do nefilat apayim/prostration one must be on the ground. The sitting is not a mitzvah in itself, but a preparation for nefilat apayim. Also in the Rambam’s time people sat on the ground (local custom).
– Two ways of nefilat apayim: The Rambam says: “There is one who does only kneeling” (only face on the ground), “and there is one who does prostration” (spreading the entire body – face, hands, and feet on the ground).
The nature of nefilat apayim — desperation and self-sacrifice
Nefilat apayim is a strong desperation, like the person tears himself that he must be helped. This is similar to the righteous who said “I won’t leave here until I am helped” — a kind of devotion to prayer. “Let us fall into God’s hand” — one is ready for self-sacrifice.
Prohibition of prostration on stones
Novel point: One may not do prostration on stones (stone floor) except in the Temple – as learned in tractate Avodah Zarah. Therefore, if the study hall has a stone floor, one must place grass (or something else) so one can do nefilat apayim.
An important person and nefilat apayim
The Rambam: “And an important person is not permitted to fall on his face unless he knows in himself that he is righteous like Joshua.”
Explanation: An important person may not fall on his face (do nefilat apayim) unless he knows he is righteous like Joshua.
Novel points:
– Source: About Joshua it says (Joshua 7:6) “and he fell on his face to the ground” – after the defeat at Ai – and the Almighty answered him.
– Reason (from Rishonim, probably Rashba): If an important person, a famous one, makes such a great humility before the Almighty and he is not answered, it is a desecration of God’s name. People will see that he tore himself and it didn’t help. Therefore he should only make a smaller prayer – “lower the expectations.”
– The manner of nefilat apayim: Nefilat apayim is a strong, desperate prayer – not just asking, but supplications with great desperation. One doesn’t tear oneself except if one knows it will succeed. A small nefilat apayim one may do, but “suppress them” — one shouldn’t do it extremely.
Our custom — no real nefilat apayim
Our custom is generally not to do nefilat apayim — we only do something with the hands and nothing more. The main law is that one should lean to the side.
Novel point: The reason we don’t do real nefilat apayim is because everyone is “important” — there is an important person in the community, and an important person may not do nefilat apayim if he’s not certain he will be answered (like Joshua bin Nun). But one doesn’t think one is a “righteous person who suffers.”
Novel point: One can do sitting on the ground — when one sits on the ground it’s easier to be falling on one’s face. The Ramban was harsh on the people who didn’t want to do bowing (falling) because there is furniture – but when one sits on the ground this is not a problem.
Place of nefilat apayim — different from prayer
The Rambam: “He bows his head and prays in this place, and falls on his face in another place.”
Novel point: This is connected with the matter of “prostrating far away” — one needs a larger space for nefilat apayim, it’s a special practice that one goes to another place.
Nefilat apayim alone — when one has trouble
Important novel point for practice: When a person truly has great trouble and wants to do nefilat apayim, he can do it at home — there is no matter at all that it must be in public. It’s compared to Rabbi Eliezer who truly wanted to pray with concentration for a specific thing.
Place for prostration
Novel point: When there is no place, one is exempt from prostration — one must be able to stretch out. This is not just a convenience, but a condition in the mitzvah itself.
When one doesn’t do nefilat apayim
The Rambam: One doesn’t do it on joyful days, as Rabbi Yitzchak said — because nefilat apayim expresses desperation, and in times of joy one doesn’t express sadness.
The simple custom throughout Israel: Not on Sabbaths, not on holidays, not on New Moons, not on Chanukah and Purim, not at Minchah of Sabbath and holiday eves, not on New Moon eve.
Novel point: The intention of nefilat apayim is actually Torah prayer — one means very seriously. Three times a day one cannot do, twice a day is enough. Chassidim don’t even do it at Minchah — for a known reason (not elaborated).
Yom Kippur — nefilat apayim at every prayer
The Rambam: “And on Yom Kippur alone” — only Yom Kippur one does nefilat apayim at each and every prayer, because then is a time of supplication, request and supplications.
Novel point: According to Hagahot Maharam our custom is that we don’t say Tachanun on Yom Kippur (not nefilat apayim in the classic sense). But we do bow at Musaf — this is a remembrance of the High Priest, but it seems it also has to do with real nefilat apayim. There is a kind of prayer called nefilat apayim, not just Tachanun, and Yom Kippur is a good time for it.
Text of nefilat apayim
The main law: One must say what one is supplicating — this is the main thing. In our siddur they inserted a chapter of Psalms as the text, but the main thing is the supplications themselves, not specifically a specific text.
📝 Full Transcript
Laws of Prayer and Priestly Blessing, Chapter 5 – Eight Things the One Who Prays Must Be Careful About
Introduction – Structure of the Laws of Prayer
Rabbosai (gentlemen), we are learning here Laws of Prayer and Priestly Blessing, Chapter 5, the fifth chapter of Laws of Prayer. We must mention such an important patron, the Rav HaGaon HaTzaddik HaNagid Rabbi Yoel Wertzberger, the head of Machon Kerem L’Torah V’Chochma, amen may our eyes see and our hearts rejoice.
Says Reb Yoel, may he live, if you are also a Jew who understands learning, an entrepreneur, and you have money, and you understand how to find a unique shiur (lecture), you love to find such a unique talmid chacham (Torah scholar) like Reb Yitzchak and support him – about myself I cannot speak, it’s not appropriate – do like Reb Yoel, do like Reb Yoel.
Says the holy Rambam, the fifth chapter, the Laws of Prayer is very nicely organized. The Rambam has already laid out the main laws of prayer, and afterwards the order of prayer, the text of prayer. The previous chapter, the fourth chapter, the Rambam laid out five things that invalidate the prayer, which is not just l’chatchila (ideally), but rather if one doesn’t have them the prayer is not a good prayer. For example, if the hands are not clean, or the place is not clean, or one cannot pray with kavana (concentration), then one has not fulfilled the obligation, or the Rambam said about certain things “his prayer is an abomination,” one must pray again.
Now the Rambam is going to lay out other things that are appropriate, that make the prayer, the quality of the prayer better, but if one cannot, then b’dieved (after the fact) it is not invalid. Very good.
Innovation: The Number Thirteen
It’s very interesting, there are another eight things. Eight plus five is how much? Thirteen. It’s the same, there is thirteen is a number that is a beautiful number. The Rambam didn’t say the number thirteen, he says that there are five things that are me’akev (invalidating), and eight that are not me’akev. In total there are thirteen laws of prayer.
There is more about prayer, if it’s not at the proper time, if it’s not at the proper time. The main prayer the Rambam, we said the three things: the text, the time, and how many prayers a day. Three things, one must be precise about the five things. These are details that one could perhaps organize differently, but I think more or less one can put everything into the five things, things that are me’akev. Now there are other things that are not me’akev, but are nice things, it makes it better. Yes?
Says the Rambam, eight things. How did he arrive at this list? Also not, he made it himself. Yes, but the number is eight. Also the previous ones, the five things, is also the Rambam’s own number. The Rambam brings this about the previous one from Rav Saadia Gaon, which I don’t see that here he brings, perhaps about this one there isn’t.
Law 1 – Eight Things the One Who Prays Must Be Careful About
So, says the Rambam, eight things the one who prays must be careful about them, he must pay attention, he must keep in mind the eight things, careful about them to do them, to pray with the conditions, with the eight labors. Says the Rambam that these things are l’chatchila, but if he was pressed or forced, if he was pressed or he didn’t have the mind to be particular about the five things, he wasn’t completely pressed not to pray, yesterday was the language that he becomes pressed and he cannot pray at all, but he couldn’t fulfill the conditions, nevertheless, or he couldn’t, he must stand, he is sick. That these things are l’chatchila matters, but it’s not me’akev. Or even if he transgressed, he did it intentionally, it doesn’t matter. Yes, it is not me’akev, it doesn’t invalidate the prayer.
The List of Eight Things
Says the Rambam, and these are they, and these are they. V’elu hen, these are the things:
1. Standing – the way how one should stand during prayer. That one should stand at all, that for Shemoneh Esrei one must stand, but also how one should stand.
2. Facing the Temple – that one should pray facing the Temple. The Rambam already mentioned a bit that Jews pray towards Eretz Yisrael or towards the place of the Temple. It’s interesting, he mentioned it when he speaks of the Torah law, when he hadn’t yet said the law, he said that from the Torah, which was before, the history from before the Men of the Great Assembly, he said “and everyone would pray facing the Temple,” because this already stands in the verse from earlier. He says this as a historical fact that one would pray toward the place of the Temple. The Rambam is precise that not only even in Eretz Yisrael, but toward the Temple in Shiloh, toward the Mishkan (Tabernacle), where the Mishkan was. We will speak about this, one can speak two ways there. Precisely, because the law is only practically about this. Yes.
3. Preparation of the body – how the body should be, one must be dressed well. No, he’s going to speak… he says standing, he means that one should stand, preparation of the body is that one should stand with two feet one next to the other… Yes. How one should stand.
4. Preparation of clothing – how one should be dressed. The essential thing, one must cover the nakedness and the heart, must be covered, we already learned by me’akev. Here it’s not me’akev, because one should be dressed well.
5. Preparation of the place – the place should be prepared, the place should be ready. This is also, that one should not be in a contaminated place is me’akev, but that it should be a respectable place, that it should be very good, this is already a stringency.
6. Equalizing the voice – that one should pray with a certain nice voice, not shouting… what does it mean one should be quiet. It shouldn’t go higher and lower. The whole time one should pray softly. No, it could be that one should learn in this hidden way. Tell me it means like one should pray in the way of the commandments. He says, not very loud, and also not just in his heart. That’s the meaning. Simply this is the point in the middle of loud and and and whisper. Then one can say, ah, I see, what does the equalization mean that the way of the commandments, is that the right voice? Yes, yes, the right voice. Okay.
7. Bowing – the matter of when one must bow down during prayer, a half, to bend, and how not to prostrate, and when one wants to bend, completely bow down. I see, this is among the other things. Not prostrating means he’s saying the multiple times. We’ll see inside. Yes, bowing, is what one bows in Shemoneh Esrei.
8. Prostration – the first thing like this is what one does after Shemoneh Esrei. Yes. The drama. Okay.
Law 2 – Standing
So now… we’re going to learn… is one of the… I’ll perhaps make numbers, make it easier. Yes. What is standing? Right? The first thing like this is the drama of standing, it is? The drama has standing fallen let them stand forever.
Why is Prayer Called “Tefillat HaAmida”?
When one says, prayer here do we mean Shemoneh Esrei? Everything… everything should stand. They should be standing. They should pray standing. Is prayer called Tefillat HaAmida (the Standing Prayer)? Tefillat HaAmida, yes. Him… in Kabbalah there are other reasons why it’s called Tefillat HaAmida, and like it’s already the last, and from there one doesn’t go higher, that there’s something like that. Okay, but we know that it’s the foundation of the same idea. Yes. Because it’s the most important prayer, which one must do standing.
I don’t know, I understand, and you feel the matter of a servant. That’s the truth. He brings the Beit Menucha, that it says that prayer is called service. What, service and standing, must prayer and standing. Must what the intention of a servant is. A Jew feels this way.
I just want to be practical about why the intention about why one must stand in a servant? For example, in order to concentrate, I don’t see that one concentrates better when one stands, I see when one concentrates better when one sits, I don’t know. But it seems… one concentrates, one doesn’t mean, one can better focus, one concentrates, one can also mean otherwise that one stands tense, one stands like a soldier, how does one say it, that one is now in a certain state of mind of seriousness, one must finish, there’s a certain importance like that. It seems that the… standing before the King, one also says this language. One doesn’t say sitting before the King.
Discussion: The Matter of Standing
But then it makes sense, because the king sits and you stand in front of him.
It could be that there’s a matter of honor, the Almighty is a King sitting on a high and elevated throne, and you stand before Him, standing before the King, and you pray.
Yes, good. There’s a certain… it’s service, it’s a service. Your standing isn’t made…
No, the standing itself is a service.
No, the standing itself is a certain… it’s like the seraphim standing above Him, the king sits and the servants stand. It’s as if… it’s interesting, the one who stands is as if in a lower, in a low level than the one who sits, right? It’s opposite to the physicality of it. Standing means that you are subjugated, you are a servant.
The Law: Standing on a Ship or Wagon
Let’s see in the law, the things that we already had before, that if a person while praying goes through a place where there is a bad smell and such sorts of things. Yes, by the recitation of Shema we saw, but the recitation of Shema is not standing. But Shemoneh Esrei, l’chatchila one should pray standing.
What happens if he is sitting on a ship or wagon, there it’s impossible to sit? So like this, if it’s possible to stand, he should make an effort, even with the accepted way of… perhaps he wants to say even that standing on a wagon also means standing.
Apparently it could be, but perhaps that’s not the word. Perhaps this doesn’t mean standing, because you’re traveling now, you’re moving.
But it also means standing. You are in the place where you are, it means like you’re standing.
Ah, yes, true. Because although riding is like walking, do you mean to say? We saw that riding on a donkey…
No, one can also argue that from the aspect that you’re going through places, you’re not standing.
But you’re not moving yourself.
But one can see, riding on an animal it says that he shouldn’t stand up.
But in a carriage it says that sometimes it’s possible. Sometimes you sit in a car, I don’t know, in a train…
In an airplane one can stand.
He’s not concerned with the thing that the whole place is moving. The main thing is that you are in a stable state, you’re doing nothing. The point of service. That you stand. You, the servant, is the one who stands.
When the king travels in the chariot, must you also stand the whole way around?
One must look for example whether one must stand up for a talmid chacham on a ship.
It could be that then not.
On the ship perhaps yes, but riding… we saw, riding is like walking. But here it says for another business it’s not relevant. But here further, “and if not, if he cannot stand” – what there it says he cannot, means presumably that it’s hard to stand there – “he should stand in his place and pray”.
Interesting, this is a Mishna that says “he should direct his heart toward the Holy of Holies”. It doesn’t say later it will be “he should stand in his place”. This is regarding that topic. But the Mishna speaks regarding if he cannot go to the east, he must turn the other way, westward he cannot. But the Rama learned from this apparently that if he cannot stand he remains sitting. He should stand in his place and pray.
Interesting, earlier the Rama spoke about what if he’s sick he’s exempt. Here we have a sick person who can still be obligated. He doesn’t have to stand, on him there is the obligation of standing. And pray, even lying down would be fine. And yes, there are three to actually distinguish, and yes, where he eats. Yes, where he eats. Yes it will be obligated there. If it’s appropriate, how weak you cannot stand, perhaps you cannot be obligated there. If you cannot be obligated there, you are exempt from the matter. Yes, one explains a prayer. Yes, but if you have enough strength to be obligated there, and you just don’t have strength to stand, then you should be there. Not only that, if he has something and cannot be obligated there. Ah, first itself, he can only one thing, he should otherwise lie down with concentration of mind. How does it work out?
Levels of Sickness – Sitting, Lying, and Concentration
Says then, the thirsty and hungry are included among the sick. Someone who is distracted cannot be things that are important and permitted. When a person is hungry or thirsty, he cannot properly focus, or he thinks the whole time about his… or he can simply be weak. He thinks already the whole time about his food. When they think, they cannot be weak. When they are weak, they cannot properly focus.
Law 10 (Continued) – Thirsty and Hungry
Look what he says, “If he has the ability to concentrate his mind he should pray”. He says that thirsty and hungry is not by definition a preventing matter. But one must check. Preventing matters means generally matters of cleanliness, disgusting things, in the Rambam’s language. But here it is, he has no concentration. “If he has the ability to concentrate his mind he should pray, and if not he should not pray until he eats and drinks”. He should first eat something. Apparently the law is built in the previous chapter by the law of concentration. I don’t know why he is more concerned with the concentration. It doesn’t apparently come in.
But perhaps incidentally that he mentions that a sick person doesn’t have to stand, says the Rokeach. Yes, it’s interesting what this comes in here. Yes, he brings “he should not pray until he eats and drinks”. What, the Rambam doesn’t mention here the matter that in the morning one shouldn’t pray before eating. And this is when one is not hungry. Hungry doesn’t mean that he can manage to eat breakfast. Hungry means that he feels weak. He is weak. And likewise, if someone gets up, he hasn’t eaten since last night’s supper, and he gets up, he must yes, he must eat breakfast before praying, because he is like a sick person, he cannot concentrate.
Discussion: No Contradiction to the Prohibition of Eating Before Prayer?
The commentators are not concerned about something regarding the morning, and that a normal person will be. No, there’s no contradiction. I don’t see the contradiction at all. True, true. Simply with today’s commentators, good morning one says, but I don’t see that it’s a problem at all. The question is the opposite, everyone agrees a sick person is exempt from prayer, I don’t know, if he cannot concentrate. But this one is a sick person and not exempt, because he can eat and pray.
He already says “he should pray,” but he brings that the Rambam is precise that “if he has the ability to concentrate his mind he should pray”, he should otherwise not eat. “If he has the ability to concentrate his mind he should pray”, he should not eat, he should otherwise pray like this and fulfill the commandment of not eating before praying. “And if not”, then he has permission to eat. That’s how he interprets it.
Laws of Prayer Chapter 5: Direction of Prayer, Preparation of the Body, and Proper Attire
Law 3 (continued) – Direction of Prayer: Levels of Holiness
But the Rambam doesn’t speak here about the prohibition of eating before prayer. That’s not the topic at all. He brings that the Acharonim discuss this question, but I don’t see that it’s a problem. There’s more, there are those who go with the same approach. If today people conduct themselves that they pray without kavana (concentration) anyway, therefore one doesn’t need to eat before praying, that’s not correct.
The Pri Megadim’s Distinction – Preparation for Prayer vs. Arrogance
The Pri Megadim says a good point. The Pri Megadim says, the Gemara says that eating before prayer is chutzpah (audacity) of “acharei ken yishteh” (afterwards he will drink), arrogance – he has already eaten well for himself. But here, as they say in Chabad, they say to eat before prayer. This eating is a preparation for prayer. Not that first I take care of my own needs, and afterwards I’ll worry about the Almighty. No, on the contrary, in order that I should be able to pray I need to eat something. It’s not a matter of arrogance at all.
I agree, I agree. I don’t need to agree, the Pri Megadim doesn’t need my agreement, he doesn’t need… I am nothing at all, the lowest of the low. In any case, the question is… Reb Itzikl exerted himself his whole life to eat a cookie before prayer, even when he said he had no strength to eat. Because when he was young, Avraham already saw that he was weak, so he told him to eat a cookie every day.
But this is exactly the halacha of the Rambam, this isn’t a Chassidic practice. Yes, so that he should have strength, and that’s also why people drink coffee, because coffee wakes you up, so you should have a bit of strength to pray.
Discussion: Eating in Shul vs. at Home
Very good. What did I want to say? It’s not fully explored. I think that in shul, once it’s been established that there’s a place to be in shul, it’s obvious, no one comes to shul to eat a meal. In shul one eats something because one wants to have strength to pray. Eating at home, breakfast before prayer, that’s “acharei ken yishteh,” arrogance. You come to shul and you grab something there, there are some cookies, there’s…
It could also be. Here the Rambam hasn’t yet brought the law of not eating before prayer at all, I don’t know, perhaps later he’ll bring it. The Rambam didn’t hold that it’s a prohibition. He says he’ll bring it in Chapter 6. Yes, the Rambam, we haven’t learned it. I mean, Rabbeinu Yerucham holds that it’s only an asmachta (rabbinic support), it’s not Torah law. The Rambam doesn’t hold that it’s Torah law. No, it’s not. But actually, the Rambam brings it in Chapter 6, we’ll learn about it.
Discussion: Today We Pray Without Kavana – Is Eating Not Relevant?
The question that does exist is, if we say that today one doesn’t have kavana anyway, then if there’s no need to eat in order to be able to have kavana. This is a matter from the perspective of the stringent. But it’s not correct, because this is… We don’t say with our Tosafot which says that today one prays even when one can’t have kavana. What does that mean one should do? Not go into shul? That’s very nice, it’s a great stringency. We don’t say that one can’t have kavana. But if one can have better kavana, I don’t see that there should be a doubt about this. Also today…
No, they’re asking him about the obligation. Here the Rambam says, “al yitpalel ad sheyochal veyishteh” (one should not pray until he eats and drinks). He says, this obligation one can say no longer exists, because the obligation is only if you know that this will help you with having kavana. What does it help? It could be the Rambam held that this contributes to yishuv hadaat (peace of mind) for kavana. Okay, right, I say. The Rambam doesn’t explain at all what his leniency is.
Also today when one eats on Shabbos, one prays in a Chassidic shul at nine, ten o’clock, it’s certain that if one doesn’t eat beforehand, most people have already eaten a large meal at night late and so forth.
Where, right, one must say that when one is already praying, it’s not the same situation as Shacharis. True, but a normal person – the laws that say not to eat before prayer, it’s understood that one prays at a normal time, and one prays already three hours into the day, four hours, five hours, it’s not possible that one should… I mean, I hear, again, it’s a fine point. No, many people are accustomed to being weak during prayer, and they think they can’t have kavana.
Kavanas Haguf vs. Kavanas Hamoach
I think that standing speaks of a certain type, and then we speak about kavanas hadaas (concentration of mind), we speak of a certain type of kavanas hadaas, something that’s physical. Let’s say, for example, yesterday we learned one should pray from within learning and not from within decided halacha. Standing we speak about the body, the body should stand. It’s a certain – the body should be in… And if one is hungry, the body isn’t prepared. The standing is something of a… He includes here gilui shok (exposing the thigh), yes. He includes here gilui shok, because kavana earlier he already spoke about, kavana that the head should be calm. Here we speak of something that his body should be able to cooperate, his body shouldn’t disturb him from praying.
I hear. Okay, one could argue that today one doesn’t have the strength to make kavanos hamoach (concentration of mind), but kavanos haguf (physical preparation) one can at least use, one is more careful about standing.
Just the opposite, if the Rambam says one must eat beforehand, today when it’s so hard to have kavana, all the more so kal vachomer (logical inference) that one should eat beforehand, one should do everything one can, perhaps one will have a bit of kavana. What is this despair about kavana?
I hear. It’s interesting how the Acharonim have accepted that since kavana is something that’s beyond reach, a person is no longer concerned. One doesn’t need to exert oneself. Sometimes one has a bit of kavana, by a few words one catches oneself. I don’t know, I once heard this thing, that if one doesn’t have kavana inside, as if one has already introduced that one has prayed without kavana, isn’t it obvious that at every prayer one should try to have a bit of kavana? It makes sense to me, yes. It makes sense to me, yes. One can speak more about this, but let’s continue.
Return to Riding on an Animal – Practical Application for Airplanes
One who rides on an animal. But I think apparently that here it comes in, because here we speak of a sick person himself who doesn’t have strength to stand and so forth. Right, right, right. His intention is simply that his body doesn’t go along with it. That’s the point, that if he’s sick, what should he eat so that he should be able to stand also. A sick person can’t stand, he can’t stand on his feet. A sick person can’t stand on his feet, that doesn’t stand. A blind person and a modest person stands, but what does one do with a sick person who has no strength? Simply, he has no strength to be a sick person, he can’t eat, and he needs to be standing normally.
Very good. “One who rides on an animal, even if he has someone to hold his animal,” even if he has someone to hold his animal, “and he won’t descend, we don’t obligate him to descend.” He shouldn’t, he may not. Look what he derives, “rather he sits in his place and prays.” Because it says there in the Gemara, that if he’s going to descend from his animal, even if someone holds the horse, why should he still hold that someone needs to be there? So that he shouldn’t go up and down, it’s a difficult thing. He shouldn’t be forced.
This is apparently the halacha for those who travel on an airplane, that one should sit in one’s place and pray. That sitting with kavana is still better than standing without kavana. Ah, that’s clear. So it makes sense, it comes out from all these laws.
Law 11 – Facing the Temple
And I remember Reb Nachman of Breslov said that when one travels, one should know that east is by the packages. Because a chassid came to him and he said that he was traveling to the Rebbe, and he stands to pray facing east, and the packages were in the back, and someone came and went by the packages. He says, “Wise one, you need to know the halacha is, that when one has packages to watch, east is by the packages.” This isn’t a story, this isn’t a fairy tale, this is built on the halacha. It’s already straightforward halacha.
The next of the eight things, “facing the Temple.” He says, “If he was standing outside the Land, he turns his face toward the Land of Israel and prays.” He turns toward the east. If he’s in the west, he goes towards the east, which is toward the Land of Israel. And in the Land of Israel one goes towards the east.
“One who stands in the Land of Israel directs his face toward Jerusalem.” These are the levels, he’s speaking of levels in holiness, yes? First towards the Land of Israel, toward Jerusalem. “One who stands in Jerusalem directs his face toward the Temple. One who stands in the Temple directs his face toward the Holy of Holies.” That’s the holiest place there.
Yes, interesting. That’s the center of the world. There is the place of the Shechina (Divine Presence), and you go to the point where you go to the place of the Shechina.
The Law of a Blind Person and One Who Cannot Determine Directions
The Rambam says further, what happens with a blind person, someone who is blind and doesn’t see the Beis Hamikdash anyway? Ah, interesting, there’s a difference between a blind person or someone who does see, both don’t see the Beis Hamikdash. Ah, he can’t even see which side is east.
“A blind person or one who cannot determine the directions,” someone who isn’t good with this, he doesn’t have the orientation of knowing where he is. He doesn’t have a compass, basically. “or one who walks on a ship,” someone is on a ship and he doesn’t know where he is, which side, “should direct his heart toward the Shechina and pray.” Then he should direct his heart.
Discussion: What Does “Toward the Shechina” Mean?
This is interesting. Toward the Shechina. Apparently he means toward the place of the Shechina in his heart, because toward the Shechina everyone must. No, you see probably like, so where is the Shechina? We say that the Shechina is by the Holy of Holies. But if you don’t have, you don’t know where the Holy of Holies is, he says the Shechina is wherever it is.
No, no, no, look what he brings in the Perush HaMishnayos explicitly. The language of the Mishna is “should direct his heart toward the Holy of Holies,” and the Rambam translated it as “toward the Shechina.” Perhaps he changed it here?
You mean to say that you imagine that you’re going toward the… The “should direct his heart” isn’t the “should direct his heart” of kavana that we learned earlier that everyone must concentrate “as if the Shechina is before him.” That’s the place further. “Should direct his heart” is to concentrate on the place. You need to imagine, one could say. Or perhaps as you say, that the Shechina is “as it were” in any direction, and he should direct his heart that he’s praying toward the Shechina, wherever the Shechina is. The Shechina isn’t specifically a direction.
And the Rambam changed it from “toward the Holy of Holies” to “toward the Shechina,” because he holds that the Rambam said that you’re not obligated to know the direction of the Holy of Holies, but you are connected to toward the Shechina. Then one must say that the Rambam changed. The simple meaning of the Perush HaMishnayos until here. Could it be? Yes, it could be. Not clear.
In other words, if one can do it in his heart, if one can’t do it in action, one should do it in his heart. Okay.
Law 4 – Preparation of the Body: How One Must Stand
Preparation of the body, the third thing, yes? This was which direction one must stand. Now comes a matter of how one must stand, basically, right? The posture, the, how do you say, the posture.
Yes, preparation of the body says the Rambam, how? Says the Rambam, “When he stands in prayer,” when one makes a standing in prayer, “he needs to align his feet one next to the other.” It needs to be aligned, one needs to align one’s heart, one needs to align one’s face toward, one needs to align… Align is literally to straighten. Align is the name of the game in prayer. Align his feet, straighten his feet one next to the other.
“And place his eyes downward as if he is looking at the ground,” looking down, this is a humble look.
What’s the idea of one next to the other? The Gemara says it’s about the angels. That’s how the angels stand. I think it’s more that it’s about the angels… It’s a humble way to stand. One doesn’t stand like this, one doesn’t stand like this. One doesn’t stand… One doesn’t go with walking, one doesn’t go with standing. One doesn’t sway, one stands straight.
“And place his eyes downward as if he is looking at the ground. And his heart should be free upward as if he is standing in heaven.”
Can you tell me what this means?
Discussion: “His Heart Free Upward” – Where Is the Person?
Speaker 2:
Yes, let me tell you. Literally. One must think that one is literally in heaven. What does it mean how is a person? Looking down, as if looking at the ground, as if he’s looking at the earth. That’s the posture of the body, nothing else. But he shouldn’t feel too small, he should feel that…
Speaker 1:
No, that’s also a nice interpretation. But what’s the interpretation that according to the Rambam could mean “and his heart should be free”? You remember “his heart free” is one of the Rambam’s codes, right? “His heart free upward.” “His heart free” means where you think. What the Baal HaMaor says, where is the person? Where he thinks, yes? Where do you think? That you’re in heaven. Heaven means to say among the angels, among the… Toward the Shechina, exactly. He doesn’t think that he’s here. You think, that you’re… If you think about it, you are. That’s the interpretation.
Speaker 2:
This is language of the Gemara, “his eyes downward and his heart upward.” As if, perhaps it means to say, because this… “His eyes downward” is apparently a matter of humility, you shouldn’t look around. But you shouldn’t think as if you should think that the Almighty is on the earth. That’s not the thing. Rather as if, his heart upward.
Speaker 1:
I remember there’s a beautiful drasha from the Talmidei Rabbeinu Yonah, I don’t remember where, he looked in the Gemara at this, about “his heart upward.” I think one can learn it according to the foundation of the Baal Shem Tov, that where one thinks, there one is. But even one can say it as an actual imagination, as if a person imagines himself, as they say that one can direct his heart as if he is in the Holy of Holies. One can imagine that he is standing among the angels who sing to the Almighty and so forth. It can be an imagination like that.
Continuation of Preparation of the Body: Placement of Hands
Speaker 1:
“And places his hands on his heart, clasped.” So he places his hands, both hands one on the other. Like clasped means joined, as if he placed one hand on the other. “The right on the left.” He places the left hand on the heart, and on that he places his right hand.
Weren’t they careful about this in halacha? Today many people aren’t careful. Okay, it could be that it’s hard to educate and so forth, but…
“And stands like a servant before his master in awe and fear and dread.”
Is this also posture, or is this something else? Because apparently, this standing straight and with the hands clasped together and his heart upward, this is the standing before his master in awe and fear. There’s no contradiction.
“And he should not place his hands on his loins.” He shouldn’t place his hand on his side by the shoulder. It means like this, right? Yes, on his waist. Like someone who is arrogant stands. Rather… Actually, once he said that the hands need to be clasped, it’s obvious that “and he should not place his hands on his loins.” But there are such optimal practices. The main optimal practice is that the hands should be clasped.
Digression: Spreading Hands in Prayer
Speaker 1:
There’s one question from… Reb Kapil brings the question from… I don’t remember who, I’ll see, Rabbi Yaakov Emden speaks about this, that apparently in Chumash and in Tanach we see that one prays with spread hands, raising the hands. But we don’t see in halacha that such a thing should be stated. It says more that one should place the hands down like this. So, yes. The Kuzari brings an answer from one of the Acharonim who argued that since the Christians began to pray like this and conduct themselves very strongly to pray like this with hands raised, the Jews stopped doing it. Rabbi Yaakov Emden isn’t happy with this answer. He says so, I don’t remember what his answer is there, if he has an answer, but…
It’s an interesting thing, it’s actually a way of prayer that we see constantly in the Chumash, and we don’t see it.
Return to Talmidei Rabbeinu Yonah: “His Heart Upward”
I just want to… The Rambam apparently means here, in Talmidei Rabbeinu Yonah there’s a commentary on the first chapter of Berachos, there it says like this, what does “his heart upward” mean? “Meaning that he should think in his heart as if he stands in heaven, and remove from his heart all the pleasures of this world and all bodily pleasures, like the matter that the early ones said, or the prophets, when you want to pray, strip your body and elevate your soul.”
Continuation of Laws of Prayer
And afterwards he gives another interpretation, “libo l’mata, einav l’mata” (his heart below, his eyes below), that one should also pray toward the Beis HaMikdash. This is not the Rambam’s interpretation. The Rambam’s interpretation is “einav l’mata” literally. From my teacher, Rabbeinu Yonah. But this means physical simplicity. Rather to think of the soul and not of the… Yes, this doesn’t mean simplicity, this means literally, that this is what he thinks. It’s not so complicated.
This is the simple meaning. But Rabbeinu Yonah says that after one detaches from physicality, one must enter into the Beis HaMikdash of below. I don’t know if the Rambam would agree with this. Our sefarim say that one must hold that the Beis HaMikdash of above corresponds to the Beis HaMikdash of below, and one must pray there. But anyway.
Innovation: The Rambam Doesn’t Say to Close the Eyes
The Rambam says that one should not close the eyes, did you notice? “Einav l’mata.” That means, the eyes are more or less closed, and you look downward. No, you don’t look around, you don’t close them like that. Right. Interesting. Okay, let’s continue.
Halacha 5 — Preparation of Clothing
Speaker 1:
Yes. This is the preparation of the body, yes, how one must stand. Afterwards there is preparation of clothing, how one must dress, this is the fourth thing.
Preparation of clothing, how? To pray… Ah, all these things are not me’akev (indispensable). The simple meaning is presumably the same thing, if it’s difficult for a person to stand this way and so on, he doesn’t have to do it. There are also levels. There are levels of standing before… This is a preparation of the body. The best is, as he says, at least not to place hand upon the loins.
Preparation of clothing before prayer. One prepares his clothing first, one prepares the garments, and adorns himself and beautifies himself. One dresses nicely, one cleans oneself up, “beautify yourselves, Israel, with your adornments.” One dresses up, so that one should see that this is a praying bekeshe. And beautifies, one makes oneself beautiful, as it says “Bow down to Hashem in the beauty of holiness,” with beauty.
Then he continues, he goes to bring the Gemara, “And one should not stand in prayer with his apundaso.” He should not stand praying when he is wearing his satchel. Yes, apundaso means something that one carries, a garment that has large pockets. Or does it mean such an iron thing, or does it mean such an undershirt, some thing that is just not short, not an honorable thing.
“And not with an uncovered head,” not with an uncovered head. The whole day one must go with a head covering, but during prayer one must put on a head covering.
“And not with uncovered feet,” not with open, without socks, bare feet, “if it is the custom of the people of that place not to stand before important people except with shoes.” So if in that place it is customary that in an important place, when one appears before a great person, one puts on socks, you know that this is the matter of honor.
Discussion: “Uncovered Head” — Dependent on Local Custom?
Speaker 2:
The Rema says, “And in any place one should not hold tefillin in his hand.” One should not hold… These are the things of going, perhaps an uncovered head is also dependent on local custom?
Speaker 1:
No, he says “except with shoes.” This is according to the custom, what is accepted among important people. But in no place does one do something that is disturbing, that is not… You should see, because this doesn’t continue to have to do with clothing, but it can have to do, he says apundaso, which means carrying iron with oneself.
Okay. He tells you further, one should not hold an important thing in the hands, because it takes away the calmness from the head, because he has to watch that it shouldn’t fall, he won’t be able to detach himself. “In any place one should not hold tefillin in his hand, or a Sefer Torah in his arm.”
Question: Dovid HaMelech and the Sefer Torah
Dovid HaMelech was a man whose heart was Torah, his life is Torah, he thinks only of this. Isn’t it seemingly a king who always had a Sefer Torah, he took it out for praying, he put it down for praying. If he held it, perhaps he had it worn like some kind of gartel.
Laws of Preparation of Clothing and Place for Prayer
Continuation of Laws of Preparation of Clothing — Holding Things in the Hands During Prayer
He says further, one should not hold an important thing in the hands, because it takes away the calmness from the head, because he has to watch that it shouldn’t fall, he won’t be able to concentrate. One should refrain from holding tefillin in his hand, or a Sefer Torah in his arm, unless his heart is preoccupied with it, he’s thinking about it.
Isn’t it seemingly a virtue that he always had a Sefer Torah, he took it out for praying, he put it down for praying. If he held it, perhaps he had it worn something that he had to carry. And one should not hold a mezuzah in his hand, for sometimes it can break, he has to hold it carefully, he should not hold it in the hands because it will take away his focus on praying.
The Exception of Lulav — The Mitzvah of the Day
But one may pray with a lulav in his hand, he brings a proof from here, you can see that lulav is also portable, but lulav one may indeed have, why? Because it is the mitzvah of the day. The simple meaning is, since it’s the mitzvah of the day, he’s already accustomed to it, he holds it the whole time on Yom Tov, therefore he doesn’t have the… it doesn’t take away his mind, not really, or because now it’s an important matter, therefore there’s a heter (permission)? Not clear.
He brings a proof that since it’s a mitzvah, it’s not so disturbing. I don’t understand this. I would have said differently, I would have said that the simple meaning is, it’s a part of… One doesn’t hold a thing that interferes with devekus (attachment), it interferes with kavanah of prayer. Lulav is the thing that one prays with, one says Hallel with it, this is a part of the prayer, the mitzvah of the day.
He notes the Gemara that the custom of the people of Yerushalayim was to have the lulav the whole day, going to comfort mourners, to visit the sick, wherever he went he took it with him. The simple meaning is that for those few days it didn’t confuse him at all, he was already accustomed to this style, he was already used to this style, therefore it’s not confusing.
But just so on Yom Tov, it seems because it’s a mitzvah, therefore… Perhaps because it’s a mitzvah it’s different. Perhaps the preoccupation is not a preoccupation that is separate from praying, that it disturbs. The preoccupation itself is also a mitzvah preoccupation. He’ll look at it, he’ll remember ah, it’s a day of thanking the Almighty for the lulav.
A Burden on His Head — Heavy Things on the Head
Or a burden on his head, earlier he said that one may not have… an uncovered head. But if one has a very heavy shtreimel on his head, how does one pray. Yes, he’s not talking about a shtreimel, he’s talking about… He says so, he says so, if it’s less than four kabin, like the old-time shtreimels, obviously one may pray. But today’s shtreimels that weigh a ton, it’s huge, one cannot pray like that. And if I have a headache, I cannot pray, one should remove the heavy load from the head.
But the simple meaning is like when one sees in Arab places that people carry, it’s normal that a person should carry things on his head. In the hands one only carries a light bag. A very heavy thing one places a sack on the head. It’s very good, it’s easier to carry things on the head than from the hands. But it’s a burden of trouble. On the head there’s a problem, it doesn’t balance.
In short, this is not necessarily a topic that interferes with praying. He says it’s more a topic of honor. You might think it’s a topic of preoccupation. All these things, honor with preoccupation, these are things that are connected. But this is the thing. And likewise, if the shtreimel is very difficult for someone, he should take it off. This is the question.
Atifah — The Way of Sages and Their Students
The way of all sages and their students is to pray wrapped so that they are enwrapped. He interprets, one is wrapped with a tallis, because the mitzvah of tzitzis has a connection with praying. This is a tremendous thing to pray with a shtreimel. It’s similar to night that he said. But atifah is more a matter of honor, that one puts on a hat. Also honor he said, because it’s a mitzvah of tzitzis. The question is what you mean specifically with tzitzis. It could be that putting on a hat is also the topic of atifah. A hat, a shtreimel, a head covering, is a way of honor. It’s a special way of honor.
And later, regarding tzitzis, the Rema writes, “A person should always try to be wrapped in a garment that is obligated in tzitzis, and during prayer one must be especially careful. It is a disgrace for a talmid chacham to pray when he is not wrapped in tzitzis.” It’s a disgrace for a talmid chacham. He also says talmid chacham. A talmid chacham must go wearing tzitzis when he prays, because he knows the mitzvah. An am ha’aretz doesn’t know, he knows it’s a custom to wear tzitzis. But a talmid chacham knows that this is a mitzvah that he can grab another mitzvah.
So he can also have respect, that he goes with a tallis. He goes with a tallis, it’s an honor.
Discussion: Atifah at Mincha and Maariv
And what about Mincha and Maariv? Also the Rambam simply didn’t make a distinction? Must one go at Mincha and Maariv also with a tallis? Maariv is not the time of tzitzis, but seemingly Mincha yes, and he doesn’t say. He’s talking about the mitzvah or about the wrapping of the… of the…
The question is, is this primarily a preparation of clothing, or is this something extra of having another mitzvah, that he establishes the meal with many mitzvos, something like that?
No, it’s an honor that one goes with the mitzvos. It’s a garment that a Jew wears. One can compare this as you said regarding night.
The moment that we conduct ourselves that one goes in the morning with a tallis, but at Mincha with a hat, both are atifah. In the morning is according to the simple meaning, and the hat is essentially the atifah of the… But this is only a chacham and his students. An ordinary Jew doesn’t need a hat during praying, so it says in the Rambam.
Okay. Until here were the laws of preparation of clothing. Now we’re going to learn which place is good to pray.
Halacha 6 — Preparation of the Place
The Rambam says, what is the preparation of the place? How must the place be prepared?
Standing in a Low Place
The Rambam says thus: “Preparation of the place, how? One should stand in a low place,” one should stand on a straight, low place. The Gemara says “From the depths I called to You, Hashem.” I don’t know exactly what the Rambam is going to say, but one sees that there is the most calm, because he cannot fall from there. When he stands on some hill or on a bench, he can fall. Okay, “a low place.”
And Turn His Face to the Wall
“And turn his face to the wall,” so that no one should pass him, he should not have any distractions.
Windows Facing Yerushalayim
The Rambam says, one indeed prays facing the wall, but there is a matter of praying toward Yerushalayim. He says, “And one must open windows or openings toward Yerushalayim in order to pray facing them, as it says ‘And windows were open for him.’” By Daniel it says, the windows were open in his upper chamber, on his floor, toward Yerushalayim. This means he looked toward Yerushalayim.
Discussion: Windows Facing Yerushalayim — Light or Direction?
There is a halacha, I have a window on the side. In Bavel I can hear, Bavel is not so far, and he perhaps knew that when he opens those windows, he knows that right there is Yerushalayim. But he opens a window in America and he finds himself in Yerushalayim… four thousand miles, not so far, four thousand miles. The same continent, at least, I agree.
He says, the Rabbeinu Manoach, that the windows are more so that the soul should rejoice. He brings that on a cloudy day, they didn’t want to say Tachanun, because the person is gloomy, it’s a dark situation. One opens the windows, the sun shines in, then it’s pleasant to pray.
He said so, if you are in a house, it’s not good that you should have an empty space in front of you, because someone will pass by. But if you’re at a field where people don’t turn around, there’s no one to pass in front of you to distract you, on this it says toward Yerushalayim, and turn his face to the wall. If you’re not going to have any distractions, it is indeed a good thing, a settled mind to have an empty space.
I think you want to say that he prays toward Yerushalayim, it comes out that he prays east, so on the same side must be his windows. It’s actually not. Yes, we’re talking here, he must have windows. It’s not a contradiction, it can be just a window, he prays to the side, it can be just a window with a curtain, but the light comes in, he’s not disturbed by the people.
The shuls actually don’t like to put windows in the east, because they hold that it disturbs. But the Mishnah Berurah, and turn his face to the wall, says this, that one should not have any thing in front of you. To open windows also means in a way that you won’t be disturbed. But it’s not a contradiction, everyone understands, one must use common sense. If it’s exactly a place where in front of it is a store, whatever, one must use common sense how.
Establishing a Fixed Place for Prayer
Another halacha. The halacha is in the Gemara, a person should establish a fixed place for his prayer always, should always stand approximately in the same place.
Ah, so this is the interpretation, that he’s talking, by the way, we learned this week in Sefer HaMaor that has no equal, in one of the editions of Beis HaMedrash in shul. All these laws, that you’ll learn later prayer in congregation, a whole chapter on this, what kind of matter is it to pray at home. Praying at home, open a window. He says, praying at home, a person usually prays when one doesn’t have time to go not every day. So, I have a certain place in his house there’s a little Beis Medrash. My father told me, he remembered that his father had a certain closet, there he used to pray Maariv. It’s establishing a fixed place for his prayer.
Discussion: Fixed Place — In Beis HaMedrash or at Home?
Very good. In Beis HaMedrash is already a fixed place. The whole place is a fixed place. It’s a whole theme if a person has a certain place in his Beis HaMedrash, but it’s not necessarily so. It could be that a place can mean that he goes to the same Beis HaMedrash, not to shul publicly, because this brings about calmness.
There is a dispute, it’s interesting, the Kesav Sofer brings a dispute about this. He brings a Rosh, and the Rosh brings a Yerushalmi that in the Beis HaKnesses one should have a place. But he himself says he doesn’t understand, the whole Beis HaKnesses is a place of prayer. This means to say that when he prays at home, what we talked about, when he prays at home he should make a place. And they argue simply in the Yerushalmi.
So, if he switched a place in shul he perhaps fulfills all opinions, but there are certainly authorities who held that it doesn’t work out.
Okay. Further, the Rema says, if a guest comes or such a thing, one should say that one doesn’t have to fulfill the mitzvah of establishing a fixed place. There are Rishonim who say that establishing a fixed place means the same shul. Not any thing that disturbs the intentions, God forbid, a place of prayer.
Not Praying in a Ruin
Very good. And one should not pray, the Rema says further, one should not pray in a ruin. One doesn’t pray in a ruin. The Gemara gives two reasons for this: either because it’s a dangerous place, it can collapse, or because of suspicion. In a ruin one goes to do shady business. You go there to pray. Ah, further it talks about praying alone, not when there’s a minyan in a ruin. All these ruined rebbes, he doesn’t pray in a normal place, he prays when he finds himself somewhere in a ruin.
Rabbeinu Yonah says that what it says that one may not do because of suspicion, we remember that we learned in the laws of teshuvah that one who suspects the innocent is punished, one may not suspect another Jew. He says, this is when the other doesn’t do anything that is suspicious. But you do something that is suspicious, you are punished. You caused other Jews to suspect another Jew. Well well, so he says. This is a great sin, you may not allow suspicion to be cast on yourself, because you make a Jew commit the sin of being suspicious.
And Not Behind the Beis HaKnesses
Okay. And not behind the Beis HaKnesses. One doesn’t pray in back of a shul, unless he turns his face toward the Beis HaKnesses. Only if he prays with his face toward the shul. One of the rebels, that he turns away, he stands outside and not face to face toward the Beis HaKnesses. I also think the topic of suspicion, I don’t think of the pleasure, I’ll say for the person.
What does it mean, the person, every time when a person goes through a new goes into a room, he thinks perhaps there is a disqualification here, perhaps this is not good. But the thought, I think that a nice way of saying for the person,
Preparation of the Place, Preparation of the Voice, and Bowing in Prayer
Halacha: Not Praying with One’s Back to the Beis HaKnesses
Laws of Prayer – Chapter 5: Bowing, Prostration, and Falling on the Face
Okay. “And he should not pray with his back to the synagogue”
Speaker 1: Okay. “And he should not pray with his back to the synagogue”, he should not pray with his back to a shul, “unless his face is toward the synagogue”, unless if he also prays with his face toward the shul. That means, he turns around, he stands outside and not facing toward the synagogue.
I also think that the topic of “because of suspicion,” I thought about this last night, it’s simple that what does it mean, should a person every time that a person goes there, someone goes into a ruin, does he think perhaps there is a prostitute there? So what has become the suspicion? I think it’s a nice way of saying to people, they should indeed suspect you, don’t do it. It’s a place of temptation. As if when one says to a person, don’t do it because of suspicion, one means to say, this is a kind of action, don’t go into places where you can indeed be found in suspicion. I think it’s simply a clean language like that.
Law: Not Sitting Next to Someone Praying
Speaker 1: Okay. “And it is forbidden to sit next to one who stands in prayer”. Another new law. A person is praying, yes, here we’re talking about a living person praying. Aha. So that the one who is praying should have a place where there is no disturbance in it, you shouldn’t sit right next to him, because you also take away from his privacy, from his… “Woe to his back and his front”, or what you need to walk past him, “until he distances himself four amos from him”. That means, you disturb the person.
As if still from the enactments, I want to say like this, you understand, this is a law for other people, that you need to position yourself to pray in such a place where it won’t disturb any people, that you don’t come in… But… this isn’t relevant at all in today’s small study halls, it’s too much. Yes, but it’s actually, it doesn’t take away the focus so much, because that’s how it’s accepted. “To sit within four amos of prayer”.
Discussion: Why People Aren’t Careful About This Today
Speaker 2: Perhaps no, perhaps if all these laws are about the…
Speaker 1: No, I think a different point. People today aren’t careful about this. I think it has to do with the furniture situation. That means, if there’s a bench, everyone has his place, here is my bench, here is the table where I sit, so here are the four amos. The four amos isn’t some magic law, that here is four amos. It’s his place there. If you have a bench and a table, that’s your place. The next table isn’t in your four amos. Four amos isn’t a decree of Scripture.
It could also be that “not in front of him” means, that one is in the middle of doing other things, that one is busy at home. It will take away, it will take away your focus. But you’re in the study hall, everyone is praying now, that one won’t take away your focus. You’re at home, and I know that someone is walking through with a big pot, he’s in the middle of mixing, I don’t know what to do, you go look what he’s doing, it will take away your focus from praying.
Law: Not Praying on an Elevated Place
Speaker 1: Okay. Further, they learned that one should stand at a low place. I think this goes back to this, “He should not stand in a high place to pray”. One shouldn’t stand on a small stage. “He should not stand on a bed or on a chair”. One shouldn’t stand on a…
Discussion: Rebbes Who Pray on a Stage
Speaker 2: The rebbes who stand on a stage when they pray?
Speaker 1: On a large stage. He’s going to say, he’s going to say a leniency. “And if it was high, if it has four amos by four amos which is a domain in itself, it is permitted to pray on it”. If it’s large enough, a domain unto itself, it’s like a city. It’s not a problem. This is the leniency of the rebbes who pray on a stage, they make a large stage. It’s still like a city.
“And similarly if it is a place surrounded by partitions on all its sides”, that it’s completely surrounded, “like a place like a domain in itself”, this is certainly not the rebbe’s stages. But the prohibition of “he should not stand in a high place” has at least not. It’s certainly not a way of humility to stand praying on a stage.
The answer is that he is the prayer leader. The prayer leader stands on the bimah, so that the congregation can hear him. It’s other things, he serves the congregation. The stage isn’t for his honor, the stage is for the honor of the congregation, that when he speaks to the congregation the congregation should be able to hear. If the rebbe prays privately on a stage, then it’s indeed strange. But the world says that he is the congregation’s prayer leader, the prayer leader only says where we’re holding. So, it could be. Yes, one can always find a rebbe’s action to reconcile.
Alright. The matter isn’t finished yet. Another leniency for the high place. “And similarly if it is a place surrounded by partitions on all its sides, even though it doesn’t have four amos, it is permitted to pray on it, because its height isn’t noticeable, since it is separated as a domain unto itself”. It’s like a small domain unto itself. Prayer also has to do with establishing a place.
Law: Workers on a Tree
Speaker 1: “And if they were working at the top of a wall or at the top of a tree”, when should they go pray? “They should descend below and pray, and return to their work”. They should come down to pray and they should return to pray. They can’t pray when they’re on top of something. “And if they were at the top of an olive tree or at the top of a fig tree, and it’s not a great burden to descend, they pray in their place”. If it’s not a great burden to come back down, since they are there because they find a good place from where to be able to reach the olives or the figs, “they pray in their place, because the burden is great”. Because there’s a great burden from coming down, they were permitted.
Very good. The truth is the law isn’t only with the law of place, also here how much one burdens a person in the middle of his work and praying.
Law: Workers — In Their Meal vs. For Their Wages
Speaker 1: The Gemara is praying, there is “if they were working only for their meal”, if the person is only a poor man and he works, and the whole thing that he gets paid is he gets to eat, “they pray the prayer of eighteen blessings”. He should pray the whole prayer, because we don’t have so much mercy on the employer. The employer may pay you the food even if you pray the whole prayer.
But if… we’re talking here in a manner that the employer allows. If the employer won’t give him, it’s the opposite, then we have more mercy on the employer. That means, we’ll steal from the employer. That’s the word. So the word is perhaps that he doesn’t make so much money, we’ll give him a little time to pray. Perhaps that’s the principle.
“And if they were working for their wages”, if they get paid, then we give them a leniency that they shouldn’t disturb themselves so much from praying, they shouldn’t take away from their time of doing the work, but they should pray the prayer of “Havineinu,” the shorter prayer.
The Rambam’s Innovation: No Minyan for Workers
Speaker 1: Says the Rambam, “in either case”, there’s no difference whether he works for wages or for his meal, even when he’s working for his meal doesn’t mean he should disturb himself so long to go pray in the study hall or to bless. “In either case, they don’t go before the ark and they don’t lift their hands”. They don’t need to go to the study hall to pray.
Speaker 2: Join the prayer leader, or even go hear the prayer leader?
Speaker 1: No, they don’t do there. He doesn’t make a minyan for the workers. He doesn’t make a minyan among the workers.
Speaker 2: Yes, he doesn’t make a minyan among the workers. He doesn’t need to go to the same thing.
Speaker 1: No, he doesn’t need there. Let’s say there are two people, there are ten people, ten workers, they can make a minyan, and the Rambam says that the worker doesn’t make a minyan. The Chinuch says that they are poor in the eye of the employer to be particular about this. I don’t know where they got this from. So to speak, there’s a great trustworthiness that today’s employer will let yes the workers work, let let. They always rely on the head of judgment. But alright.
Digression: Work in Talmudic Times vs. Today
Speaker 1: The next thing was a comparison of voice. In Talmudic times they took the topic of work much more seriously. The Great Assembly also saw what kind of work. They worked in the fields, it’s actually, there isn’t too much time, one needs to finish the whole harvest today and so on. Work in an office, it’s nothing that one goes away for an hour to pray Mincha, what do I know, what did he do? It’s nothing. He didn’t do something that disturbs livelihood during the day, he went to pray.
Law: Equalizing the Voice — How Loud to Pray
Speaker 1: The next thing was equalizing the voice, which voice should one pray, and which tone should one pray. Equalizing the voice, in short, what does this mean? “He should not raise his voice in his prayer”, he shouldn’t pray very loud, he shouldn’t raise his voice. But also “and he should not pray in his heart”, he shouldn’t pray very quietly that he only says it in his heart. In his heart means without any voice at all, not any movement of lips, only in thought in the heart.
Here I thought that equalization means in the middle, equalization means equal, in the average way, in the middle way, not very loud and not very quiet. “Rather he should articulate his words with his lips”, he says it out with his lips, “and he should make audible to his ears quietly”, he himself can hear, “and he should not make his voice audible”, he shouldn’t make his voice loud that everyone should hear him, “unless he is sick”, unless if he’s sick and it’s hard for him to say without letting himself hear, “or he cannot concentrate his heart until he makes his voice audible, this is permitted”. But this is specifically.
Discussion: Why Specifically Quietly?
Speaker 1: Why initially shouldn’t one make his voice audible? Also about this, about it disturbs other people. It seems so, because “and particularly that it not be in public”, in public he shouldn’t do it because it disturbs other people. Immediately he according to the Torat HaDaat from the general rule shouldn’t disturb other people with his voice.
Speaker 2: Says the one who said “and he should not make his voice audible” also means in public?
Speaker 1: No, it means after the fact. Initially everyone needs to pray quietly. If there’s someone who he can’t concentrate…
Ah, this needs to be understood. Why should one pray quietly when one is alone? It’s a matter of… it’s a more honorable prayer? Or the whole reason is in order not to disturb other people?
No, you don’t see it like that. It seems there are two matters. One, just so one should pray quietly, and the second thing…
“He should not raise his voice” he brings that the simple meaning is that one shouldn’t think that the Almighty only hears if one shouts, or that one needs to shout, like it says by the prophets of Baal, “Call out in a loud voice for he is a god, perhaps he is sleeping and will awaken”. One doesn’t need to shout to the Almighty.
Speaker 2: And “he will not raise nor carry.” But why not speak in a normal voice like I speak with you, but quietly?
Speaker 1: This I don’t know. I think it’s a version of privacy perhaps.
Speaker 2: It could be that “he should not make his voice audible” means higher than this, means praying very loud which disturbs other people.
Speaker 1: Yes. The Gemara says about Rabbi Yochanan, “Why did they enact prayer quietly? So as not to embarrass the transgressors”. That one shouldn’t hear…
Speaker 2: No, that everyone shouldn’t hear which sin he did.
Speaker 1: Ah, his “Al Chet.” And he says there, if so today when we say just the text there’s no difference. I don’t know. One sees by which “Al Chet” he cries.
Speaker 2: No, it’s certainly a matter that prayer is an intimate thing. It’s between a person and God. One doesn’t shout. By Pesukei D’Zimra one shouts, it’s not prayer. The main prayer is the Amidah, where you stand before the King and you pour out your heart. Yes, it’s a privacy thing, so I think.
Law: Bowing in Prayer
Speaker 1: Okay, bowing we hold. Bowing, this is during prayer there’s a matter of bowing, kneeling. How is the bowing? Further. The Gemara says like this, how many times does one need to bow during prayer? Says the Gemara like this, “One who prays bows five bowings in each and every prayer”. How does one bow? Face all counts out all the things. “Blessed are You, Hashem”, beginning and end. “We give thanks to You”, beginning and end. By “Good is Your Name and to You it is fitting to give thanks”.
Speaker 2: And by “Modim” is there also beginning and end?
Speaker 1: By “Modim” is only at the beginning.
Speaker 2: Ah, here?
Speaker 1: Yes.
Speaker 2: And by “Thanksgiving” also beginning and end?
Speaker 1: By “Modim” and also by… for good is Your Name it is fitting to give thanks.
“When one finishes the prayer properly”, when one finishes praying, when one steps out from the Eighteen, before stepping out the feet.
Laws of Prayer – Chapter 5: Bowings, Prostration, and Falling on the Face
Five Bowings in the Eighteen
Speaker 1:
He doesn’t say five times, he says five bowings. He counts out: the first blessing its beginning and its end, you you alone we give thanks, and it will be there also at the beginning and at the end, by Modim and afterwards by Good is Your Name and to You it is fitting to give thanks.
And when he finishes the prayer, he bows. When one finishes praying, when one steps out from the Eighteen, this is the fifth, and one steps out again bowing. And he steps three steps backward while he is bowing. One steps out because one bows, one steps out bent downward. And he gives peace to his left, and afterwards to his right, and afterwards he raises his head from the bowing.
What Does “Gives Peace” Mean?
Speaker 1:
What does “gives peace” mean? We say like this, I don’t know what this means. If someone is praying, what does it mean… No, “gives peace” means he says peace to the Almighty. Like a student who takes leave from his rabbi, he says “goodbye,” that’s what peace means. He says all good, Master of the Universe. We’ll see this further, we’ll see this by Mincha. I don’t know, but the order of this is, he does this and this, first to his left and afterwards to his right.
And the reason is because as if, the Rambam doesn’t say the meaning, right? As if we take leave. When we take peace, we give peace. And what is the… does he bring something about this here? It helps that one should feel as standing before the King, and one takes leave. Yes, okay.
Bowing by a Commoner, High Priest, and King
Speaker 1:
I tell you, the Rambam says, “And when he bows in these four bowings, he bows at ‘Blessed,’ and when he straightens up, he straightens up at the Name.” Says the Rambam, “And from these words we learned about a commoner.” The order of bowings is for a commoner. But a High Priest has a different order, and he bows at the beginning of each blessing and at the end of each blessing, he was in one bowing. And every… and all from the walls. He needs more humility, because he is a… he is important. The more power a person has, he needs to have more humility.
Says the Rambam, and a king has an even higher level of bowing, because a king, prostrates at the beginning, as soon as he began to pray, he bent down, and he doesn’t raise his head until he finishes his prayer. He doesn’t lift his head until he finishes the whole prayer. The whole prayer he prays with a bowed head.
It’s very interesting, because a simple person can think of standing before the King, but the king himself, before whom is he standing? He needs to really bend down. King means… Yes, the king stands before the King of Kings. Okay.
Why to His Left First?
Speaker 1:
Says the Rambam, why did they say that when one steps out, one gives peace to his left first and afterwards to his right? Why does one give peace to his left first? Says the Rambam, because his left is the right of the one who is opposite his face. His left is what would have been for the one who would have stood opposite him, it would have been for him right. It means, when it would have been opposite the actual King, the King’s right would have been by his left. That is to say, that he stands before the King, therefore he gives peace to the right of the King and afterwards to the left of the King.
It means, he thinks, it’s very interesting, it’s really like a play. One should visualize “standing before the King,” therefore one should bow in the manner how you would have bowed when you would have stood in front of an actual King, and one needs to give peace to the right of the King and afterwards to the left of the King. Ostensibly here lie the secrets of the Torah, and one is first relating to the right. But the simple meaning is the simple meaning. Yes, very good.
One who bends himself in prayer as those who take leave from before the King, have we taken leave from prayer like we take leave from a king. Let’s take leave, yes. I think it’s also important to exit from prayer.
Digression: Entering into Prayer
Speaker 1:
Just so, the Rambam by the way doesn’t bring at all how we should enter into prayer, which we conduct ourselves. It was said, it’s the custom to position the feet. It wasn’t said that one goes back and here and back. What are you making a mockery? Are you making Purim? Are you going in or not? Going out makes sense, now I prayed, now I’m going out. But this going in, granted if a person isn’t standing in his place and he goes in I understand, but what is the norm that one goes back backwards and forwards? Doesn’t seem like the Kony.
Speaker 2:
It doesn’t say backwards and forwards, it says that one takes three steps. It’s three steps there, it’s three steps back, it’s got for. It’s strange, but don’t go back unless if one stands in one place, you need to have from where to walk.
Speaker 1:
Very good, it’s funny, you know what I mean to say. Anyway, the Rambam brings all this, brings in a different place, something until meanwhile… It’s not funny because it is indeed a matter of visualization, so that you should have the visualization of how you walk three steps toward the King.
Speaker 2:
No problem.
The Measure of Bowing – Until All the Vertebrae of the Spine Protrude
Speaker 1:
Says the Rambam, all these bowings, the bowings, and how, how much must one bend and how should the bowing look? One must bow until all the vertebrae of the spine protrude, like a bow. So that a person, normally a person’s back is straight, he should bend so strongly that his spine should become…
So we learn from this that a person must be able to do a lot of exercise, even yoga, so that his… his back should become truly round. Can you do it? Round, can you? Like a bow. It means to bend completely around, not… In short, he must bend his back, not just… He must bend somewhat. He can bend just with his head, but he wants him to bend with his back. He must somewhat the word.
And if he bowed a little, if he has bowed and exerted himself, and he has already exerted himself, since it appears as if he is bowing with all his strength, it looks like he is bowing truly with all his strength, even if he is not truly bent over. Okay. This is bowing (kri’ah).
Bowing, Prostration, and Full Prostration – Three Concepts
Speaker 1:
There is another level of… of this matter of prostration (hishtachava’ah). This is what one does at… at the four blessings. The Rambam, this is what the students of the children have to do with the kneeling a bit and that, this is not stated in the Rambam. The Rambam says kri’ah is what we call, one bends… one bends one’s back and one bows down the head. From “Baruch” to “Hashem,” yes? “Baruch Atah,” both the same. The Rambam makes no distinction between… between the two things.
Afterwards there is another thing, hishtachava’ah. What is hishtachava’ah? Says the Rambam, what does hishtachava’ah mean? How is hishtachava’ah done? After he raises his head from the fifth bowing… after he stands up from the fifth time that he bowed at the end of Shemoneh Esrei, he sits on the ground, he sits down on the floor, and falls on his face to the ground, he falls with his face on the floor, and falls completely to the ground, he falls completely, hishtachava’ah. This is not… yes. This is called hishtachava’ah, true bowing, as was said earlier. And hishtachava’ah, one holds during one measure to then, one cries out. One prays for what one needs.
And the Rambam explains… Now says the Rambam, how do we get the ten bowings and prostrations? Says the Rambam thus, I will explain. Kri’ah, indicates in every place, one bows on one’s knees.
Problem: Bowing in Shemoneh Esrei – On the Knees or Bending the Body?
Speaker 1:
This is not quite so, but it was similar a bit. There is a problem here. Let us see, there is a bit of a problem here. Kri’ah, indicates in every place, is on the knees, one bows on the feet. Kidah is on the face, one bows over with the face forward on the floor. Hishtachava’ah is spreading out hands and feet, the most, until one falls on one’s face to the ground. One lies completely spread out.
Now, here is a problem, because the Rambam has until now said kri’ah, he translated kri’ah until all the vertebrae of the spine protrude, he did not say that one should do it on the knees. Therefore, apparently the simple explanation is, beforehand the Rambam says “in every place.” Here he said kri’ah, he did not mean that. Generally, kri’ah that appears in the Torah and the like, one means that. Now, the practical difference is, he will now say that at nefilat apayim there are those who do kidah, and there are those who do hishtachava’ah. Kri’ah one does not do, one of the two. But kri’ah that we spoke of earlier is not the kri’ah that is in every place. So it is apparently. Others want to learn differently, but apparently this is the straightest way to understand.
Others want to learn that the Rambam holds that one must indeed do hishtachava’ah from truly on the ground. No, at kri’ah one must be on the knees. That the Rambam’s kri’ah is indeed on the knees, but he himself said that it is enough to bow a little, and he even said even without bowing a little, he said the vertebrae of the spine, he did not say that one must… he also does not say at kri’ah that one must lower oneself, yes, he says sits on the ground like that. He does not say that one should sit on the ground at Shemoneh Esrei. Here yes, I mean, there were customs where one did indeed bow at Shemoneh Esrei on the ground completely, like the meditators (mitbodedim) do?
Speaker 2:
It has to do exactly as you say, the custom of the place. That the Rambam says sits on the ground, because people used to sit on the ground then.
Speaker 1:
No, but one must for hishtachava’ah must be on the ground, because he must bow on the ground. How will he need to sit down? So that he can do nefilat apayim, which is not such a mitzvah of sitting. Do you understand what I’m saying? So he means, I didn’t know.
Speaker 2:
I didn’t know that according to the Rambam people used to sit on the ground.
Speaker 1:
Yes, okay, could be.
Nefilat Apayim – Kidah or Hishtachava’ah
Speaker 1:
Yes, says the Rambam, “At the time when they do nefilat apayim, there are those who do kidah alone”, and at nefilat apayim they do kidah, that is on the face, they lay on their faces, “and there are those who do hishtachava’ah”, they lay down their entire body. This means the Rambam, that when one does hishtachava’ah, one lays the entire body, one stretches out the entire body, “face, hands and feet on the ground”.
This is what the Rambam says thus, but one must remember one thing, that one may not do any hishtachava’ah on stones. This we learned in Avodah Zarah. One may not do hishtachava’ah on stones except in the Temple, as we learned in tractate Avodah Zarah. Therefore, if one does it in the beit midrash, one must be careful, if it is a floor of stones, one should lay grass. It is indeed stated there that the Rambam said that one lays, the custom is to lay grass, so that one can specifically do nefilat apayim.
An Important Person and Nefilat Apayim
Speaker 1:
Yes, says the Rambam further, “And an important person is not permitted to fall on his face”. An important person, if he goes to fall on his face, it will look like a great prophet, so only if he truly does it may he, “unless he knows himself that he is a tzaddik like Yehoshua”. About Yehoshua it says “and he fell on his face to the ground”. It says it about Yehoshua? One who is a tzaddik like Yehoshua may. Yes, what is the issue? Not clear. Why may an important person not?
Speaker 2:
Ah, it says there in… after Ai, after the city of Ai fell one Jew, it says that Yehoshua fell on his face, and the Almighty answered him. Aha.
Speaker 1:
He brings there from the Rishonim, presumably the Rashba, that one who is not a tzaddik will be a desecration of God’s name, that he bows and does such a great submission before the Almighty and he is not answered. He is indeed famous, he is an important person. Ah, therefore an important person. An important person, people will see that he is not helped, it will be a desecration of God’s name. Therefore he should only do such a small prayer. It’s interesting, he should lower the expectations like that.
Discussion: Nefilat Apayim – A Strong Prayer
Speaker 2:
But on the contrary, it says that nefilat apayim is indeed a strong prayer. It’s not just, I mean to say, usually one stretches out, he demands. He demands, yes. He doesn’t ask, he asks himself, it’s supplications (tachanun), but it’s very… How did we say? Like we spoke the whole time.
Speaker 1:
But Mati from Ibn Mot, he says that nefilat haben is a strong desperation, so when the person tears in, he must be helped. So it is presumably similar to what the tzaddikim did somewhere, I’m not leaving here until I’m helped, so they gave themselves over to prayer, they tore themselves in.
Speaker 2:
Tore in.
Speaker 1:
One doesn’t do this. This is a rule that one doesn’t tear oneself in except if one knows it will succeed. What does one do? Not just like that make a Purim out of it. But Ibn Moti from Ibn Mot, he makes a small…
Nefilat Apayim — Laws and Customs
The Nature of Nefilat Apayim — Desperation and Self-Sacrifice
How did we say? Desperate, as a Hungarian says the expression. But Mati from Ibn Mot — he says that nefilat apayim is a strong desperation. So when the person tears in, he must be helped. So he is indeed similar to what the former tzaddikim did: “I’m not leaving here until I’m helped.” So he gave himself over to prayer. Tore in, as one says. Tore in.
One doesn’t do this — the law is that one may not tear oneself in, except if one knows that it will succeed. Why shouldn’t one just make prayers like that? But Mati from Ibn Mot — a small nefilat apayim one may, but one who subdues them from afar — don’t be extreme. This is in practice how we conduct ourselves.
Our Custom — No True Nefilat Apayim
Okay, so one must mention that our custom is generally not to do nefilat apayim — we do something with the hands and nothing. This is the main law that one should bend to the side.
And my brother said that the reason is that everyone is important — there is an important person, and he may not. No, he said it’s a nice thing, one is important, one is important that one is an important person, but one doesn’t think that one is a tzaddik with suffering.
Sitting on the Ground — An Easier Way
One can do there sitting on the ground. Sitting on the ground. The Ramban, before many Yom Kippur, the people didn’t want to do the bowing because there is furniture, so it is very difficult. It also isn’t there. Sitting on the ground — when one sits on the ground it is easier to be falling on the face.
The Place of Nefilat Apayim — Different from Prayer
Says the Rambam, the laws of nefilat apayim: one is not in the same place where one prays — he bows his head and prays in this place, and falls on his face in another place. Perhaps it is a part of prayer. It’s difficult, one must open a larger place, it is a matter of bowing from afar. This is the meaning, yes?
When One Doesn’t Do Nefilat Apayim
Says the Rambam further, when does one do the nefilat apayim? Says the Rambam, one doesn’t do it on joyful days. As Rabbi Yitzchak said, because in nefilat apayim it means that one puts oneself very much into the prayer, when one is very desperate. And Sabbaths and festivals — the time when one is united, one doesn’t show any sadness, this is not a time when one shows desperation.
The widespread custom among all Israel is that one doesn’t say any nefilat apayim on Sabbaths and festivals — not Sabbaths and not festivals, nor on Rosh Chodesh, nor on Chanukah and Purim, nor at Minchah on the eve of Sabbaths and festivals, nor on the eve of Rosh Chodesh on any day. Just like that various places. So why? Because it is not… so at least one didn’t add any nefilat apayim.
Torah Prayer — The Intention of Nefilat Apayim
It could be that the intention is — the Rabbis said that one should pray. Apparently the intention is truly the Torah prayer, one means very seriously. Three times a day one cannot do, twice a day is enough and more. We Chassidim don’t even do it at Minchah for a reason, we already know why.
And there are individuals who are accustomed to do nefilat apayim — the individuals who do it several times a week.
Nefilat Apayim Individually — When One Has Trouble
But this one must know, that sometimes when people truly have trouble, they truly want to pray. Usually one prays because it says in the Shulchan Aruch that one should pray. But one truly has a great trouble — like Rabbi Eliezer wanted his enemy to die, I don’t know what — one truly has trouble, he wants to do nefilat apayim, he cannot do it in public, he can do it at home. There is no matter at all that it must be in public, and it will work with God’s help.
Nefilat apayim is the prayer where we say “Let us fall into the hand of God” — not just that one throws oneself in, one is ready for self-sacrifice for such a thing.
Yom Kippur — Nefilat Apayim at Every Prayer
As the Rambam says, “And on Yom Kippur alone” — when is there indeed nefilat apayim at every single prayer? Yom Kippur. Because then it is indeed a strong day, a time of supplication, request and supplications. Then is the time when one should do nefilat apayim.
Our Custom on Yom Kippur — We Bow but Not Tachanun
It says here on the side that our custom, glosses of Maharam, that one doesn’t do any nefilat apayim. That is, we don’t say any tachanun on Yom Kippur. But we do indeed bow at Musaf, we do indeed. The bowing is a remembrance for the High Priest, those bowings. Yes, but it appears that it also has to do with the true nefilat apayim. There is a sort of prayer called nefilat apayim, not the tachanun way, and Yom Kippur is a good time to do it.
Place for Prostration
One says that when there is no place, one is exempt from hishtachava’ah, and hishtachava’ah is widespread, so that one can have the opportunity to do the mitzvah. Yes, one must be able to. It’s not just for convenience, that one must be able to work it out.
Wonderful.
The Text of Nefilat Apayim
So nefilat apayim, and this is already about this. On Yom Kippur there is Nechemyah and nefilat apayim, yes. In our siddur they inserted into a text a chapter of Psalms that one should say this. But the main law is that one must say what is supplicating.