04. Attire Fit for Prayer

Although le-khatĥila one must wear respectable clothing for prayer, when it is difficult to change one’s clothes, it is permissible to pray in everyday clothing, as long as they are not undignified. Therefore, a woman who is engaged in household chores and is caring for her children, and does not have time to dress for prayer, may pray in her regular clothes or a nice robe that she wears around the house. As long as she is not embarrassed to open the door to her house in these clothes, they are not considered disgraceful.

One should not pray in pajamas (MB 91:11). However, one who is ill may pray in pajamas, because it is accepted that one who is not feeling well wears pajamas, even when important people come to visit her.

One should not stand in prayer wearing a raincoat, boots, and gloves, because that is not the way to stand before important people (MB 91:12). Yet, when it is very cold, it is permissible to pray in a raincoat and gloves, because this is not an affront to the honor of prayer. Moreover, in a place where everyone regularly wears boots, one may wear them while praying.

Similarly, girls who are on a field trip are permitted to pray as they are, as long as the clothes conform to the laws of tzni’ut. Although these clothes would not be considered respectable attire at home, and perhaps may even be considered slightly disgraceful, on a trip they are acceptable, and even if an important person would appear before them they would not feel a need to change their clothes. Therefore, as long as the clothes are modest, they may be worn for prayer for the duration of the field trip. ¹

05. Head Covering for Men

In order to assess whether women are required to cover their heads when praying or reciting berakhot, we must first clarify the law regarding men. Originally, a few eminent sages practiced the extra pious custom of not walking four amot bareheaded. Rav Huna b. R. Yehoshua is praised for not having walked four amot without a head covering (Shabbat 118b). He said, “Indeed the Shekhina is above my head, so how can I go around with it uncovered?” (Kiddushin 31a). Similarly, the Talmud teaches (Shabbat 156b) that after it was made known to Rav Naĥman bar Yitzĥak’s mother that he would become a thief according to his astrological sign, she was extremely meticulous about keeping his head covered constantly, enabling him to grow in Torah and mitzvot. Once, when his head covering fell, the evil inclination attacked him and his temptation to steal dates from the palm tree overtook him. He then understood his mother’s strictness. In time, this extra pious act became accepted in all of Israel until it became an obligatory custom (SA 2:6).

Some poskim say that there is an obligation to cover one’s head while mentioning God’s name and reciting berakhot. Others maintain that while there is no specific obligation for men to cover their heads when mentioning God’s name and reciting berakhot, accepted custom requires the covering of one’s head throughout the whole day, including when mentioning God’s name. Shulĥan Arukh cites the stringent opinion as halakha, according to which one is required to cover his head when mentioning God’s name and reciting berakhot (91:3; 206:3). ¹

06. Head Covering for Women

Women do not customarily cover their heads in order to arouse fear of heaven within themselves. As a matter of tzni’ut, married women must cover their hair, but single women, who are not required to cover their hair for reasons of tzni’ut, do not normally walk around in a head covering like men. Perhaps the reason that women do not need a yarmulke is that they naturally find it easier to improve themselves. Men are perhaps bolder, and therefore they need yarmulkes on their heads to restrain and focus that trait. Women, who by nature are more reserved and more modest, have no such need.

Another possible explanation is that by observing the laws of tzni’ut in the way they dress, women more clearly convey acceptance of the yoke of heaven upon herself and therefore do not require a head covering to express their fear of God. In contrast, even if a woman who does not abide by the rules of modesty were to wear a yarmulke, it would be to no effect, for her transgression of the laws of tzni’ut is very severe; by neglecting to observe the halakhot which pertain to her, it is as if she is declaring that she is not bound by halakha, the word of God.

There are, however, poskim who maintain that single women, too, must cover their heads when reciting God’s name and saying berakhot. They maintain that in this matter there is no distinction between men and women; rather the command to cover one’s head when mentioning God’s name is a separate obligation (Ish Matzli’aĥ, Yaskil Avdi). Others say that at the very least, women must cover their heads while reciting the Amida (Yabi’a Omer 6:15). However, in practice, single women are not strict concerning this, and even while praying the Amida they do not normally cover their heads. The reason for this is that men have adopted the pious custom of covering their heads all day in order to inspire their fear of God. Therefore, there is ample reason to require them to wear a head covering when mentioning God’s name. But for single women, who do not practice this custom, a head covering does not demonstrate fear of God, and hence they are not obligated to wear one while praying and reciting berakhot.

Nonetheless, married women certainly must cover their hair for prayer, since without a hair covering they are not dressed in accordance with the laws of tzni’ut; certainly if they were to pray in that manner it would be disrespectful. One must come to prayer in distinguished clothing, befitting someone who stands before the King of the universe, so certainly one must properly observe the halakhot of modest attire. Therefore, even women who do not abide by the law and do not normally cover their hair should cover it while praying. 

When mentioning God’s name, some poskim say that married women must be strict about head-covering, even in complete privacy. Others say that since single women are not obligated to do so, married women are not obligated either. The rationale is that the obligation of married women to cover their hair is a function of tzni’ut alone, and since there is no obligation to dress in a respectable fashion when reciting berakhot, there is no reason to distinguish between married and unmarried women, so married women may recite berakhot and Shema without a hair covering. ¹

07. Wearing a Belt

A man may not recite sacred words (devarim she-bikdusha) while there is no separation between his heart and his erva (nakedness). Thus, one wearing a long cloak or robe without underwear who wishes to recite sacred words must wear a belt to divide between his heart and his erva. However a woman’s nakedness is lower down, and her heart naturally cannot “see” her erva. Hence, a woman may recite sacred words while dressed in a robe, even without a separation between her heart and her erva.

Prior to the Amida, a man must put on a belt. Some poskim maintain that the reason for this is to create a division between one’s heart and one’s erva, in which case wearing underwear is sufficient and there is no need for a belt. Others say that specifically a belt must be worn in honor of the Amida, so as to more effectively emphasize the division between one’s heart and one’s erva (SA 91:2; Peninei Halakha: Prayer 5:3).

However, women, who are not required to create a division between their hearts and their erva, do not need to wear a belt when praying.  

01. The Place of Prayer

The Sages instituted that men pray with a minyan and in a synagogue, but they did not institute that women pray with a minyan. Clearly there is value in praying with a minyan in a synagogue for women as well, because the divine Presence dwells within the minyan and the synagogue is a place dedicated for prayer. Additionally, if a woman prays with a minyan she has the opportunity to answer “amen” Kaddish and Ĥazarat Ha-shatz, to participate in the recitation of Kedusha and Modim, and to hear Birkat Kohanim. Nevertheless, the Sages did not institute prayer with a minyan for women, in order to prevent conflict between the obligations prayer with a minyan in a synagogue and care for her family, for devotion to the family is more important (above, 3:2). As we learned, women are obligated to pray because they too must ask for mercy. ¹ However, the institution of prayer with a minyan is not linked to the actual request for mercy; rather, it is an separate matter mitzva that demands more time. Women are thus exempt (see above, 3:8-9, regarding the conceptual difference between men’s and women’s prayer).

On Shabbat and festivals, when there is more free time, many women habitually pray in the synagogue. Likewise, there are women, mainly older women no longer burdened by family demands, who enhance the mitzva by praying every day in the synagogue. Below (20:1-2; 22:7) we will expand on the virtue of prayer with a minyan in a synagogue.

02. Establishing a Regular Place to Pray

It is a mitzva to designate a permanent place for prayer. This is what the patriarch Avraham did, as it is written: “Avraham woke up early in the morning [to go] to the place where he had stood (amad) before God” (Bereishit 19:27), implying that he had a regular place where he would stand before God. The primary importance of establishing a place to pray pertains to the recitation of the Amida (lit. “standing”) prayer (Ben Ish Ĥai, Miketz 4).

The designation of a place of prayer expresses the complete connection that we have with God. Everything else in the world can change, but one’s connection to God is the most permanent and stable reality and should therefore transpire at a fixed place. The Sages say: “Whoever sets a place to pray is helped by the God of Avraham, and his enemies fall to him” (Berakhot 6b, 7b; see Maharal, Netiv Ha-avoda, ch. 4).

Men fulfill this mitzva by establishing a set place to pray in the synagogue (SA 90:19). Women fulfill it by establishing a permanent place to pray at home, a place where she tries to pray constantly. A woman whose house bustles with people or children should set a place to pray in a secluded corner, so that her concentration is not disrupted (see SA 90:20).

One must pray in a room with a window, and le-khatĥila it is good that a window opens toward Jerusalem, so that if her kavana is disrupted, she can look up towards the heavens (SA 90:4; MB 90:8). However, one should not establish her place of prayer next to a window with a view of the public domain, for whatever is happening on the street is likely to disturb her prayer (SA 90:20).

If she is in a place with no windows, she should pray in a well-lit place, since some poskim explain that the reason for praying in a room with windows is because the light that comes in settles the thoughts of the person praying (Talmidei Rabbeinu Yona); therefore, good lighting can be considered a substitute for a window.

03. Praying next to a Wall

Ideally there should be no barrier between one praying the Amida and the wall, so that nothing distracts her from prayer. Permanent furniture standing against the wall, such as a closed cupboard, is not considered a barrier since it does not cause distraction, and le-khatĥila one may pray next to it (SA 90:21; MB 63:65).

Pieces of furniture which were made for praying purposes, like shtenders (lecterns), are not considered barriers. Likewise, a table on which one puts her siddur is not considered a barrier. However, when the table is of no use, it should not be allowed to divide the person praying from the wall (MB 90:66; Peninei Halakha: Prayer, ch. 3 n. 6).

If a person is standing between a woman praying and the wall, if that person is also engaged in prayer, he is not considered a barrier. However, if he is not engaged in prayer, he is indeed considered a barrier (SA 90:22; Rav Kook in Tov Ro’i on Berakhot 5b).

It is not proper to pray facing pictures, lest it be a distraction (SA 90:23). However, if the picture is above eye level it is permitted, for then there is no concern that people will be distracted by it while praying (MA 90:37; MB 71).

One may not pray facing a mirror because one who does so looks like she is bowing to her own reflection. Therefore, even if she were to close her eyes, it is still forbidden (MB 90:71). Le-khatĥila, one should not pray at night in front of a window in which her image is reflected, since looking at her reflection will likely disturb her kavana. But if there is no alternative, she should close her eyes or look in the siddur. Since the window does not reflect her image clearly like a mirror does, she does not really seem to be bowing to her reflection (see Peninei Halakha: Prayer, ch. 3 n. 7).

04. One May Not Pray in a High Place

One who stands before God in prayer should know that her existence and all of life’s blessings are dependent on God’s kindness and that God is not required to fulfill her requests; hence, she should stand before Him humbly. That is what the Sages meant when they said (Berakhot 10b): “One may not stand on a chair, on a stool, or on any other high place and pray, because there is no haughtiness before the Omnipresent, as it says (Tehilim 130:1): ‘From the depths I called You, Lord.’” The Talmud (Ta’anit 23b) relates a story about R. Yona who was known as a righteous person whose prayers were answered. When he was asked to pray for rain, he went to a low place in order to fulfill the verse: “From the depths I called You, Lord.” He prayed there until he was answered and rain began to fall. For that reason, it is customary in some congregations that the ĥazan’s place is lower. This also explains why the ĥazan is described as “descending before the ark” (“yored lifnei ha-teiva”).

As a rule, the Sages prohibited an elevated place higher than three tefaĥim (c. 24 cm) above the ground. However, in practice, it is forbidden to pray even on a less elevated place, for two reasons. First, one standing on a stepstool or rock even only one tefaĥ in height is worried about losing her balance and cannot have the proper kavana while praying. Second, if the floor is even, elevating oneself on pillows, cushions, or anything else suggests a sense of haughtiness, and it is improper to pray in such a manner. Nevertheless, praying on rugs and mats which are normally laid out on the floor is permitted le-khatĥila. Likewise, one who prays on uneven ground may stand on the elevated parts, as long as they are not three tefaĥim higher than the rest of their surroundings (Peninei Halakha: Prayer, ch. 3 n. 4).

A sick or elderly person who has trouble getting out of bed may pray in bed, even though it is elevated from the ground, for that does not display haughtiness.

If the high place stands on its own – for instance, it is wider than four amot by four amot (c. two meters by two meters) – one may pray on it, because it is not measured in relation to other places. Rather it is considered its own domain. Even an area which is smaller than four amot squared is considered to be its own domain if it is surrounded by partitions, and it is permissible to pray on it.

05. One May Not Pray Near His Primary Rabbi

One may not recite the Amida prayer too close to his primary rabbi (“rav muvhak”), for if he prays alongside him, and certainly in front of him, he presents himself as his rabbi’s equal at least. On the other hand, he may not pray behind his rabbi, for should the rabbi finish praying before he does, the rabbi will feel uncomfortable because he cannot take three steps backwards – and it would be terrible for one to make his mentor feel uncomfortable. Furthermore, the student may appear as though he is bowing down to his rabbi (SA 90:24; MB 74).

If the student distances himself by four amot (c. two meters), it is permitted. However, if he prays behind his rabbi, he must distance himself four amot and another three paces (c. 60 cm), so that even if he were to prolong his prayer, his rabbi would be able to take three steps backwards.

Who is considered one’s primary rabbi? The one from whom she has learned the majority of her wisdom in one area of the Torah. One of the great Torah leaders of the generation has the same status. Likewise, the rabbi of a place is considered a primary rabbi (AHS YD 242:29; see also Peninei Halakha: Prayer, ch. 3 n. 8). Some say that during the time period that one is learning from a certain rabbi, even if he did not teach her most of her knowledge, at that time, the teacher has the status of her primary rabbi (Divrei Malkiel 2:74).

Concerning a rabbanit (a rabbi’s wife, who is often a teacher and religious guide in her own right), there is a prohibition on praying alongside her in two situations: 1. when she is married to one’s rav muvhak or to one of the prominent Torah leaders of the generation, and her main goal is to assist her husband in his sacred mission; and 2. when she herself is an educator and most of her students’ Torah knowledge or teaching has come from her, in which case, her students must relate to her as they would to a rav muvhak.

Some say that these rulings apply only in a situation where the student chooses to pray next to the rabbanit. But if they were seated near each other in the women’s section, she may pray there, for there is no question of arrogance on the part of the student. In times of need, one may rely on this opinion (Peninei Halakha: Prayer, ch. 3 n. 9). Certainly when the rabbanit invites the student to sit next to her or agrees to the student sitting next to her there is no prohibition or concern of arrogance on the part of the student, and she may pray there.

06. Prayer in Open Areas

One should not recite the Amida in an open area, and one who does so is called “insolent” (Berakhot 34b), because in an open area one’s thoughts scatter, whereas in a private place place the King’s awe is upon her and her heart is humbled (SA 90:5). Furthermore, in an open space, there is concern that people will pass by and disturb her concentration. Those who are traveling may pray along their way, and if there are trees there, it is better to pray among them (MB 90:11). Similarly, it is preferable to pray next to a wall than in a completely open area (Eshel Avraham [Buczacz] 90:5). A courtyard surrounded by walls is considered a private place, almost like a house, since the defining factor is the presence of walls, not a ceiling (MB 90:12).

It is permissible le-khatĥila to pray in the plaza of the Kotel (the Western Wall) because it is surrounded by walls on three sides. Moreover, the holiness of the site reinforces one’s love and awe of God, causing one’s prayer to be said with more kavana. The patriarch Yitzĥak did this when he recited Minĥa on Mount Moriah, which was then an open field, as it says: “Yitzĥak went out to meditate in the field” (Bereishit 24:63; Berakhot 26b; Midrash Tehillim §81).

It is forbidden to pray in front of a synagogue because if person praying faces the direction of Jerusalem, her back will be disrespectfully turned towards the synagogue. If she faces the synagogue, her back will be turned to Jerusalem, in the opposite direction towards which the congregants inside are praying. However, one may pray alongside the synagogue or behind it when facing Jerusalem (SA 90:7).

07. Cleanliness of the Area from Excrement and Foul Odors

It is forbidden to say or think about sacred matters in a place that contains feces or other foul-smelling substances, as the Torah states: “You will return and cover your excrement. This is because Lord your God walks among you in your camp…. Your camp must therefore be holy” (Devarim 23:14-15). This law contains many details, and we will learn only a few of them.

Anything within four amot (c. two meters) of a person is considered to be within her “camp.” Hence, if there is excrement within her four amot, her camp is not holy and she may not pray there. If the excrement is in front of her, as long as she sees it, she may not pray. If the smell spreads, she must distance herself four amot from the place where the smell dissipates. Even one whose sense of smell is impaired must distance herself, like one who smells the odor (SA 79:1).

This law applies to anything rancid whose stench revolts people. Thus, one must distance herself from a carcass and from malodorous animal dung just as she must distance herself from human feces (MB 79:23). Foul-smelling vomit has the same status as excrement, but if it does not stink, some rule leniently and do not consider it like feces (see MB 76:20 and Ishei Yisrael 51:12).

When the odor spreads to another domain, for example, from the bathroom into the next room, one may not recite sacred words anywhere that the smell pervades. Some poskim are stringent and maintain that even when the foul odor comes from another domain, one must move four amot away from the place where the smell ends, and le-khatĥila this opinion is worth following (MB 79:17 and Kaf Ha-ĥayim 79:1; Peninei Halakha: Prayer, ch. 3 n. 10).

08. What is the Law Be-di’avad?

If one recited the Amida within four amot of feces, she did not fulfill her obligation, and the Amida must be repeated. Even if she was unaware that there was excrement there, but there was a reasonable concern that the place would contain excrement, she acted negligently by not examining the cleanliness of the place before praying, and therefore she did not fulfill her obligation. However, if the place was unlikely to contain excrement, since she was not required to check, she fulfilled her obligation (SA 76:8; MB 76:31 and 81:13).

The poskim disagree about one who recited berakhot within four amot of excrement. Some say that because she transgressed a biblical prohibition, she did not fulfill her obligation and must repeat all the berakhot (MB 185:7; BHL ad loc.). Others maintain that the Sages are only strict about the recitation of Shema and the Amida, but concerning other berakhot, be-di’avad she fulfilled her obligation (Ĥayei Adam 3:33; Kitzur SA 5:10; Kaf Ha-ĥayim 76:37, 185:14). Since this is a matter of dispute concerning berakhot, and repeating the berakha raises concerns about making a berakha le-vatala, the principle of leniency in matters of uncertainty about berakhot (“safek berakhot le-hakel”) applies, and she may not repeat the berakha. It is best that she meditates on the words of the berakha, for some poskim maintain that one fulfills the obligation to recite a berakha just by thinking it (Rambam), and the prohibition to recite a berakha le-vatala does not apply to thought.

09. The Law Concerning a Baby

Feces of young infants do not smell that bad and therefore it does not have the status of excrement. When a child reaches the age that he can eat a kezayit of cereal grain within a shi’ur akhilat pras (the time it takes to eat half a loaf of bread; c. 6-7 minutes), one must distance herself from the excrement as she would from an adult’s excrement (SA 81:1); some write that this starts at one year of age. Speaking sacred words near a baby’s feces is only permitted in extenuating circumstances. Le-khatĥila it is better to distance oneself from the excrement of even a week-old baby when speaking sacred words (MB 81:3; Kaf Ha-ĥayim 1:6).

When praying near a baby at least one year old who is still in diapers, one should first make sure that no foul odor is present. If there is a foul odor and it reaches the person praying, she must stop her prayers. However, as long as the child does not smell, she may pray near him, for even if he did defecate, since the feces are covered in a diaper and clothing and there is no scent, it is not forbidden to speak sacred words near him. ¹

When a woman is in the middle of the Amida and her child comes to her with a dirty, smelly diaper, she may not continue praying. If someone else can take care of the child, she must signal with her hands that they should distance the child from her, and then she can continue her prayers. However, when no one else is present to care for the child at that moment, she should, if possible, place him in a crib or in a different room where he can play until she completes her prayer. If no such option is available – for example, if the child is crying and requires her attention – since she is prohibited from continuing to pray while he is next to her anyway, she must stop praying, clean the child, change his diaper, and wash her hands. She should try to return to her prayer as quickly as possible, because if the interruption is shorter than the time it takes for her to recite the whole Amida, she may continue praying from the place where she stopped. If in her estimation, however, the interruption lasts longer that the time it would take her to recite the entire Amida, from start to finish, she must begin the Amida from the beginning (SA 104:5).

If a soiled child approaches a woman while she is reciting a short berakha, she should distance herself from him to a place where the odor cannot be smelled and then finish the berakha. If she is reciting Birkat Ha-mazon, which takes more time to say, and she cannot distance herself from him long enough to complete all four berakhot of Birkat Ha-mazon because he is crying and she needs to pick him up to calm him down, since she cannot continue her berakha while she smells his excrement anyway, she should clean him, change his diaper, wash her hands, and continue from the beginning of the berakha at which she stopped (SA 65:1; BHL 183:6, s.v. “Afilu”).

10. Additional Laws

A woman who is facing the bathroom may recite sacred words and pray as the door is closed and no foul odor reaches her. If the door is open, she may not pray there. However, if her back or side is turned towards the bathroom, as long as no foul smell reaches her, she may pray and recite sacred words (SA 83:1; MB 83:5).

Occasionally, a sewer emits a stench into a nearby home or synagogue. In such a case, it is forbidden to pray inside. Sometimes closing the windows that face the sewer helps, and if the odor lingers, air freshener can be used to eliminate it. In the past, people would eliminate a stench by burning a garment (Kaf Ha-ĥayim 79:20).

The status of a particular smell depends on accepted local norms. In the past, sewage, including feces and urine, would flow alongside streets, and the air in crowded cities was full of foul odors. Even so, prayers would be recited in synagogues and houses near the sewage canals because everyone was accustomed to them and did not consider them foul. Only on summer days or when the sewage canals were clogged would the stench intensify to the point that people would not pray nearby (see MB 79:5). Nowadays, however, sewage is drained, the air is purer, and we are more sensitive to bad smells; hence, wherever we sense a foul odor by today’s standards, it is forbidden to pray.

Similarly, in farming communities, the smell from the barns and chicken coops that regularly reaches homes and synagogues is not considered by the local residents to be a bad smell. The same smell in the city may be considered foul, and it is prohibited to pray as long as it persists. Those who are guests in communities like these should follow the local custom.

People who pray outside must be careful not to pray in close proximity to garbage bins that smell bad. Even when the garbage cans do not emit a foul odor, it is proper not to pray within four amot of them or facing them.

11. The Prohibition of Reciting Sacred Words in the Presence of “Erva”

It is prohibited to recite sacred words in the presence of erva (nakedness), as the Torah states: “Your camp must therefore be holy. Let Him not see any erva among you and turn away from you” (Devarim 23:15). Regarding a man who sees another man or a woman who sees another woman, it is only prohibited to recite sacred words in view of the other’s privates. Therefore, if a woman is sitting on the floor or a chair in a manner that conceals her private part, even if she is naked, another woman may pray or speak sacred words in her presence (MB 75:8).

However, from the perspective of modesty, it is not proper for a woman to sit without clothing (above, 4:2). When necessary, it is permissible, and in such a case there is no prohibition for another woman to recite sacred words in her presence.

Concerning a man who sees a woman, the Sages teach (Berakhot 24b), “A tefaĥ of a woman is considered erva.” What they meant is that it is forbidden to reveal any part of a woman’s body which is normally covered, and that if such a part is exposed, one may not speak sacred words its presence (the specifics of this rule are explained in SA §75 and in Peninei Halakha: Collected Essays IIICollected Essays III 6:3-6).

Although we must educate girls to dress modestly starting from a young age, the prohibition against speaking sacred words in the presence of a tefaĥ that is normally covered begins when the girl begins to mature (ibid. 6:7).

Likewise, regarding the hair on one’s head, the Sages teach: “A woman’s hair is erva” (Berakhot 24a). This refers to a married woman, and if her hair is not covered, a man may not recite sacred words in her presence (the specific of the laws of hair covering are detailed in Peninei Halakha: Collected Essays III 6:14-15).

A man who must pray, recite berakhot, or learn Torah and finds himself in the presence of a woman who is revealing a tefaĥ of areas that are normally covered, le-khatĥila, he should turn away so that he cannot see her. If he cannot turn away, he must look into his siddur, or close his eyes, and only then speak sacred words (SA 75:6; MB 75:1, 29).

Concerning hair covering, some Aĥaronim write that since, unfortunately, many married women do not cover their hair, uncovered hair has become, to some degree, something that not everyone is accustomed to covering, and be-di’avad one may speak sacred words in its presence. This only pertains to hair, regarding which has a more lenient status than other normally covered parts, as single women are not obligated to cover their hair. However, concerning the normally covered parts of the body, which even single women must cover, as we have learned, one may not be lenient; rather, he must close his eyes or look in a siddur (AHS 75:7; Ben Ish Ĥai, Bo 12; Igrot Moshe OĤ 1:44; see Peninei Halakha: Collected Essays III 6:16).

Similarly, a man may not recite sacred words near a woman who is singing (SA 75:3). However, according to some Aĥaronim, be-di’avad, hearing a female singer on the radio does not prohibit reciting matters of sanctity (see ibid. 6:11).

01. Three Steps toward Prayer

During the Amida prayer we stand before God, the King of kings. This is not the case regarding other berakhot and prayers: although all prayers must be recited with solemnity and kavana, they are not on the same level as the Amida, in which we stand before the King. Therefore, the Sages instituted special halakhot that pertain solely to the Amida prayer.

In order to express one’s desire to come closer to God and to stand before Him, we customarily take three steps toward the Amida prayer (Rema 95:1). After finishing these steps, one stands in place and only then recites the verse “Ado-nai sefatai tiftaĥ u-fi yagid tehilatekha” (“My Lord, open my lips and my mouth will speak your praises”; Tehilim 51:7), since that verse is part of the Amida.

One who goes to synagogue or prays in a designated place in her house has already taken more than three steps to get there, and therefore need not take another three steps prior to praying the Amida (Eliya Rabba). Some poskim say that it is proper even for one who already walked to her place of prayer to take another three steps forward, immediately before beginning the Amida, if a significant amount of time has elapsed since she arrived at her place of prayer (Ben Ish Ĥai, Be-shalaĥ 3; Kaf Ha-ĥayim 95:7). However, because it is not appropriate to take three steps back and immediately afterwards three steps forward, one who wishes to be meticulous about this should take three steps back a short time before the Amida, and, after waiting a bit, take three steps forward to begin the Amida (Minhagei Maharil; MB 95:3).

02. Facing Jerusalem

While reciting all the various berakhot and prayers, it is permissible to face in any direction. However, when one stands before the King of the world in the Amida, she must turn to face Jerusalem, the place that God chose to manifest His Presence in the world.

One who stands in prayer outside of Eretz Yisrael must face the land and direct her heart toward Jerusalem, the site of the Temple, and the Kodesh Ha-kodashim (the Inner Sanctum of the Temple). If is in Eretz Yisrael, she must face Jerusalem and direct her heart toward the Temple and the Kodesh Ha-kodashim. If she is in Jerusalem, she faces the site of the Temple and directs her heart toward the Kodesh Ha-kodashim (Berakhot 30a; SA 94:1).

Therefore, those reciting the Amida in the women’s section of the plaza facing the Kotel must turn diagonally toward the left, toward the exact site of the Temple.

In synagogues, it is customary to position the aron kodesh (the ark) against the wall that faces Jerusalem, so that those standing in prayer also pray towards the direction of the ark. However, the primary objective is to pray in the direction of Jerusalem. Therefore, if due to error, or because of circumstances beyond control, the ark does not exactly face Jerusalem, the people praying should turn to face the direction of Jerusalem (MB 94:9). Likewise, someone standing in the women’s section must face Jerusalem, even if this is not the direction of the ark (MB 94:10).

One who does not know the direction of Jerusalem may pray in whichever direction she desires while directing her heart towards her Father in heaven (SA 94:3). Even if she subsequently discovers that she was mistaken, she need not repeat her prayer. ¹

03. Standing and Putting One’s Feet Together

There is a unique law regarding the Amida: it must be recited while standing. When one stands, she summons her complete being, from head to toe, to prayer. In addition, standing expresses the reverence and awe felt toward the King of the world. Therefore, one must not lean against anything while reciting the Amida, for anyone who is even partially supported is not standing in awe. In extenuating circumstances, for instance, if one is weak and must lean against something, she should try to lean only slightly, such that if the support should be taken from her, she would remain standing on her own. In that way, although she is not standing in fear, she is at least considered to be praying in a standing position (SA 94:8; MB 22).

One must put her legs together so that they look like one leg. The reason for this is that the separation of one’s legs exposes one’s material side and represents the pursuit of worldly matters. Thus, we keep our feet together in prayer just like the kohanim who, in their ascent of the altar, would walk heel-to-toe to avoid spreading their legs. Furthermore, putting one’s legs together symbolizes the annulling of the powers in one’s legs, demonstrating that we have but one desire, to stand before Him in prayer. The Sages learn this from the angels, of whom it is said: “Their legs are a straight leg” (Yeĥezekel 1:7), meaning that their legs were placed so close together that they appeared as one leg (Berakhot 10b; y. Berakhot 1:1; see Maharal, Netiv Ha-avoda §6).

One must put the entire length of her foot next to the other so that they will seem like one leg to the extent possible, and not merely put her heels together (SA 95:1; Talmidei Rabbeinu Yona). However, be-di’avad, if one prayed with her feet apart, she still fulfilled her obligation (MB ad loc. 1; Kaf Ha-ĥayim 2). Someone who has trouble putting her feet together fully should place them together to the degree possible.

One who is ill and cannot stand may recite the Amida while sitting. If she is unable to sit, she may pray while lying down (MB 94:27; Kaf Ha-ĥayim 34).

Even one who must recite the Amida while sitting or lying down should try to put her feet together and bow her head at the appropriate places. When one sitting in a wheelchair finishes her prayer, she should wheel herself slightly backwards, approximately the distance of the three steps with which a healthy person would take leave of her prayer (based on Rema 94:5). 

04. Placement of the Body and Hands

One reciting the Amida must bow her head slightly, so that her eyes point humbly downwards; she must imagine herself standing in the Temple and direct her heart toward heaven (Yevamot 105b; SA 95:2).

The kabbalists praise one who prays with her eyes closed. However, even one who looks into her siddur follows the law le-khatĥila. Many Aĥaronim recommend praying from a siddur, so that one can have more kavana in her prayer (MB 95:5; Kaf Ha-ĥayim 9-10; and see BHL, quoting Ma’amar Mordechai).

Regarding one’s hands, Rambam writes (MT, Laws of Prayer 5:4) that one should place her hands on her heart while interlocked, right over left, so that she stands as a slave before her master, in awe and fear. This is also the opinion of SA 95:3 and Kavanot Ha-Ari (Kaf Ha-ĥayim 95:12). Many maintain that the placement of the hands depends on local custom; where Rambam lived, it was indeed customary to stand before kings and ministers in the manner he described. However, people in other areas practiced differently. For instance, in Christian lands people customarily stood with their arms folded, while in Islamic land they would stand with their hands behind their backs, symbolically indicating that they do not even have their hands without the consent of the One Who they face in prayer (Mahari Aboab, cited by Beit Yosef; MB 95:6). Nowadays, according to this, in addition to what Rambam wrote, it is also permissible to stand with one’s hands adjacent to her body or holding a siddur, or resting on a table next to her siddur, for that, too, is considered standing respectfully. However, one should not stand with her hands in her pockets or on her hips, for it is inappropriate to stand that way in front of respected people.

Many people are accustomed to “shuckling” (swaying) while reciting the Amida. Rema writes (§48; MB 95:7) that this is the proper way to practice le-khatĥila, as it expresses the excitement and trepidation of the prayer experience, and in order to involve one’s whole body in the service of prayer, as the verse states: “All my bones will say: ‘God, who is like You?’” (Tehilim 35:10). In contrast, Shlah states that one should not sway during prayer. On the contrary, standing motionless strengthens one’s kavana. Furthermore, it says it is not respectful to sway. If one were to come before a human king and begin to shake his whole body, the king would dismiss him immediately. If so, one should certainly not act that way in prayer. Shlah explains that the recommendation to sway applies specifically to Torah study or to singing songs and praise. However, during the intense and inward-focused Amida, in which we stand before the King, it is not proper to move at all; only one’s lips may move (Shlah, Masekhet Tamid, Ner Mitzva). Since each custom has opinions on which to rely, every person may practice in the manner that allows her to concentrate the best (MA, MB 48:5; and see Kaf Ha-ĥayim 48:7-9).

05. Bowing During the Amida

The Sages instituted bowing in five places in the Amida: at the beginning and end of Avot, at the beginning and end of Modim, and at the end of the Amida, when one takes three steps backwards. They specifically chose those two berakhot because they are the most important, and while reciting them one must try harder to concentrate properly (see SA 101:1; MB 3). If one wants to bow at the beginning or end of another berakha, she is taught not to, so as not to undermine what the Sages instituted and so that she does not appear as an arrogant person who considers herself more righteous than others. However, one may bow in the middle of one of the berakhot (SA 113:1; MB 2, see Peninei Halakha: Prayer, ch. 17 n. 3).

One bows when saying “Barukh Ata” and straightens when saying “Hashem.” For Modim, she bows when saying “Modim anaĥnu lakh” and straightens when saying “Hashem” (SA 113:7; MB 12; for the laws on bowing down at the end of the Amida, see below, section 11).

One must bow so low that the vertebrae in one’s spine protrude from her back. One bends her head low so that it is below the level of her heart and above waist-level, but no lower, as it would appear arrogant. One should bow quickly, demonstrating her desire to bow before God, and straighten herself slowly, like one who wants to keep bowing before God (SA 113:6). An elderly or ill person who has difficulty bending down should nod her head as much as she can (SA 113:5).

Regarding how one bows, there are two customs. According to the Ashkenazic custom, when one says “barukh” she bends her knees and when she says “Ata” she bows until her vertebrae protrude. At Modim, the word “Barukh” is not recited, so one bows without first bending her knees (MB 113:12; and see Kitzur SA 18:1). The Sephardim practice according to Arizal’s custom and bow down in two stages. First, one bends her body (without bending her knees) and then her head. Similarly, when she straightens herself, she first straightens her body and then her head (Kaf Ha-ĥayim 113:21).

06. Praying Silently

We learn many essential halakhot from the prayer of Ĥana, who stood and begged God to remember her and grant her a son. Her prayer was accepted and she merited giving birth to Shmuel the prophet, who was the greatest prophet of Israel behind Moshe. The verse states: “Ĥana spoke to her heart, only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard” (1 Shmuel 1:13). The Sages teach: “‘Spoke to her heart’ – from here [we learn] that the person praying must focus his heart. ‘Only her lips moved’ – from here [we learn] that the person praying must articulate the words. ‘Her voice was not heard’ – from here [we learn] that it is prohibited to raise one’s voice while praying” (Berakhot 31a).

The idea behind the Amida prayer is to express the soul’s deepest aspirations before God, and therefore it is not proper to recite the words aloud and to disclose them outwardly. On the other hand, one does not fulfill her obligation with thought alone, since every idea must possess some tangible expression in this world. Very often, our inner desires are praiseworthy, but their outer expression is flawed. Therefore, our task is to express our inner good will outwardly, thereby repairing the world. Hence, even the subtlest mitzva like prayer, requires some sort of expression – the silent articulation of the words with one’s lips.

There are different practices regarding the proper way to pray silently. According to most poskim and a few kabbalists, one reciting the Amida must utter the words in such a way that only she hears her voice but those praying next to her do not (SA 101:2; MB 5-6). According to most kabbalists, the Amida is so intense and internal that one should not even hear her own words; she should only mouth the letters with her lips (Kaf Ha-ĥayim 101:8). The woman praying may choose the way which enables her to have the most kavana in her prayer.

Be-di’avad, even if one recites the Amida out loud, she fulfills her obligation. Therefore, if one who has difficulty concentrating silently is praying alone, in a place where she will not disturb the prayer of others, she may pray aloud. However, even in that situation, she should not raise her voice, for one who does so behaves like the false prophets who think that their gods are hard of hearing and that one must yell in order to be heard (Berakhot 24b).

On the Days of Awe, there are parts of the Amida where it is customary to raise one’s voice slightly, and one need not be concerned that she is disturbing others around her because on those days everyone has maĥzorim (SA 101:3). Nevertheless, even in those places, one who wishes to enhance the mitzva prays silently.

Regarding the other sections of the prayer service, such as Birkhot Keri’at Shema and Pesukei De-zimra, which are not as inward-focused and intense as the Amida, all agree that the person praying must hear the words she is reciting. Be-di’avad, if she only mouthed the words without hearing them, she fulfilled her obligation, but if she thought the words in her mind, without even mouthing them, she did not fulfill her obligation. 

07. In Any Language

One may recite the Amida in any language (Sota 32a). However, it is best to pray in Hebrew, for that is the language in which the Men of the Great Assembly composed the prayers. Furthermore, Hebrew is the holy tongue and is the language with which the world was created.

An additional advantage to praying in Hebrew, untrue of any other language, is that one may pray in Hebrew even if she does not understand it. As long as she understands the first verse of Shema and the first berakha of the Amida, she fulfills her obligation. In any other language, only one who understands what she is saying fulfills her obligation (MB 101:14 and 124:2).

In practice, one who does not understand Hebrew may choose the language in which to pray. On one hand, there is an advantage to praying in a language that she understands, for it enables her to have more kavana. On the other hand, if she prays in Hebrew, she prays in the holy tongue (see BHL 101:4; Kaf Ha-ĥayim 16). ¹

Permission to pray in other languages is granted only as a temporary measure (hora’at sha’ah), specifically for people who do not understand Hebrew. However, it is prohibited to organize a minyan of people who pray regularly in a different language. That was one of the sins of the Reform movement, which translated the prayers to German and caused their children to forget the holy tongue, leading the way to assimilation and the abandonment of Judaism (Ĥatam Sofer, OĤ 84 and 86; MB 101:13).

08. Kavana

One reciting the Amida must have kavana, that is, she must pay attention to what she is saying and must try not to let her mind be distracted by anything else during the prayer. If other thoughts enter her mind, she must expel them and return to her prayer. Even if she does not succeed in concentrating on all of the words, she must at least try to have kavana for the conclusion of each berakha. If she cannot concentrate during all of the berakhot, she must make an effort to concentrate on Avot and Modim, for those are the berakhot in which we bow down at their beginning and at their end. At the very least, she must have kavana in Birkat Avot, the first berakha of the Amida (SA 101:1 and MB 1-3).

If one recited the Amida but did not have kavana during Birkat Avot, technically she must repeat the Amida, because kavana during that berakha is requisite for fulfilling her obligation. However, due to the decline of generations and other preoccupations, our ability to concentrate has weakened. Therefore, the Aĥaronim rule that we do not repeat the Amida, since there is concern that even in reciting the Amida a second time, she will forget to have kavana during Birkat Avot, and her repetition will be for naught (Rema 101:1; Kaf Ha-ĥayim 4). Hence, one who knows that she will not be able to have kavana even for Birkat Avot should preferably not even begin the Amida. She should instead fulfill her obligation by reciting Birkhot Ha-shaĥar. ¹

If one is about to finish Avot and notices that she did not have kavana in its recitation, as long as she has not yet said God’s name at the conclusion of the berakha, she goes back to “Elokei Avraham” and continues from there with kavana (MB 101:4, in the name of Ĥayei Adam). If she has already said God’s name, she concludes the berakha with kavana. It is preferable that she go back and think the words of Birkat Avot in her heart, for, in Rambam’s opinion, thought is considered speech (hirhur ke-dibur). However, if she already began the second beraka with the words “Ata gibor,” she continues to pray and must try to have kavana while reciting the remaining berakhot, especially Birkat Modim, for some poskim maintain that having kavana in Modim rectifies the lack of kavana in Avot.

09. The Order of the Berakhot of Shemoneh Esrei

Shemoneh Esrei, the weekday Amida, is divided into three parts: praise, petition, and thanksgiving. While reciting the first three berakhot, we resemble slaves who offer words of praise before their master. While reciting the middle blessings we are like slaves who make requests of their master. When we recite the last three blessings, we are like slaves who gracefully accept reward from their master, then are dismissed and go on their way (Berakhot 34a).

We learn this from the prayer of Moshe, which begins with praise before continuing to plead and petition (Berakhot 32a; also see below, 15:3). Without the introductory praise, there is concern that our prayer will resemble pagan worship, whose entire aim is to magically manipulate higher powers to work for one’s benefit. In contrast, we wish to serve God and devote ourselves to Him, and all we ask is that He bestows goodness and blessing upon us in abundance so that we can study Torah, perform mitzvot, and reveal His name in the world. Therefore, we must first recognize before Whom we stand in prayer. We stand before God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome, the One Who sustains life and resurrects the dead, the holy God. With that understanding, we can approach Him and pray with a pure heart for all of Israel and for ourselves (see Olat Re’iyah vol. 1, p. 14).

The petitionary section, in which there are thirteen berakhot, contains and expresses the general aspirations of the Jewish people. They do not focus on the individual advancement of the person praying, but on the revelation of God’s glory in the world. Even our personal requests for health and livelihood are to enable us to participate in tikun olam. We ask for the following thirteen things: wisdom, repentance, forgiveness, redemption, health, livelihood, the ingathering of the Jews from exile (Kibbutz Galuyot), the restoration of justice, the destruction of those who hate us, the blessing for the righteous, the rebuilding of Jerusalem, the re-establishment of the Davidic dynasty, and finally, that our prayers be heard.

After these requests, we end the Amida with three general berakhot, the centerpiece of which is Modim, a blessing of thanks for our our lives and for all the goodness that God constantly bestows upon us. It is accompanied by two other berakhot. In the first we pray for the restoration of the Temple service, and in the last we pray for peace, since peace is the vessel that contains all berakhot. It is important to note that the Men of the Great Assembly were precise about the order of the berakhot, and one who switches their order does not fulfill her obligation (see below, 13:1).

In truth, Shemoneh Esrei (which means “eighteen”) is comprised of nineteen berakhot. When the Men of the Great Assembly first instituted the Amida, it was made up of eighteen berakhot. After the proliferation of slanderers and informers after the rise of Christianity and its preaching of hatred against the Jews, the Sages instituted an additional berakha, a prayer to save the nation from apostates and slanderers. ¹

10. Personal Requests in the Amida

The Men of the Great Assembly, in their wisdom and divine inspiration, incorporated all the ideal aspirations of the Jewish people in their formulation of the Amida. They meticulously chose every word until arriving at the perfect wording, with which the Jewish soul can pour itself out before the Creator in the most exalted manner possible (above, 1:6).

Even so, if one wishes to add personal requests in the middle berakhot, she may. However, in the first three berakhot, which are intended to praise God, and in the last three, which are intended for thanksgiving, one may not add personal requests, so as not to detract from their general purpose (SA 112:1; 119:1).

The personal requests permitted in the middle berakhot must be related to the theme of the berakha. For example, one may pray for the sick in Refa’enu, for livelihood in Birkat Ha-shanim, or for relatives to make aliya in the Kibbutz Galuyot. In this respect, Shomei’a Tefila is unique in that one may make all types of requests in it. Since it is the culmination of the petitionary berakhot, it encompasses them all. When one adds personal requests, she begins by reciting the fixed formulation and adds her request just before the last line of the berakha.

Personal requests are not only permissible but even encouraged, according to many, since the personal prayers come from the depths of the heart and inspire kavana. Nevertheless, it is preferable that one not prolong her personal prayers excessively, not even in Shome’a Tefila, because the Amida is primarily focused on collective needs, and when one adds numerous personal requests, it negates the universal character of the Amida. It is better that one who wishes to add more personal prayers does so after finishing all the berakhot and saying (the first instance of) “Yihyu le-ratzon…” since everything recited after that is not fully part of the Amida. Nevertheless, since she has not yet taken three steps backwards, she is still standing before the Almighty in prayer, and her personal requests are joined together with the main part of the Amida (SA 119:2; MB 119:12).

One must express her requests in the Amida properly. Therefore, when praying for the sick, the patient’s name should be mentioned. Le-khatĥila, it is good to mention the patient’s name along with his mother or father’s name. However, in the presence of the patient, it is unnecessary to mention his name, for her intention is clear (MB 119:2).

11. The Conclusion of the Amida and Three Steps Back

In reciting the verse, “Yihyu le-ratzon…” (“May the expressions of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart find favor before You, God, my Rock, and my Redeemer”; Tehilim 19:15) right after completing the berakha for peace, we end the main part of the Amida. At this point, Elokai Netzor, a paragraph of personal pray, is customarily added. As we have learned, this is where one may add as much personal petition and supplication as she wants. It is said that R. Akiva would prolong his prayers extensively with supplications when praying alone (see Berakhot 31a).

Upon the conclusion of the prayers of supplication, one recites Yihyu le-ratzon again and takes three steps backward, thereby departing the King’s presence. The Sages say that if one prays and does not depart from the Amida properly by taking three steps back and saying “Oseh shalom…,” it would have been better not to have prayed at all (Yoma 53b). One who does not take leave properly demonstrates that she does not understand that she was standing before the Almighty King, and she thus demeans prayer.

After finishing the Amida, before beginning the three steps, one bows as she does during Modim (as explained in section 5 above), and while bowing she takes three steps backward. Still bowing, she then turns to her left and says, “Oseh shalom bi-mromav” (“May He Who makes peace in His high places…”), then to her right side and says, “Hu ya’aseh shalom aleinu” (make peace for us …”), and finally bows forward and says, “ve-al kol Yisrael, ve-imru Amen” (“and all of Israel; and say: ‘amen’”). She then straightens up slowly. Many people then recite the “Yehi ratzon” paragraph praying for the restoration of the Temple, since prayer corresponds to the Tamid sacrifice and we ask that the Temple be rebuilt so that we may bring this offering (SA, Rema 123:1).

When stepping back, one takes the first step with the left leg – the weaker leg – thereby demonstrating her reluctance to take leave of her prayer. Each step should be the length of her foot, that is, she steps back toe-to-heel. The order of the steps is as follows: she first takes a small step with her left foot, so that the toes of her left foot abut her right heel. Then she takes a bigger step with her right foot, so that the toes of her right foot abut her left heel. Finally, she takes a small step with her left foot, so that her feet are even with each other. Her feet remain together while she recites Oseh shalom.

One must be careful not to take a step shorter than the length of her foot (heel-to-toe), for some poskim maintain that less than that is not considered a step (MA). When there is not enough room behind her to take three steps, she steps to the side, making sure that each step is long enough (AHS 123:5). In extenuating circumstances, when there is no room to step backwards or sideways, she may rely on the opinions that three smaller steps are sufficient. However, one may not take less than the three steps with which one takes leave from the King’s presence (Baĥ, and see MB 123:14); nor may one take more than three steps, so as not to display arrogance (SA 123:4; Peninei Halakha: Prayer, ch. 17 n. 9). Likewise, it is not proper to take large steps, so as not to appear as though she wants to distance herself from the King (Rema 123:3; and see MB 16).

12. How Long Must One Stand at a Distance

After taking three steps backwards, one must remain standing in that place. She may not immediately return to where she prayed the Amida, for if she does, she resembles a dog that returns to its vomit (Yoma 53b), since if she returns to stand before the King without any good reason, having just taken leave from Him, she shows that she did not understand that she was standing before the King and departed His presence. Her behavior is thus considered disgraceful. Some people compound this error by returning to their initial stance and then lifting their heels slightly, as one does when reciting Kedusha. There is no reason at all to do so.

The proper practice is as follows: If one wishes to return to the place where she stood in prayer, she should wait in place for about half a minute to a minute and then do so. When necessary for her to return to the original place immediately, such as when she is blocking passage, she should wait a few seconds – the amount of time it takes to walk four amot – and then return (MB 123:11; Kaf Ha-ĥayim 20).  If she does not wish to return to her original place, she may go on her way immediately after reciting “Yehi ratzon.”

A woman who is praying in a minyan must wait in place after taking three steps back until the ĥazan begins his repetition of the Amida (SA 123:2). According to most poskim, there is no need to remain standing with one’s feet together after reciting “Oseh shalom” (MB 123:6, BHL, and SHT ad loc.).  However, there are those who recommend remaining with one’s legs together until she returns to her place (Kitzur SA 18:13).

13. One Who Is Traveling When the Time to Pray Arrives

If one who regularly prays Shaĥarit or Minĥa is driving a car when the time to pray arrives, she may not recite the Amida because she will not have proper kavana and may even endanger lives. Rather, she should pull over and only then pray.

However, if she is a passenger, and she or the driver is in a hurry to get to the destination, she may recite the Amida while sitting, since if they stop so that she can pray standing, she will be preoccupied with finishing her prayers quickly and will not have proper kavana. Therefore, it is better that she pray Shemoneh Esrei while sitting, since, as we have seen (section 3 above), one who recites the Amida while sitting fulfills her obligation be-di’avad.

Even one who is sitting while reciting the Amida must put her feet together (MB 95:2) and try to face Jerusalem (MB 94:15). At the times she is supposed to bow, she should straighten herself slightly and bow as much as she can (SA 94:5; AHS 18).

When traveling by bus or train, both of which are more spacious than a car, if one can stand and concentrate properly, it is better that she stand for Shemoneh Esrei. However, if standing will disturb her kavana, whether because of the vehicle’s motion or because of the embarrassment in front of the other passengers, she may sit with her feet together and pray. If she is able to stand for a brief time to bow down, she should stand up, bow in the appropriate places, and then sit again. If possible, at the end of her prayer, she should stand and takes three steps backwards. ¹

14. May One Pray while Sitting on a Regular Basis?

As we have learned, the Sages established that Shemoneh Esrei is prayed while standing; one may only pray seated on a temporary basis, in times of need. Therefore, even if it is difficult for a man who travels to work every day to find time to pray while standing, he may not be lenient and regularly pray sitting. Only when he is in circumstances beyond his control is he permitted to pray on a regular basis while sitting.

Are women also permitted to pray while sitting on a regular basis while they are in circumstances beyond their control? There are women who almost never have an opportunity to pray standing. Immediately upon rising in the morning they must take care of their children, bathe them, dress them, feed them, and send them off to nursery and to school. Then they must go to work to help support the family financially. They may not pray at work, because they cannot take from their boss’s time. The only time she can pray Shemoneh Esrei is while traveling to work, in a sitting position. What should she do?

On one hand, since there are poskim who maintain that a woman may fulfill her obligation of prayer by reciting a brief prayer, it is best that she fulfills her obligation with Birkhot Ha-shaĥar and Birkhot Ha-Torah and refrain from regularly praying Shemoneh Esrei in a sitting position. On the other hand, since she has no other option, she is therefore permitted to pray Shemoneh Esrei on a regular basis while sitting. Additionally, this scenario is not considered a completely regular basis since on Shabbatot, festivals, and vacation days she must pray while standing.

In practice, since there are opinions both ways, every woman may choose how she wants to practice. If she wishes to pray Shemoneh Esrei consistently every day, she can pray on her way to work while sitting. If she wants to fulfill her obligation by reciting a short prayer, she may. One who is uncertain what to do regarding her specific situation should ask a rabbi. On certain trains and buses that have comfortable places to stand, she should pray while standing le-khatĥila (Peninei Halakha: Prayer, ch. 17 n. 14). ¹

01. Omissions and Errors in the Amida

The Men of the Great Assembly fixed the prayer formula as a single unit, incorporating all main requests, and meticulously established the order of the berakhot of the Amida, basing its structure on biblical verses (Megilla 17b). Therefore, one who skips one of the berakhot of the Amida does not fulfill the mitzva of prayer. Even if she recites the full Amida, but rearranges the order of the berakhot, she does not fulfill her obligation (SA 119:3).

Additionally, one who errs in one of the berakhot in a way that ruins the essence of the berakha – for example, by not reciting the berakha’s conclusion or by introducing something irrelevant, like a prayer for rain during the summer – is considered not to have recited that berakha at all (BHL 119:3). Likewise, one who forgets Ya’aleh Ve-yavo on Rosh Ĥodesh or on a festival must repeat that Amida with Ya’aleh Ve-yavo.

These laws are the same for men and women; any situation in which a man must repeat his prayer, a woman must as well. Likewise, a circumstance in which a man must return to the berakha in which he erred, a woman must too (as explained in the next section). Even when a woman errs in an Amida she was not obligated to pray, she must repeat the Amida correctly. For example, if one who usually only prays Shaĥarit decides on a certain day to pray Minĥa too, but makes a mistake, she must repeat the Minĥa Amida correctly. Similarly, if one who normally prays Shaĥarit and Minĥa decides one day to pray Ma’ariv as well, but errs, she must repeat the Ma’ariv Amida correctly. Since she already began to pray, she must pray in the manner that the Sages prescribed and if she changes their formulations, she must repeat her prayer correctly. ¹

02. Error and Interruption in the Middle of the Amida

A woman who realizes in the middle of the Amida that she skipped or made a mistake in one of the thirteen middle berakhot must return to that berakha and continue praying from that point on, in the correct order. Even though she repeats the berakhot that she already recited, since everything after that berakha was not recited in order, it is as if she did not say them at all, and she must recite them again in their correct sequence (Berakhot 34a according to Rashbam’s interpretation; SA 119:3).

If she skips or errs in one of the first three berakhot or one of the last three berakhot, either by reciting the wrong words in one of these berakhot or by skipping one of them and incorrectly starting the next one, she must go back to the beginning of the three berakhot. Since the first three berakhot possess one theme, as do the last three berakhot (see above, 12:9), each section is considered one unit. Therefore, anyone who makes a mistake in one berakha is considered to have erred in all of them and must repeat all three from the beginning (Berakhot 34a; Rema 114:6; an example of this law appears below in section 8).

One who completes the Amida and then remembers that she omitted or erred in one of the berakhot must repeat the entire Amida. Even if she has not yet taken three steps back, if she finished the prayers of supplication and is about to take steps backwards, she must return to the beginning of the Amida (SA 117:5).

If one interrupts Shemoneh Esrei in the middle, whether verbally or silently, and the interruption is brief, she continues praying from the point where she stopped. However, if the interruption is long enough that she could have finished praying the entire Amida from beginning to end, she returns to the beginning of the Amida. Some say that there is no difference between an intentional interruption and one due to circumstances beyond one’s control. In either case, since there was enough time for her to finish the entire Amida, she starts from the beginning (SA 104:5, and this is the Sephardic custom). Others maintain that she only returns to the beginning of the Amida if the interruption was due to circumstances beyond her control; however, if she freely interrupted, even for a long time, she returns to the place where she stopped (Rema 65:1; MB 104:16; this is the Ashkenazic custom). We will explain when one may interrupt when necessary below (14:1-2).

03. Additions Pertaining to Particular Days

On special days, we add sections to the Amida pertaining to the themes of the day. Some additions, if forgotten, prevent one’s fulfillment of the duty to pray, and other additions must be recited le-khatĥila, but be-di’avad, if omitted, do not preclude one from fulfilling her obligation.

On Ĥol Ha-mo’ed of Pesaĥ and Sukkot, the Ya’aleh Ve-yavo paragraph is added in Birkat Ha’avoda. If one already concluded the Amida but forgot to recite it, she must repeat the Amida. If she did not yet finish the Amida, she goes back to the beginning of Birkat Ha’avoda, adds Ya’aleh Ve-yavo, and then continues on until the end of the Amida. We also recite Ya’aleh Ve-yavo on Rosh Ĥodesh. If it was omitted in Shaĥarit or Minĥa, the Amida must be repeated. However, if forgotten in Ma’ariv of Rosh Ĥodesh, it is not repeated, because when the new month was sanctified in Jerusalem based on the testimony of eyewitnesses, there was no sanctification at night, and so the sanctity of Rosh Ĥodesh does not yet apply at Ma’ariv (SA 422:1).

On Motza’ei Shabbat, we add Havdala (Ata Ĥonantanu) to the berakha of Ata Ĥonen. If forgotten, it is not repeated, since she will fulfill her obligation later with Havdala over wine (SA 294:1).

On Ĥanuka and Purim, Al Ha-nisim is added in Modim. If one forgets to recite it, she does not go back, since these holidays are rabbinic, and forgetting to mention them does not prevent one from fulfilling her obligation (SA 682:1).

On fast days, individuals add Aneinu in Shome’a Tefila. Ashkenazim only recite it at Minĥa (Rema 565:3), whereas Sephardim recite it throughout the fast: on Tisha Be-Av at in Ma’ariv, Shaĥarit, and Minĥa, and on the other fast days at Shaĥarit and Minĥa (Kaf Ha-ĥayim 565:17). Some have the custom to recite it at Ma’ariv on all fast days (R. Masoud Ĥai Rakaĥ, Maharitz). According to all customs, one who forgets to say Aneinu does not repeat the Amida.

During the Ten Days of Repentance from Rosh Hashana through Yom Kippur – days of judgment during which God’s dominion is manifest – we conclude the third berakha of the Amida with “Ha-Melekh ha-kadosh” and Hashiva Shofteinu with “Ha-Melekh ha-mishpat.” If one mistakenly says “Ha-Kel ha-kadosh” in the third berakha, she must return to the beginning of the Amida since, as we have learned, the first three berakhot are considered one unit, and anyone who makes a mistake in one of them must go back to the beginning. If she corrects herself immediately (tokh kedei dibur), that is, within the amount of time it takes to say three words at a normal pace, she continues praying.

If one accidentally concludes Hashiva Shofteinu as usual (with “Melekh ohev tzedaka u-mishpat”) and does not correct herself tokh ke-dei dibur, according to the custom of Ashkenazim and some Sephardim, she fulfills her obligation be-di’avad, because even in the regular formulation the word “Melekh” (“King”) is used (Rema 118:1; Ben Ish Ĥai, Nitzavim 19; Kaf Ha-ĥayim 1). Other Sephardim maintain that she does not fulfill her obligation because she did not recite the correct wording for the Days of Awe. Therefore, if she has not yet finished her Amida, she must return to Hashiva Shofteinu, conclude it appropriately, and continue until the end of the Amida. If she already finished the Amida, she must pray again while stipulating that if she was not obligated to repeat the prayer, the second prayer is considered voluntary (SA 118:1; Yeĥaveh Da’at 1:57).

There are four other additions made during the Ten Days of Repentance: “Zokhreinu,” “Mi Kamokha,” “U-khetov,” and “Be-sefer Ĥayim.” If any of them are forgotten, the Amida is not repeated (SA 582:5). ¹

04. Voluntary Prayer (Tefilat Nedava)

As mentioned (above, 1:7), the Sages instituted three daily prayers: Shaĥarit corresponding to the morning Tamid offering; Minĥa corresponding to the Tamid of the afternoon; and Ma’ariv corresponding to the burning of the organs and fats upon the altar (above, 2:2-5 we learned which prayers are obligatory for women). Just as when the Temple existed  every woman was permitted to bring voluntary offerings, so too, a woman may recite an additional voluntary Shemoneh Esrei. As R. Yoĥanan states: “Would that a person pray all day long” (Berakhot 21a). In order for her prayer to be recognized as voluntary, she must add some sort of special personal request in that prayer. Moreover, just as a musaf sacrifice may not be offered voluntarily, so too one may not pray Musaf voluntarily. And just as voluntary offerings are not sacrificed on Shabbatot and festivals, so too there are no voluntary prayers on those days (SA 107:1-2).

One who wishes to recite a voluntary prayer must be certain that she is careful and capable enough of having kavana in her prayer from beginning to end. If she cannot concentrate well, she is not to recite a voluntary prayer at all (SA 107:4).

Nowadays, the accepted teaching is that we do not recite voluntary prayers because we do not have the proper kavana. Nevertheless, a woman who wishes to pray Ma’ariv even though she is exempt may do so, and her prayer is not considered a tefilat nedava. Therefore, even if she is not completely sure that she can have kavana for the whole prayer, she may pray Ma’ariv and it is a credit to her.

5. Situations of Uncertainty

A woman who prays Shaĥarit, Minĥa, or both on a regular basis and is not sure on a particular day whether or not she recited one of these prayers, as long as the time for its recitation has not yet passed, she recites the prayer and makes mental stipulation: “If I already prayed, this prayer is considered a voluntary prayer, and if not, this is an obligatory prayer.” It is unnecessary to introduce any personal requests into that Amida, since the fact that she is avoiding safek is itself something novel. Even though we do not recite voluntary prayers nowadays, we are permitted to do so in order to avoid uncertainty. If, in the middle of that Amida, she remembers that she already prayed, she continues to recite the Amida until the end and adds a personal request to demonstrate that it is, indeed, a voluntary prayer.

If one starts to pray on the basis that her prayer is obligatory, thinking that she did not yet pray, but suddenly remembers in the middle of her Amida that she already did, she must stop immediately. Her prayer cannot become voluntary, for just like there is no offering that is partly obligatory and partly voluntary, so too, there is no prayer that begins as obligatory and ends as voluntary (SA 107:1).

One who is daydreaming in the middle of her prayer to the point where she is unsure what part of the Amida she is reciting, for instance, one who is pondering whether she is reciting the sixth berakha or the tenth, must return to the sixth berakha and start to pray from that point on (according to most poskim, as cited in Peninei Halakha: Prayer, ch. 18 n. 3).

5. Situations of Uncertainty

A woman who prays Shaĥarit, Minĥa, or both on a regular basis and is not sure on a particular day whether or not she recited one of these prayers, as long as the time for its recitation has not yet passed, she recites the prayer and makes mental stipulation: “If I already prayed, this prayer is considered a voluntary prayer, and if not, this is an obligatory prayer.” It is unnecessary to introduce any personal requests into that Amida, since the fact that she is avoiding safek is itself something novel. Even though we do not recite voluntary prayers nowadays, we are permitted to do so in order to avoid uncertainty. If, in the middle of that Amida, she remembers that she already prayed, she continues to recite the Amida until the end and adds a personal request to demonstrate that it is, indeed, a voluntary prayer.

If one starts to pray on the basis that her prayer is obligatory, thinking that she did not yet pray, but suddenly remembers in the middle of her Amida that she already did, she must stop immediately. Her prayer cannot become voluntary, for just like there is no offering that is partly obligatory and partly voluntary, so too, there is no prayer that begins as obligatory and ends as voluntary (SA 107:1).

One who is daydreaming in the middle of her prayer to the point where she is unsure what part of the Amida she is reciting, for instance, one who is pondering whether she is reciting the sixth berakha or the tenth, must return to the sixth berakha and start to pray from that point on (according to most poskim, as cited in Peninei Halakha: Prayer, ch. 18 n. 3).

06. Making Up a Missed Prayer (Tashlumin)

A woman who regularly prays once daily and did not manage to pray Shaĥarit before ĥatzot (as explained above, 8:1) must wait until half an hour after ĥatzot and then pray Minĥa. If she does not manage to pray Minĥa before sunset, she prays Ma’ariv.

One who regularly prays Shaĥarit and Minĥa every day is subject to tashlumin – the enactment of make-up prayers. If she forgets Shaĥarit, she prays Minĥa twice, the first time as Minĥa and the second to make up for the missed Shaĥarit.

If she forgets Minĥa but regularly prays Ma’ariv, she makes up the missed Minĥa after Ma’ariv. If she does not usually pray Ma’ariv, she may pray Ma’ariv if she wishes and then pray another Amida after that to make up for the missed Minĥa. However, she is not obligated to do this since she would not normally pray Ma’ariv and thus would not normally have the opportunity to make up for the missed Minĥa. Nevertheless, one may certainly not make up the missed Minĥa after Shaĥarit, for the Sages enacted tashlumin to make up for an immediately preceding prayer that was missed. Once the time for that subsequent prayer has lapsed, tashlumin is no longer an option (Peninei Halakha: Prayer 18:5).

If one forgets to pray Minĥa on Erev Shabbat and wants to make it up after Ma’ariv of Shabbat, the make-up prayer follows the text of the Shabbat Amida (ibid.). ¹

The make-up prayer must be recited after the obligatory one. If one intended to recite her first prayer as the make-up and the second one as the obligation, she has not fulfilled her obligation of tashlumin, and she must pray a third Amida as tashlumin (ibid.).

One should pause between the two recitations of the Amida for the amount of time it takes to walk four amot. Be-di’avad, if one was supposed to make up a missed Shaĥarit but forgot to pray tashlumin right after Minĥa, she may make it up as long as the time for Minĥa did not yet lapse, meaning as long as the sun did not yet set (ibid.).

There is no tashlumin for Musaf, since musaf offerings are only brought on specific days. Similarly, one who forgot to pray Shaĥarit on a day that Musaf is recited cannot make up Shaĥarit with an extra Musaf and instead must make it up after Minĥa (ibid.).

Tashlumin was only instituted for one who was unable to pray due to circumstances beyond her control or for one who accidentally forgot to pray; however, one who intentionally missed one of the prayers may not make it up (ibid.).

07. Invoking and Requesting for Rain

During the winter season, we mention rain twice in the Amida. At the beginning, we invoke rain to praise God, Who causes rain to fall; afterwards, we ask God to bless us with dew and rain.

In the second berakha of the Amida, Meĥayei Ha-meitim, we praise the One “Who makes the wind blow and the rain fall” (“Mashiv ha-ru’aĥ u-morid ha-gashem”). The Sages instituted this praise in this particular berakha because rain gives life to the world.

In the ninth berakha, Birkat Ha-shanim, we request rain. According to Sephardic custom, the entire wording of Birkat Ha-shanim changes from winter to summer. According to Ashkenazic custom, the wording of Birkat Ha-shanim in the summer and in the winter is identical, with the exception of the words “ve-ten tal u-matar livrakha” (“give dew and rain as a blessing”) in the winter and “ve-ten berakha” (“give blessing”) in the summer. (Yemenite Jews have an altogether different text, though the halakhic rule is the same.)

Although both the invocation and request of rain are recited in the winter, there is a difference between them. We invoke rain throughout the rainy season, whereas we request it only when we actually wish for it to begin falling.

We begin invoking rain on Shemini Atzeret. Technically, it could be invoked from the beginning of Sukkot, which coincides with the beginning of the rainy season. However, rain on Sukkot is considered an inauspicious omen since it prevents us from fulfilling the mitzva of sitting in the sukka. Therefore, we do not invoke rain then. The Sages therefore chose Musaf of Shemini Atzeret, when the entire community is in the synagogue, as the moment that it is announced to everyone that we begin invoking rain. Ma’ariv was not chosen because not everyone comes to the synagogue for Ma’ariv, and Shaĥarit was not chosen because the announcement may not be made right before the Amida, as we may not interrupt between redemption and prayer (Beit Yosef and SA 114:1-2).

The time to begin requesting was postponed for fifteen days to allow those who made the pilgrimage from the area of the Euphrates River to the Temple in Jerusalem for Sukkot to return home without being rained upon. Thus, we begin requesting rain at Ma’ariv on the seventh night of the month of Marĥeshvan (SA 117:1). Even after the destruction of the Temple, this custom was not abolished, since any practice that reminds us of the glory days of the Temple is cherished. Only after the Temple is rebuilt will the Sanhedrin be able to determine whether or not to change the time that we start requesting rain, taking into consideration contemporary means of transportation.

We continue to invoke rain until the first day of Pesaĥ, when we still invoke rain in Shaĥarit but begin invoking dew in Musaf. Regarding the request for rain, since the request is only made on weekdays, the last time we request rain is Minĥa of Erev Pesaĥ.

08. Errors when Invoking and Requesting Rain

One who mistakenly invokes rain in the summer must go back and correct her mistake, since there is no praise in mentioning rain at that time. If she did not yet finish the berakha, she goes back to the beginning of it and says “Morid ha-tal,” as should be recited in the summer. If she already finished the berakha, she must start the Amida over from the beginning in order to recite it properly (SA 114:4).

One who mistakenly did not invoke rain in the winter but instead invoked dew as though it was summer need not repeat it since she invoked praise that relates to water. However, if she did not mention dew either, she must repeat the Amida, since she omitted such important words of praise (ibid. 5).

One who mistakenly requests rain in the summer: since she made an inappropriate request in Birkat Ha-shanim, she must go back and correct it. Therefore, if she did not finish her Amida yet, she returns to Birkat Ha-shanim, recites it properly, and continues in order from there until the end of the Amida. If she already finished the Amida, she repeats the Amida properly from the beginning (ibid. 117:3).

If, by mistake, one did not request rain in the winter, it depends how much of the Amida she already recited. If she did not yet reach Shome’a Tefila, she continues her prayer and when she arrives at Shome’a Tefila, in which one may make any request, she requests rain, thereby correcting her mistake. However, if she already passed Shome’a Tefila, she must return to Birkat Ha-shanim, recite it in accordance with the halakha, and then continue in the proper order, repeating all of the berakhot that come after Birkat Ha-shanim. If she already finished the Amida and was about to take three steps back, her prayer is considered lacking since she did not request rain, and it must be repeated properly in its entirety (ibid. 4-5).

09. A Suggestion for Avoiding Mistakes

The most frequent mistakes made when reciting the Amida concern the invocation and request of rain because we grow accustomed to a particular text over the course of six months and then abruptly shift to a different wording. As we learned, three of the four possible errors require one to repeat the Amida. (One must repeat her prayer in the following situations: 1. if she requested rain in the summer; 2. if she did not request rain in the winter; and 3. if she invoked rain in the summer. One does not repeat her prayer if she forgot to mention rain in the winter and instead mentioned dew.)

If one is not sure whether she recited the correct words, as long as thirty days have not passed since the change in formulation at the beginning of the summer or winter, we assume that she most likely erred, since she is still in the habit of using the earlier formula. If the presumed mistake is one that necessitates a repetition of the Amida, she must do so. However, if thirty days have passed, people have become accustomed to the change in wording and we may assume that she most likely recited the correct wording. She therefore need not repeat the Amida.

In order to avoid uncertainty, due to which it is often necessary to repeat the Amida, it is a good idea for one to habituate herself to the new wording by repeating it ninety times on the day of the change. In that way, even if she is not sure whether she recited the proper wording, she may presume that she recited it correctly, and she need not repeat the Amida (SA 114:8-9; Peninei Halakha: Prayer, ch. 18 n. 4). Therefore, on the night of 7 Ĥeshvan, Sephardim should habituate themselves to beginning the paragraph properly (since they replace the entire paragraph of Birkat Ha-shanim) by reciting the last words of the preceding berakha and the first words of Birkat Ha-shanim (“Rofei ĥolei amo Yisrael, Barekh aleinu”) ninety times. Ashkenazim should habituate themselves to insert the proper phrase by repeating “Ve-et kol minei tevu’ata le-tova, ve-ten tal u-matar li-vrakha” ninety times. At Musaf on the first day of Pesaĥ, she says “Meĥayei meitim Ata rav lehoshi’a, morid ha-tal” ninety times. Then, before Ma’ariv on the first night of Ĥol Ha-mo’ed, Sephardim would say “Rofei ĥolei amo Yisrael, barkheinu” ninety times, and Ashkenazim would say “ve-et kol minei tevu’ata le-tova, ve-ten berakha” ninety times (MB 114:40; Kaf Ha-ĥayim 60). She thereby accustoms herself to the new formula, and if a doubt subsequently arises as to whether or not she recited the right words, she need not repeat her prayer. ¹

10. The Status of Ĥutz La-aretz

The Sages determined Babylonian Jews begin asking for rain on the sixtieth day of the season (calculated to be December 4 or 5). Since there is an abundance of water from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, it is unnecessary to request rain in Babylonia from the very beginning of winter. All Jews living outside of Eretz Yisrael follow the Babylonian custom and begin requesting rain on the sixtieth day of the season (SA 117:1). ¹

A resident of Eretz Yisrael who travels to Ĥutz La-aretz for a few months is the subject of disagreement. Some say that she should request rain as they do in Eretz Yisrael, for that is her home (Pri Ĥadash). Others say that she should request rain according to local custom (Birkei Yosef). In any situation of uncertainty, one should request rain in Shome’a Tefila and not in Birkat Ha-shanim, thereby fulfilling her obligation according to all opinions (Peninei Halakha: Prayer, ch. 18 n. 6). ²

In places that require rain in the spring, the request for rain in Birkat Ha-shanim should not be continued after Pesaĥ. Instead, the status of those places resembles the status of individuals: in those places, one requests rain in Shome’a Tefila (SA 117:2; concerning one who errs, see Peninei Halakha: Prayer, ch. 18 n. 7).

People living south of the equator, in South America, South Africa, or Australia, also request rain when it is winter in Eretz Yisrael, even though it is then summer in those countries. Since Eretz Yisrael is the center of the Jewish world, Jews everywhere follow it and request rain when it is winter there. When they must request rain for themselves, they do so in Shome’a Tefila. However, people in southern locales where summer rain causes damage do not follow the practice Eretz Yisrael so as not to request something that is harmful for them. Instead, all year round they recite the summer formula of Birkat Ha-shanim and request rain in Shome’a Tefila. During their winter they keep their place of residence in mind, and during the northern winter they should think of Eretz Yisrael.

One traveling from Eretz Yisrael or elsewhere in the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere should continue requesting rain according to the northern winter, even if summer rain causes damage there (She’arim Metzuyanim Ba-halakha 19:3).

01. When Is It Permissible to Interrupt the Amida?

One who stands in prayer before her Creator must be extremely careful not to interrupt by talking about other matters in the middle of praying. It is even forbidden to interrupt by walking or hinting. The status of the Amida differs from that of Pesukei De-zimra and Birkhot Keri’at Shema, during which one may walk, hint, and in cases of great need, like greeting a person who will otherwise be insulted, even speak (below, 16:14 and Peninei Halakha: Prayer 14:4 and 16:5-6). However, in the middle of the Amida, it is forbidden. The Sages only allow interruption in life-threatening situations or for the sake of prayer itself. If we stand before a human king in dread and are careful not to interrupt with other matters, then we certainly must be careful not to interrupt while standing before the supreme King of kings.

Even if a Jewish king greets someone while she is reciting the Amida, she may not respond. However, if a non-Jewish king, who is liable to kill her, addresses her in the middle of her prayer, she must interrupt to respond, for saving a life takes precedence over prayer (Berakhot 30b).

If a non-venomous snake is wrapped around the leg of the person praying, she should not interrupt her prayer to request assistance. However, if it is a snake or scorpion that may be venomous, she must call for help, for saving a life takes precedence over prayer (Berakhot 33a; SA 104:1-4).

Walking is not considered a significant interruption. Therefore, when began praying in a place where it is hard for her to concentrate, she may move elsewhere. For instance, if a non-venomous snake approaches her, disrupting her kavana, she may move elsewhere to continue praying kavana, even though the situation was never life-threatening (MB 104:10).

One who is praying the Amida and hears Kaddish or Kedusha may not respond. However, she may silently concentrate on the ĥazan’s words, and it is considered as if she recited those words. This is indeed the custom. Nevertheless, if such an interruption will disturb her kavana, she may continue praying (Peninei Halakha: Prayer, ch. 17 n. 11).

If, in the middle of praying, one becomes uncertain regarding a law that may prevent her from continuing, such as a case in which she forgets to recite a particular passage and does not know what to do, she may walk to find a book to determine the correct practice. If she does not know how to search for the answer in a book, some say that she may even interrupt verbally to ask for a ruling (MB 104:2). ¹