{"id":6292,"date":"2010-01-17T06:00:08","date_gmt":"2010-01-17T04:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/?p=6292"},"modified":"2018-05-24T11:44:21","modified_gmt":"2018-05-24T08:44:21","slug":"02-17-06","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/02-17-06\/","title":{"rendered":"06 – Bowing Down During the Amidah"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Chachamim<\/i> instituted bowing down in five places in the Amidah<\/i>: in the beginning and end of Birkat<\/i> Avot<\/i>, in the beginning and end of Birkat<\/i> Modim<\/i>, and at the end of the Amidah<\/i>, when one takes three steps backwards. They specifically chose those two berachot<\/i> for they are the most important, and while reciting them one must try hard to concentrate properly (see Shulchan Aruch<\/i> 101:1; Mishnah Berurah<\/i> 3). If a person wants to bow down at the beginning or end of another berachah<\/i>, he is taught not to, so as not to uproot the ruling of the Chachamim<\/i>, and so that he will not look like an arrogant person who considers himself more righteous than others. However, in the middle of the berachot<\/i> he is permitted to bow down (Shulchan Aruch<\/i> 113:1; Mishnah Berurah<\/i> 2).[3]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n One bows down when saying \u201cBaruch Attah<\/i>\u201d and straightens himself when saying \u201cHashem.\u201d At Modim<\/i>, he bows down when he says \u201cModim Anachnu Lach<\/i>\u201d and straightens up when saying \u201cHashem\u201d (Shulchan Aruch<\/i> 113:7; Mishnah Berurah<\/i> 12; for the laws on bowing down at the end of the Amidah<\/i>, see further in this chapter, halachah 13).<\/p>\n The bow must be such that all the vertebrae in one\u2019s spine move in place, one after the other, and the vertebrae protrude from his back. One bends his head and back until his face reaches the height between his heart and his waist, but he should not bend his head all the way until his belt, because that gives the appearance of arrogance (yohara<\/i>). An elderly or ill person who has difficulty bending down lowers his head as much as he is able (Shulchan Aruch<\/i> 113:5). One must bow down quickly to demonstrate his desire to bow before Hashem Blessed Be He, and when he straightens himself, he must do so slowly, as one who is interested in continuing to bow down before Him (Shulchan Aruch<\/i> 113:6).<\/p>\n There are two minhagim<\/i> regarding the manner of bowing. According to the minhag<\/i> of the Ashkenazim<\/i>, when one says \u201cBaruch<\/i>\u201d he bends his knees and when he says \u201cAttah<\/i>\u201d he bows until his vertebrae \u201cclick\u201d. At Modim<\/i>, in which the word \u201cBaruch<\/i>\u201d is not recited, one bows immediately without initially bending his knees (Mishnah Berurah<\/i> 113:12; and see Kitzur Shulchan Aruch<\/i> 18:1). The Sephardim<\/i> practice according to the Ari<\/i> and bow down in two stages. First, a person bends his body (without bending his knees) and then his head. Similarly, when one straightens himself, first he straightens his body and afterwards his head (Kaf HaChaim<\/i> 113:21).<\/p>\n