View source for Avoiding Davening After Drinking Intoxicating Beverages

# One who is not in a state that is fitting to speak before a king is forbidden to daven [[Shemone Esrei]]<ref>S.A 99:1</ref> or recite the [[Shema]] and its accompanying blessings.<ref>Rama 99:1 and M.B. 99:7</ref> If one prays in such a condition his prayer is considered an abomination and he must repeat Shemone Esrei and Shema<ref>M.B. 99:8</ref> (all 3 paragraphs) once he is sober.<ref> S.A 99:1 M.B. 99:5 writes that if he davens Shemona Esrei then it is as if he has worshiped idols. Contrastingly, if he avoids davening then he will be saved from all distress.</ref>
# One who is truly unfit to speak before a king must delay davening even if this means that he will miss the time to daven altogether.  In such a scenario, he may pray a make up tefilla ([[tashlumin]]). <ref>S.A. 99:1</ref> Nonetheless, one must not be overly stringent about this considering the fact that, today, our kavana during davening is not so great even when we are not drunk.<ref>M.B. 99:3 quoting the Yam Shel Shlomo</ref>
# If one is concerned the time for Shema will pass before he becomes sober he should recite the Shema (including all three paragraphs).  Nonetheless, if he becomes sober before the time for Shema ends he should repeat Shema (all three paragraphs).<ref>M.B 99:8 quotes the Levush and Likutei Ha'Ramban who are lenient regarding reciting Shema when drunk.  Nonetheless, the Gra explains the Yerushalmi as forbidding one from reciting Shema in such a scenario. The M.B. therefore concludes in accordance with what the Magen Avraham states regarding Birkat Hamazon (quoted in M.B. 185:6 as "Achronim") that one must still recite Shema or Birkat Hamazon if he finds himself already drunk, but ideally, one should avoid this situation.</ref>
# Even if one is accustomed to drinking and is therefore not affected by drinking, nonetheless, if one drinks a reviit of wine, or the intoxicating equivalent of another beverage, ideally he should not daven then.  When one drinks this minimal amount of wine or its intoxicating equivalent from another beverage, a walk of 1 [[mil]] and a tiny bit of sleep will suffice to wear off the alcohol's effect.<ref>S.A 99:2 M.B. 99:17 quotes the Yam Shel Shlomo that on Yom Tov it is permitted to daven even if one drank a little because it is impossible to wait. The M.B writes that this applies all the more so today when even when we are not drinking are kavana is not so great.</ref>
# Ideally, one should avoid reciting any brachot when one is drunk to the extent that he would be incapable of speaking in front of a king.<ref>M.B. 99:11 quoting the Gra</ref> Strictly speaking however, one make recite all brachot<ref>Rama 99:1</ref> (including Birkat Hamazon)<ref>M.B 99:9</ref> as long as one is not drunk to the level of Lot's drunkeness.<ref>M.B. 99:11 quoting the Mishbitzot Zahav</ref>
# Once one is drunk to the extent that he can no longer speak in front of a king he also cannot be counted for a minyan (although for a [[zimun]] it is possible that this is permitted).<ref>M.B. 99:10</ref>
# One need not do any test in order to determine if he is sober enough to daven; rather, each individual is trusted to make this determination independently.<ref>S.A. 99:3</ref>