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Shmoneh Esrei: Difference between revisions
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→Which Direction to Face
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* The Mishna Brurah 94:8, 12 explains that this dispute is also relevant in the case where one wants to pray to the south or north in order to receive blessing. The Rama 94:2 says that if one wants to pray south or north for blessing one just turn one’s face towards [[Israel]]. However, Mishna Brurah 94:12 writes that the minhag is to follow the Taz and turn one’s body north or south but not one’s face. </ref> | * The Mishna Brurah 94:8, 12 explains that this dispute is also relevant in the case where one wants to pray to the south or north in order to receive blessing. The Rama 94:2 says that if one wants to pray south or north for blessing one just turn one’s face towards [[Israel]]. However, Mishna Brurah 94:12 writes that the minhag is to follow the Taz and turn one’s body north or south but not one’s face. </ref> | ||
# The congregation should set up the Aron or Heichal (in which the Sefer Torah is kept) in the direction of [[Israel]] (which in America is East). Even if the Heichal in another direction, nonetheless, the congregation should still pray in the direction of [[Israel]]. <Ref>Magen Avraham 94:3, Mishna Brurah 94:9, Halacha Brurah 94:2. The Netsiv in Meishiv Dvar 1:10 writes that the Magen Avraham is correct but nonetheless the minhag is to daven in the direction of the aron and one shouldn't protest. See [https://www.scribd.com/doc/308913318/Untitled# Rabbi Taubes's article] on the topic.</ref> | # The congregation should set up the Aron or Heichal (in which the Sefer Torah is kept) in the direction of [[Israel]] (which in America is East). Even if the Heichal in another direction, nonetheless, the congregation should still pray in the direction of [[Israel]]. <Ref>Magen Avraham 94:3, Mishna Brurah 94:9, Halacha Brurah 94:2. The Netsiv in Meishiv Dvar 1:10 writes that the Magen Avraham is correct but nonetheless the minhag is to daven in the direction of the aron and one shouldn't protest. See [https://www.scribd.com/doc/308913318/Untitled# Rabbi Taubes's article] on the topic.</ref> | ||
## If the congregation is davening towards the Aron which isn't in the East (for America), which isn't the correct minhag, and a few people want to daven to the East, nonetheless they shouldn't deviate from the practice of the congregation.<Ref>[http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=22182&st=&pgnum=19 Yad Eliyahu Lublin 1] quotes someone who says that it is Yuhara to daven to the East if the minhag is to daven to the Aron. Additionally it is [[Lo Titgodedu]]. However, the Yad Eliyahu personally disagrees. Mishna Brurah 98:10 and Halacha Brurah 94:6 accept the position of the one who prohibited deviating from the congregation unlike the Yad Eliyahu.</ref> | |||
# If one is praying at the Kotel, he should face forward and not a little bit to the left, because the exact location of the Kodesh Kodashim isn't known. <ref> Limikdashech Tuv page 241. Sh"t Teshuvot Vihanhagot 3:39. </ref> | # If one is praying at the Kotel, he should face forward and not a little bit to the left, because the exact location of the Kodesh Kodashim isn't known. <ref> Limikdashech Tuv page 241. Sh"t Teshuvot Vihanhagot 3:39. </ref> | ||
====Outside the Shul==== | ====Outside the Shul==== | ||
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# If the shul has its entrance on the west and is facing east and he is standing to the east of the shul he may not daven towards the east since doing so indicates that one doesn't believe in the God that the congregation is praying towards. Rather he should daven towards the shul. Shulchan Aruch 90:7 holds like Rashi.<ref>This is the case that the gemara 6b is referring to according to Tosfot. Shulchan Aruch 90:7 holds like Tosfot.</ref> | # If the shul has its entrance on the west and is facing east and he is standing to the east of the shul he may not daven towards the east since doing so indicates that one doesn't believe in the God that the congregation is praying towards. Rather he should daven towards the shul. Shulchan Aruch 90:7 holds like Rashi.<ref>This is the case that the gemara 6b is referring to according to Tosfot. Shulchan Aruch 90:7 holds like Tosfot.</ref> | ||
# Ideally one should always daven in the shul but if one needs to daven outside the shul and he is on the west side he can daven towards the east since he is davening together with the congregation.<ref>Mishna Brurah 90:18</ref> | # Ideally one should always daven in the shul but if one needs to daven outside the shul and he is on the west side he can daven towards the east since he is davening together with the congregation.<ref>Mishna Brurah 90:18</ref> | ||
===Posture During Davening=== | ===Posture During Davening=== | ||
# Generally one should keep one's eyes downward and figuratively one's heart upward towards Hashem in heaven.<Ref>Yevamot 105b, Tur and Shulchan Aruch 95:2. Bet Yosef cites the Mahari Avuhav who explains that one can look from time to time upward but generally they should be downward. He used this idea to justify the explanation of Rashi that a shul should have windows so that a person can see outside to pray for the world and if one is only looking downward how will one ever look out the window.</ref> | # Generally one should keep one's eyes downward and figuratively one's heart upward towards Hashem in heaven.<Ref>Yevamot 105b, Tur and Shulchan Aruch 95:2. Bet Yosef cites the Mahari Avuhav who explains that one can look from time to time upward but generally they should be downward. He used this idea to justify the explanation of Rashi that a shul should have windows so that a person can see outside to pray for the world and if one is only looking downward how will one ever look out the window.</ref> | ||
