Search results for: ""Kaddish""

Arm Tefila: How To Finish
  • Unwrap the excess strap from your palm and wrap it three times around your middle finger while saying the three v'eirastich li” phrases, one for each wrap.
  • Wrap the strap around your palm in the shape of the Hebrew letter “shin.”
  • Wrap the excess around your palm and tuck in the end of the strap to keep it tight and out of your way.
Note You may not say amen or reply to kaddish or kedusha if you have said the blessing on your arm tefila but have not yet said the blessing on your head tefila.
Waist-Bowing and Knee-Bowing
There are two main types of bowing during the prayer services: 
  • Bowing just from the waist (with and without taking steps), and
  • Bowing with the knees, plus two variations on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur (hands and knees on floor).
I. Waist-Bowing (Two Forms)
    A.  Waist-Bowing/No Steps, for:
  • Modim;
  • Modim in reader's repetition of amida;
  • Bar'chu;
  • Lecha Dodi; and
  • Alenu.
          To bow this way, keep your legs straight and bend forward from your waist.
    B.  Waist-Bowing/Take Steps, for:
Oseh shalom at the end of:
  • Amida, and
  • Kaddish.
To bow this way:
  • Bow down from waist with your legs straight.
  • Take three steps backward (left foot, right foot, left foot),
  • Then:
    • Bow from your waist to the left and say, oseh shalom bi'mromav,
    • Bow from your waist to the right and say, hu ya'aseh shalom alenu, and
    • Bow from your waist to the front and say, ve'al kol yisrael v'imru amen.
II.    Knee-Bowing (Three Times during Amida)
  • Beginning of amida's first blessing,
  • End of amida's first blessing, and
  • Next-to-last amida blessing: ha'tov shimcha.
To bow this way:                                                                      
  • Bend knees (at baruch),
  • Bow forward (at ata), and
  • Straighten up (before God's name).
III.  Knee-Bowing to Floor (Two Forms)
       A.  Knee-Bowing to Floor--Hands and Knees Only
  (Rosh Hashana musaf: alenu in reader's repetition of amida)
  To bow this way:
  • Kneel (with your back straight up) (at “hayu kor'im”), and
  • Bow down with hands and knees on floor (at “u'mishtachavim u'modim”), but
  • You are not required to touch your forehead to ground.
    Note You should still bow from your waist (but not to the floor) on Rosh Hashana--even if you are praying alone and even if there is no Torah present.
       B.  Knee-Bowing to Floor--Hands, Knees, Forehead
  (Yom Kippur musaf: alenu reader's repetition of amida describing how the people
  bowed down on Yom Kippur.)
   To bow this way:
  • Kneel (with your back straight up) (at “hayu kor'im),
  • Bow down with hands and knees on floor (atu'mishtachavim u'modim”),
  • Touch forehead to floor (at v'noflim al pneihem).
 
NOTE You may not bow down (modim for Yom Kippur) on a bare stone floor (this also includes concrete, terrazzo and other stone-like materials). You must put a cloth, paper, or some other separation on the floor where you will place your forehead and your knees. A talit may be used for this purpose. If you have only one paper towel, put it under your forehead.
NOTE It is customary today to cover any floor, not only if it is bare stone.

Situation You are bowing down (modim for Yom Kippur; also for Rosh Hashana if you bow down this far) on a bare stone floor (concrete, terrazzo, and other stone-like materials).

What To Do You may not touch your forehead or knees (if covered by pants legs or skirt) to the floor. You may cover the floor with some separation such as cloth, paper, or even a talit at the place where your forehead (or knees) will touch.

Reason You might wipe off any dirt from the floor on your pant knees or skirt, which is prohibited on Yom Kippur. There is no need to use a paper towel or other separation for knees if they are bare (for example, due to wearing shorts or a short skirt). 

Note There is no problem with brushing dirt off your hands, so you can touch the bare stone floor with your bare hands during the bowing.


When To Pause or Join Minyan: Regular Shacharit
Shema
When the minyan reaches the shema in shacharit:
  • If you are between bar'chu and end of amida, simply:
    • Cover your eyes like everyone else, but don't say the shema line.
  • If you are anywhere else:
    • Pause and, with everyone else, say the first two lines of the shema (Shema, Yisrael… and Baruch shem…), and then
    • Resume where you were.
Reason You may not interrupt your prayer between bar'chu and end of amida.

Amida

Situation  You are saying your amida in a minyan and it is close to the end of the fourth hour of the day.
What To Do  Do not pause, even if the leader says kaddish or kedusha, if doing so will delay you past the fourth hour.
Finishing Amida before Leader Says Kedusha
If you arrive late for any minyan (except ma'ariv) that is about to start the amida, try to finish saying your amida before the leader gets to kedusha, if you can.
If you know you will not be able to finish your amida in time to say kedusha with the minyan:
  • Wait for the leader to start the repetition of the amida.
  • Say the repetition of the amida word for word with the leader, including kedusha, until the end of the third blessing (ha'el ha'kadosh).
  • Once you and he have both finished saying the third blessing, you may continue at your own pace regardless of whether you will finish before or after him.
If for any reason you have not yet finished saying your amida by the time the leader begins saying the reader's repetition, do not say amen or any other replies to the prayer leader's repetition. However, when he begins to say kedusha or kaddish:
  • Pause in your own amida and listen without answering or saying anything.
  • Once the leader has finished kedusha (that is, he has said baruch kevod adonai mi'mkomo) or kaddish (that is, he has said da'amiran be'alma v'imru amen), resume your private amida.

Exception See Responding to Prayer Leader before Elohai Netzur.
Note For ma'ariv, if you arrive late and the minyan is about to start the amida, do not say shema and the other prayers that precede the amida but start immediately so you say your amida with the minyan and then return to say the parts you skipped.
Tefilin: Chol HaMoed: Remove before Hallel
Remove tefilin before hallel on chol ha'moed.
Exception On chol ha'moed Pesach, on the day when tefilin are read about (kadeish li…), many people keep tefilin on until after the Torah has been read.