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During Shmoneh Esrei, i've always learned that the feet should be kept together, for whatever reason. However, lately i've noticed people who only keep their heels together, but not the rest of their feet. (Then there are the people who don't have their feet together at all, but that's of course wrong.)

Is this an acceptable practice?

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  • Rav Moshe Feinstein writes about it. IIRC, he very much didn't like it, but there is one such opinion that it should be davka that way. He only allowed the Chazan to do it if it was out of comfort.
    – Yishai
    Commented Jul 17, 2014 at 19:11
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    thevuesonline.com/… mentions the heel-only-but-not-for-men " According to the Toras Chaim, one would be able to differentiate between a man and a woman as to whether the front and back of foot need to be even or just the back of the foot needs to be even. It would seem that women would just need the back of their feet to be touching, and the front of the feet do not have to touch"
    – rosends
    Commented Jul 17, 2014 at 20:45
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    @Yishai Here's the t'shuva (OC 5:38:6).
    – Fred
    Commented Jul 17, 2014 at 21:27
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    @Yishai And he didn't just not like it, he said that it was an illegitimate custom. R' Moshe doesn't address comfort per se, but he does address ability (which perhaps could be construed to include comfort to a certain degree). He basically says that a person should keep their feet together (both at the toes and the heels) as much as possible, but that a person would not be considered remiss if he does his best (especially if it would seem to an onlooker from a distance that the person's feet are pretty much together).
    – Fred
    Commented Feb 15, 2015 at 8:01
  • Then there are the people who don't have their feet together at all, but that's of course wrong why?
    – mevaqesh
    Commented Aug 12, 2016 at 23:33

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See this article from yeshiva.org.il which quotes השו"ע על פי הגמרא:

שיהיו רגליו צמודות זו לזו עד שנראה כאלו שתיהן הן רגל אחת. מקור הלכה זו נלמד מספר יחזקאל, מתוך תיאור המלאכים בזמן עמידתם לפני ה', שכתוב עליהם

"ורגליהם רגל ישרה",

כלומר נראים כרגל אחת

the Shulchan Oruch according to the Gemoro that the two feet have to appear as one foot. This would seem to mean that they should be together all the way along the length not just at the heel.

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As quoted here:

One should preferably keep his feet entirely together during the Amida, though those who keep only the heels together have authorities on whom to rely (Halacha Berura).

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