questions about bowing, kneeling, prostration, and all that good stuff
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As righteous as Joshua Son of Nun?
BS"D
After reading some questions posted on here I found my self reviewing Hilkhoth Tefilah, mainly the halakha of the amidah. While reading i noticed something that I have read countless times yet ...
5
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0answers
73 views
When was the bending of the knees in bowing introduced?
The Gemara in Berachos 12a says that we bow at Baruch and we straighten at Hashem. Nowadays the familiar practice is to bend the knee at Baruch, to bow at Atah, and to straighten at Hashem, as stated ...
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0answers
62 views
Onkelos on Deut. 4:19
In Devarim 4:19, Onkelos translates ונדחת as ותטעי and והשתחוית as ותסגוד.
First, what exactly is he trying to convey with ותטעי? I think of טעות as "whoops", and hopefully there's no serious damage, ...
4
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2answers
127 views
Bowing to the floor on Yom Kippur
When you bow down completely to the floor on Yom Kippur many people place something on the ground so that they are not bowing directly on the ground.
Why? What is the halachic basis for this?
If ...
6
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1answer
166 views
Bowing for oseh shalom
Why do we bow for oseh shalom in shmoneh esre and kaddish? There are two parts to this:
What is the relationship between bowing in general and oseh shalom?
What does each direction in which we bow ...
4
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2answers
74 views
Why is it customary to bow at certain points when saying kaddish?
It is customary to bow at certain points when saying kaddish. The link is to a chabad site and I have seen bowing in other communities as well. At first sight (excuse pun) it appears to be a visual ...
13
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1answer
192 views
Is kneeling and bowing down in Kung Fu an idolatry (Avoda Zarah)?
I am exercising at Kung Fu's dojo and wonder whether kneeling and bowing down is an idolatry (Avodah Zarah)? The floor has soft mats. The reason explained to me is that it's done as a form of greeting ...
6
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2answers
123 views
Bowing during Barechu
Many Sepharadim have a custom to take a slight bow when saying Barechu both during Shacharit and Arvit. Others insist on standing. Is there any source for such a minhag in the sifrei Halacha (or ...
6
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3answers
168 views
How to bow during Shemone Esre
During the Shemone Esre, we bend our knees and then bow. I have observed two ways of doing this. One is to bend the knees, then to straighten the knees, and then to bow at the waist. The other is ...
16
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3answers
490 views
Why do we bow down in the direction of the ark?
This is a question I've had for many years, to which I've never received a satisfactory answer:
In Hebrew school, we were taught that idolaters bowed to a idol of their god. They would claim that ...
11
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1answer
280 views
Why don't we bow “correctly” during tefillah anymore?
According to the Gemara (Megillah 22b), and according to the RaMBa"M (Hil. Tefillah 5:13) (and apparently R' Avraham ben HaRaMBa"M was adamant), when we pray we are supposed to bow down ON our knees ...
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3answers
185 views
Bending at “s'lach lanu”
I have seen many people bow slightly when striking their chests in recitation of the sixth b'racha of sh'moneh esrei. Is this a custom? Is there a source for it?
Anyone whom I've witnessed doing ...
4
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1answer
114 views
Bowing at Modim D'Rabbanan
When the chazan reaches "Modim" during his repetition, the congregation recites "Modim D'Rabbanan." Do members of the congregation bow here? If so, in what manner should they bow?
6
votes
4answers
417 views
Lecha Dodi (לכה דודי) - Last Stanza
At Boi Veshalom (in Lecha Dodi), we turn around to greet the Shabbos queen. Firstly, to which direction are we supposed to turn? Is it towards the door of the synagogue, always to the rear of the ...
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1answer
82 views
Why does Nusach Sefard kneel for the Se'ir LaShem in yom kippur mussaf?
I recall hearing something about how in Mussaf of Yom Kippur, Nusach Ashkenaz kneels for each of the three confessions (Cohen Gadol on bull; all Cohanim on bull; everyone on goat). Nusach Sefard adds ...
4
votes
1answer
146 views
What exactly do you do and say when you fall Korim?
What exactly do you do and say when you fall Korim on Yom Kipur?
