Hot answers tagged bowing-kneeling
13
Well, here's what comes to mind.
Bowing is not reserved for G-d. There are many cases in the Bible when prominent Jews bowed to kings such as the prophet Natan bowing to David (Melachim 1:1:23) and Yosef’s brothers bowing to Yosef (Breishit 42:6). Even Avraham (Breishit 18:2) bowed to strangers whom he suspected of being idolaters (Rashi to verse 4).
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9
According to the Beit Yosef (OC 123; citing Rav Hai Gaon), the custom is based on the idea that the tefillos correspond to the tamid offerings. When the kohen would go up to the altar, he would go up on the right side, go around, and descend on the left side. We face left first, then right, because we are orienting ourselves according to the Shechina's ...
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Yes there is a source. It is MB simon 113 sk 12. Almost the same text is used in Kitzur Shulchan Oruch 18(11). The translation says, "When a person recites Boruch, he should bend the knee, and when he says Attoh, he should bow to the extent that the vertebrae of the spine protrude. He should also bend his head. Before he recites G-d's name, he should return ...
7
As far as I know (there may be variant customs):
In Aleinu: kneel at כורעים, prostrate (head and hands to the ground, while still kneeling - essentially, a fetal position) at ומשתחוים, stay that way until הקדוש ברוך הוא, and then get up.
In the Avodah: kneel at כורעים, prostrate at ומשתחוים, and stay that way until לעולם ועד.
[In all cases, if it's a ...
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Dayan Raskin analyzes this custom here. Please read the source for a lot more details than I'm going into here.
Why we turn for Boi Be'Shalom:
Pri Megadim (262:S"K3): This is instead of going out of the synagogue, as brought by the Magen Avraham
Mishna Berurah (262:S"K10): We turn to face the door as if we were receiving/welcoming a great person
Ta'amei ...
6
The Rambam says that an important person is not allowed to fall on his face unless he is as great of a tzaddik as Yehoshua.
The Aruch Hashulchan says that that the reason is because if he is not answered immediately, he will be embarrassed. This is why it says that even a great man is allowed to do proper "falling on the face" in a private setting.
The ...
5
Biur Halacha 113 (hakoreah) says it is based on Divrei haYamim I 29:20:
וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִיד לְכָל-הַקָּהָל, בָּרְכוּ-נָא אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם; וַיְבָרְכוּ כָל-הַקָּהָל, לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֵיהֶם, וַיִּקְּדוּ וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַיהוָה, וְלַמֶּלֶךְ.
And David said to all the congregation: 'Now bless the LORD your God.' And all the congregation blessed the ...
5
Generally a Dojo has a soft mat on which you kneel, and the bowing is done as a form of greeting to a person.
As long as you are not kneeling on a stone floor, it's not strictly a problem. (Halacha commentary 14)
As for fears of Avodah Zarah in regards to Kung Fu, you should in general not be exposed to anything. If you are exposed to concepts and ...
5
The source of the Rambam's ruling is Taanis 14b:
אמר ר' אלעזר אין אדם חשוב רשאי ליפול על פניו אלא אם כן נענה כיהושע בן נון שנאמר
(יהושע ז, י) ויאמר ה' אל יהושע קום לך למה זה אתה נופל על פניך
R. Elazar said: A important person should not fall upon his face unless he is confident that he will be answered like Yehoshua, as it is written, And the ...
4
As HodofHod said, we bow in the direction of Jerusalem, and that is also the wall on which we place the ark.
I was taught that this means that if you're at the sides of the room (with the ark in the center), you don't bow toward the ark; you bow toward east. In some congregations I see everybody bow toward the ark, forming basically a semi-circle, but I ...
4
The Rambam is referencing a Gemara (Megillah 22b) which says:
אמר רבי אלעזר, אין אדם חשוב רשאי ליפול על פניו אלא אם כן נענה כיהושע בן נון, דכתיב +יהושע ז:י+ ויאמר ה' אל יהושע קם לך [למה זה אתה נפל על פניך]
Rabbi Elazar said: An important person is not allowed to fall on his face unless he is [sure to be] answered like Yehoshua bin Nun, as it ...
3
Vayikra 26:1 says:
You shall not make idols for yourselves, nor shall you set up a statue or a monument for yourselves. And in your land you shall not place a pavement stone on which to prostrate yourselves, for I am the Lord, your God.
This teaches us (See Chinuch, Mitvah 349) that one is not allowed to prostrate oneself on stone outside the Beit ...
3
As a young man I was taught by my rabbi, though I don't remember the source, that when one comes out of the bow one should lift one's head first (simultaneously while saying HaShem's name), so that it looks like one is looking up towards heaven, rather than looking like one is lifting something heavy on one's back (as it was explained to me, when one carries ...
3
Shulchan Aruch (127:1): When the Shali'ach Tzibur reaches Modim, the Tzibur says Modim D'Rabanan and bows with him. They should not bow too much. Some say that one must bow also at the end of Modim D'Rabanan. It is good to be concerned for this opinion.
Ramah: Some say all of Modim D'Rabanan in one bowing. This is the custom.
Mishnah Berurah (5 and Bi'ur ...
2
Beis Yosef (Orach Chaim 621) cites various sources in the Gemara that say that the people bowed and prostrated themselves each of the ten times that the Kohen Gadol uttered Hashem's Four-Lettered Name (three each for the confessions, and one when designating the goat for Hashem). On this basis, then, he states (following Avudraham) that the paragraph ...
2
Actually, Or Letzion is against it (although some question if this is really the opinion of Rav BenTzion Abba Shaul, see comments), and Yalkut Yosef (57:9 O"H) writes that those that do it have sources to rely on. I believe this custom has a source in the Ben Ish Hai though. HaRav Musafi Shelit"a (Q&A 3176) says because we can only bow where the Hachamim ...
1
Sefer HaKadish page 213 note 2 brings in the name of the Pardes HaGodol in the name of the Rokeach that we bow 4 times in Kadish in connection with the 4 names in Malachi 1:11 (3 times Shemi and once Hashem Tzevakos)
1
The Isur is to bow with your face toward a stone floor. Therefore the paper should be between your face and the floor.
Bowing with your face toward a stone floor without spreading your hands and feet is only a rabbinic prohibition.
I believe the source is in Mishnah Berurah 131. I will look it up and correct it if it's the wrong place.
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Ben Ish Hai Shana Alef Parashat Beshalah 6-
צריך לעשות שתי כריעות ושתי זקיפות בשעת שמשתחוה בעמידה, כיצד כשאומר ברוך יכרע בתיבת ברוך כריעת הגוף בלבד, ובתיבת אתה יכרע את ראשו ג"כ, הרי שתי כריעות, וכשאומר ה' יקיף שם שתי זקיפות, ותחלה יזקוף גופו בלבד, ואח"כ יזקוף ראשו ג"כ
Loosely translated: It is necessary to make two bows and two bends when bowing in ...
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