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I've seen (and heard) on occasion people clapping during Amidah, and I've always wondered why. Personally, I find it annoying, so I was wondering if there was some source that explained the reasoning behind this.

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  • R. Reuven Ohana wrote a scathing attack on this practice in the journal Ohr Torah (Siwan 5754, siman 98, pp. 682-686). The essay is titled בעניו מחיאות כפים בשעת התפלה.
    – Deuteronomy
    Commented Dec 29, 2022 at 19:53
  • During chazaras hashatz, or shemona esrei itself?
    – Kovy Jacob
    Commented Dec 30, 2022 at 7:26
  • @KovyJacob itself. I've never seen anyone clapping during the chazarah unless there was singing, and not allowing that I think is a גזרה שאין הציבור יכול לעמוד בפניה...
    – Harel13
    Commented Dec 30, 2022 at 9:44
  • @Harel13 I haven't, either... I ask because first of all clapping during shemonah esrei sounds absurd, and also, I've never seen it.
    – Kovy Jacob
    Commented Dec 30, 2022 at 21:01

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Rabbi Nachman of Breslov had a personal belief in the power of clapping, and put this information in Likutay Moharan. Those who count themselves among his students clap to tap into this power to this day. Here is some information about why they believe this.

It is worth adding that Eruvin 65A forbids distracting others during tefillah, and this is brought in the Shulchan Aruch as the halacha.

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    I can confirm the answer. It's a terribly annoying practice.
    – Kazi bácsi
    Commented Nov 13, 2022 at 9:14
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    @Kazibácsi It's annoying and I find the practice to be chutzpadik, drawing unnecessary attention to yourself while davening, as if to say "look at me davening with so much fervor".
    – ezra
    Commented Nov 13, 2022 at 10:52
  • Tefila and shemonah esrei are different - there are different halachos. Just because Rebbe Nachman talked about clapping during davening, it doesn't necessarily mean (and probably doesn't mean) shemonah esrei. It is very, very shver to be in any minute way distracted during shemona esrei.
    – Kovy Jacob
    Commented Dec 30, 2022 at 7:27
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    @KovyJacob, in general, when halachic literature says "tefillah," it means the 'Amidah, in particular, rather than davening in general
    – Noach MiFrankfurt
    Commented Oct 7 at 21:48

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