Send your questions in, they might be added here, go to the "Your Questions" page on side bar....


prayer for Israels' missing soldiers
shmone esrei header

Questions on this page

  • When I say Shmone Esrei, does my back have to be bent?


  • When I finish Shmone Esrei and take three steps back, should my back be bent?


  • Can I say "Barchu" when davening (praying) without a minyan?


  • If I say "Shema" with the tzibbur (the congregation) even though I'm not up to it yet, do I repeat it again later when I reach "Shema" in the regular order of the prayers?

    •

    • Question: When I say Shmone Esrei, does my back have to be bent?

       Answer: The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch says that one should bend his head a little when reciting Shemone Esrei. In addition, feet should be together and hands either holding the siddur or placed over ones heart.
      One must bend his back, to bow, in the places that we learned in the Halacha Yomit.
      a. The first bracha, at the beginning (1) and end (2) of the bracha.
      b. The bracha of "Modim", at the beginning (3) and end (4) of the bracha.
      Remember: Bend the knees while saying "Baruch", bow while saying "atah" and straighten up before saying Hashem! (When saying the beginning of Modim, one should also straighten up before saying "Hashem")

      Sources: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch.



    • Question: When I finish Shmone Esrei and take three steps back, should my back be bent?

       Answer: Yes. The precise proper method for doing so:
      Bow (back only) while taking three steps back.
      Bow (back only) to the left and say "Oseh shalom bimromav"
      Bow (back only) to the right and say "Hu yaase shalom aleinu"
      Bow (back only) forward and finish the sentence: "V'al kol Yisrael veimru Amen."


      Sources: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch.



  • Question: Can I say "Barchu" when davening without a minyan?

     Answer: "Barchu" is what is known in halacha as a "davar shebik'dusha". "Devarim shebik'dusha" require a minyan to say them. When we daven without a minyan, we skip them. Other examples of devarim shebikdusha are: Kedusha, reading from the Torah, Kadish etc.
    Some siddurim (old siddurim with the customs of German Jewry) have a few verses to say instead of each davar shebik'dusha, for people who are not davening with a minyan. For example when you reach Barchu, you'd say a certain verse instead of Barchu etc. This custom is not followed by most people.
    To sum up: when davening by yourself, do not say "Barchu".

    Sources:Shulchan Aruch 55:1.
    Return to top




  • Question: If I said "Shema" with the tzibbur after arriving late, do I have to repeat this pasuk (verse) again when I reach it in the regular order of the tefilah (prayers)?

     Background: We learned that one who arrives late to tefilah, and finds the tzibbur (congregation) saying "Shema", should recite the first pasuk (verse- until "echad") of "Shema" with the tzibbur, so that it shouldn't appear as if he doesn't agree with what they're saying. If possible, the person should say more than just the first verse.

    Answer: Absolutely! If you arrive late, you'd be saying the Shema to show that you agree with the tzibbur, that G-d is one, etc. However, you'd still be obligated to say Shema in it's regular place, in order to properly fulfill the Mitzvah of saying Shema. This Mitzvah includes saying all the sections of Shema, and the brachot (blessings) that precede and follow them.

    Return to top of page l Return to main questions page l View questions on lashon hara l View questions on brachot l View questions on tevilat keilim l View questions on kashrut
    In memory of
    Esther and Irving Harris z"l
    and
    Esther and Tzvi Lerner z"l
    This site designed and implemented by Tzvi Harris
    © (1999) 5759- (2000) 5760 Halacha Yomit for day schools
    Thanks to guys at torah.net for hosting this site-