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...on the shul & davening piece from two weeks ago has continued during this past week.

It was rewarding, as it was annoying, when a pelephone went off in shul the other day and someone commented to me about the topic being raised in Torah Tidbits. Some people are reading TT, even if it is not the ones who need the reminder to be considerate of others.

A topic already touched upon bears repeating. It starts with the fact that it is prohibited to walk directly in front of someone saying the Amida. This is not a waivable situation. The person whose davening is blocking the way from others cannot magnanomously wave (pun intended) others through, as if it is an issue of the daveners honor. In fact, it is considered disrespectful of the Sh'china to walk in front of someone in the middle of the Amida. This is a double kind of situation. The person who walks through the door of the shul to go to his seat might not notice the shukling yeshiva bocher standing an admirably long Amida right at the doorway. Inadvertant disrespect to G-d isn't so good either. And the accountability is probably the davener's, not the walker. Or, the walker does notice the davener, but proceeds out of ignorance, apathy, or the mistaken notion that it isn't so serious - what's the big deal anyway. Or the walker notices and freezes in his tracks and has to wait, sometimes a long while, for the person to finish the Amida. Main reponsibility is the davener. Each of us must choose the proper place to stand wisely. Remember: this is both a Jew to G-d issue as well as interpersonal. These types of double issues require extra effort to get them just right.

Next, we have the kohein's perspective. Dr. JDM of Yerushalayim finds that many a SHA"TZ (Shali'ach Tzibur, chazan, cantor, baal t'fila) rush through the weekday morning repetition so fast, that some kohanim don't finish washing, removing their shoes, and getting into position before MODIM. It is halachically problematic for a kohein to be late to the DUCHAN. As a side point, Dr. Jack points out that the SHA"TZ is supposed to say the words of Birkat Kohanim aloud, as part of his repetition, and not just as a quiet prompt to the kohanim. It is also irksome as well as wrong for the kohanim to say a word before the chazan finishes the word, for the congregation to say AMEN before the kohanim finish the last word of each pasuk, or for the chazan to say the next word until the congregation finishes its amens. This goes for the whole repetition. Cong. says AMEN (and BARUCH HU U'VARUCH SH'MO as well) AFTER the end of the bracha, and the chazan does not continue until after the AMEN and/or BHUS. Again, responsibility falls on both sides. No one should stretch his Amen or BHUS so as not to tempt the chazan to ignore it and plow ahead. 
More to come...

A slightly modified MiSheBeiRach for Israel's soldiers
In the box below (not in the electronic versions) is the familiar prayer for the safety and success of Israel's soldiers. There are a few minor adjustments which make the prayer more accurate. Not sure if that's the best word, but we are supposed to be specific in our prayers.

Some versions referred to G'VUL HALIVANON, from the border of the Lebanon. MIN HALIVANON, from the Lebanon is recommended, because our soldiers often find themselves on the other side of the border, even since the withdrawal.

And, since we would like to beseech G-d to protect and help our defenders wherever they may be, the additional phrase B'CHOL MAKOM SHEHEIM has been added.

In addition to IDF soldiers, the wording now includes ANSHEI BITACHON, security personnel including police and Mishmar HaG'vul. It is not just the army that is "at the front" in the current "war" we face.

As we have sugested in the past, you might take this page, fold it so that the boxed MI SHEBEIRACH shows and just hand it to the Gabbai of your shul at the appropriate time so that he will say it with its slight modification.
May G-d hear our prayers and may we merit their fulfillment.

RITE and REASON by Shmuel Pinchas Gelband 
Why do we take three steps forward before beginning the Amida? 

The three steps correspond to the three times "stepping forward" (approaching) for prayer is found in Tanach: 
"Avraham approached..." (and pleaded on behalf of the people of S'dom), 
"And Yehuda approached him (Yosef)..." to plead for Binyamin's life and welfare, 
and "Eliyahu HaNavi approached... (and beseeched G-d to accept his offerings on Mt. Carmel), so that the people would know that You are The G-d and that you have turned their hearts back again." 

Hasidic Wisdom [from the book by Simcha Raz (Elkins/Elkins)]
In the materialistic world, where there is awe, there is no happiness and where there is happiness, there is no awe. In the spiritual world, where there is awe, there is love and happiness as well. - Baal Shem Tov 
The Evil Impulse (Yeitzer HaRa) looms large among scholars, to induce them to invent whole new sets of restrictions. - Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav 

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