Column #86. Contents of this weekly column are (mostly) based on the sefer: EIM LAMIKRA HASHALEIM, by R' Nissan Sharoni, Ashdod, a guide to correct pronunciation of Hebrew, specifically in davening and Torah reading. Our regular, meaning everyday and every week, davening, and the brachot we say all the time, present one type of problem for proper davening. Mistakes we make are so routine for us that we are suprised to learn that we actually are in error. Once a year dfavening presents another problem. Throughout the coming weeks, we will be challenged with both sides of the coin, since the davenings coming up are a mixture of familiar and unfamiliar prayers. Really, the best overall advice "towards better davening..." is to use a siddur and/or machzor, look at the words, read them. Don't relay on memory and rote. Even before that, one should try to acquire an accurate siddur/machzor to daven from. Some, but not all, mark SH'VA NAs and or KAMETZ KATANs and/or MIL'EILs and MILRAs. These are helpful because they account for a large share of "sloppy" pronunciations. And another suggestion is to slow down. Most shuls tend to go too fast. Somebody must be able to daven well at warp speed, but I don't know anyone who can. It is more important to daven your silent Amida well than to participate in the chazan's repetition. This is especially so on Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur when many PIYUTIM are said. Your davening should take priority. Even the dramatic and emotional UNETANEH TOKEF (for example) should not cause you to speed up your Amida. What goes hand-in-hand with davening slowly is finding a place to stand where you will not block others from access to the aisle or door. This applies to completely blocking others, and to "forcing" someone to walk in front of you while you are saying the Amida. One may not walk directly in front of someone saying the Amida. Either people know this and act on it, or they don't know or don't think it is important. Or just don't think. In all cases, if you are standing in such a position that people will need to go in front of you - for those who won't pass in front of you because they know and are aware of the prohibition, you will "merely" cause them annoyance. Not something you should do anytime, but not something you want to do on Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur. And for those who will pass in front of you, you will be the cause of what is considered to be a dispectful act to G-d. We don't want that on our heads either. And don't think that a wave of the hand to “allow” someone to pass in front of you makes it all right. The prohibition of walking in front of someone saying the Amida is because it is considered disrespectful to G-d. We cannot waive that rule. So try to choose a place to say the Amida (especially if you expect to take a long time davening) that will allow you to daven with as much KAVANA as possible, and will take into account your interpersonal behavior as well. To review another issue that is problematic on Rosh HaShana, Yom Kippur, and Chagim: No matter how long the chazan stretches the end of a bracha, and no matter how many other people say AMEN prematurely - you must be careful to wait until you hear the end of the bracha before answering AMEN. A premature AMEN is called AMEN CHATUFA, a hasty AMEN. Another topic... In ZOCHREINU L’CHAYIM - separate MELECH and CHAFEITZ because of the ease with which one CH gets swallowed. Really, the CHAF and the CHET are not pro- nounced the same, so this should not be an example of D’VEIKIM (the last sound of a word sticking to the first sound of the next word), but for us Ashkenazim, CHET and CHAF are the same sound, so we have a de facto D’VEIKIM situation. Daven well and may G-d respond favorably. [The Rosh Hashanah Homepage]
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