The Motions and Postures of Prayer

All my bones shall say, “God, who is like You? You save the poor from the strong, the poor and needy from their despoiler.”

It was taught that Rabbi Yehuda said: This was the custom of Rabbi Akiva, when he would pray with the congregation he would shorten his prayer and leave, in order not to be a burden on the congregation. But when he prayed by himself, you could leave him in one corner and later find him in another corner. And why would Rabbi Akiva move about so much? Because of his bows and prostrations.

(5) One who was riding on a donkey should dismount to pray. If unable to dismount, they should turn their face toward the direction of the Temple. If unable to turn their face, it is sufficient to focus their heart towards the Holy of Holies.

Rabbi Tanchum said that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: The 18 blessings of the Amidah correspond to the 18 vertebrae of the spine. And he said: One who prays must bow until all the vertebrae in the spine are loosened. Ulla said: Until one can see a small coin [issar], on the ground before them opposite their heart. Rabbi Chanina said: There is room for leniency; once the person moves their head forward, they need not bow any further. Rava said: But that applies only if they are exerting themselves when doing so, so they appear like one who is bowing.

One who sees a sefer Torah as it is processing is required to stand in its presence, and everyone should stand until the person who is carrying it will stop and arrive in his place, or until it is hidden from their eyes.

But in front of our Chumashim, there is no need to stand. And there are some who are stringent. One who hears of someone carrying a Torah scroll, despite the fact that he does not see it, he is required to stand.

These are the blessings in the Amida prayer in which a person bows: In the first blessing, the blessing of the Patriarchs, one bows at the beginning and the end; in the blessing of thanksgiving, one bows at the beginning and the end; and if one seeks to bow at the end of each and every blessing and at the beginning of each and every blessing, they teach them not to bow.

A High Priest bows at the end of each and every blessing; and a king bows at the beginning of each and every blessing and at the end of each and every blessing.

(1) One should direct their feet next to each other as though they are one, in order to imitate the angels, as it says: “their feet were straight feet” (Ezekiel 1:7), which is to say their feet appeared as one foot. Rema: Some say when a person stands to pray they should take three steps forward in the way of coming close and approaching a matter that must be done.

(2) One should lower your head a little so that your eyes will be down to the ground and you should imagine yourself as if standing in the Temple and in your heart direct yourself upward towards the heavens.

(3) Beit Shammai say: One should recite Shema in the manner indicated in the text of Shema itself. Therefore, in the evening every person must recline and in the morning one must stand as it is stated: “When you lie down, and when you rise.” And Beit Hillel say: Every person recites Shema as they are, as it is stated: “And when you walk along the way”. If so, according to Beit Hillel, why was it stated: “When you lie down, and when you rise”? This is merely to denote time; at the time when people lie down and the time when people rise.

Rabbi Tarfon said: Once, I was coming on the road when I reclined to recite Shema in accordance with the statement of Beit Shammai. I endangered myself due to bandits. The Sages said to him: You have deserved to lose your life, as you transgressed the statement of Beit Hillel.

And those who are exacting have practiced to shake at the time that we read the Torah as an illustration of the Torah that was given with trembling, and so too at the time that we pray, because of "all my bones will say to you, God who is like You?" (Abudarham)

...The souls of Israel are derived from the holy burning candle, as it is written: "The spirit of human beings is the candle of God" (Proverbs 20:27). And when this candle is kindled from the higher Torah, its light is not still for even a moment... Once the light of the candle has taken hold of the wick, that light will never rest, rather, the fire light sways to and fro, and never stays still.

This is how it is with Israel, too, for their souls are of the light of the same candle. Once one has raised one Torah subject, the light begins to burn, and they are unable to obtain respite, but sway hither and thither and from side to side, just as the flame of the candle flickers, for it is written: "The spirit of human beings is the candle of God."