✦ ❖ ✦
DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION

Siman צ״ז · Bodily conduct during the Amida

שלא יגהק ולא יפהק בשעת התפילה — bodily conduct during the תפילה: neither belching nor yawning (and under compulsion, the hand over the mouth); the ban on spitting and how to proceed; the louse that bites; the tallit that slips or falls; one who carries a load when the time of prayer arrives
סימן צ״ז · ה׳ סעיפים
שלא יגהק ולא יפהק בשעת התפילה
🌱 Introductory level · Beginners
✦ ❖ ✦

This siman teaches bodily conduct during the תפילה: not to belch (יגהק) or yawn (יפהק) — and if under compulsion, the hand over the mouth; the ban on spitting (אסור לו לרוק) and how to proceed (מבליעו בכסותו); the louse that bites (כינה עוקצתו); the tallit that slips or falls; and one who carries a load (הנושא משאוי). Hebrew text, fluent English translation and explanation of the ה׳ seifim, with a section of practical cases.

Topic: Bodily conduct during the Amida — גיהוק ופיהוק, רקיקה, כינה עוקצתו, נשמט טליתו, הנושא משאוי
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן צ״ז · ה׳ סעיפים

Compiled by: רב יוסף חיים סממה
DAAT · daattorah.com

The thread of the siman: one who prays stands before the King. As the Choulhan Aroukh HaRav teaches: הרק בתפלתו כאילו רק בפני המלך — one who spits during his prayer is as one who spat before the King. Hence all the refinements of bodily conduct: not to belch or yawn (לא יגהק ולא יפהק), the manner of spitting, the louse, the tallit and the load. We study here at the level of principle; for personal conduct, one refers to the custom and to the ruling of the Rav.

📑 Study outline

A. The ה׳ seifim — גיהוק ופיהוק (séif 1), רקיקה (séif 2), כינה עוקצתו (séif 3), נשמט טליתו (séif 4), הנושא משאוי (séif 5)
1. Practical case — yawning against one's will: the hand over the mouth (לא יניח ידו על סנטרו)
2. Practical case — needing to spit: מבליעו בכסותו, לאחוריו, לשמאלו
3. Practical case — the tallit that slips or falls: הפסק?
+ Comprehension questions and going further

A. Bodily conduct during the Amida — the ה׳ seifim

שֶׁלֹּא יְגַהֵק וְלֹא יְפַהֵק בִּשְׁעַת הַתְּפִלָּה — not to belch or yawn during prayer — the principle running through the whole siman is that one who prays stands before the King of kings; one must therefore keep away all that is haughtiness (גסות הרוח) or a repugnant thing (דבר מאוס), and do nothing that would interrupt the תפילה (הפסק) or divert one's concentration (כוונה).

Séif 1 — לא יגהק ולא יפהק: belching and yawning

לא יגהק ולא יפהק, ואם צריך לפהק מתוך אונס יניח ידו על פיו שלא תראה פתיחתו, ויזהר שלא יניח ידו על סנטרו בשעת התפלה דהוי דרך גסות הרוח.
Séif 1: one should neither belch (יגהק) nor yawn (יפהק) during prayer; and if one must yawn out of compulsion (מתוך אונס), one places one's hand over one's mouth so that its opening is not seen; and one should be careful not to place one's hand on one's chin (על סנטרו) during prayer, for that is the way of haughtiness (גסות הרוח).
Deliberate belching (גיהוק) and yawning (פיהוק) have no place before the King. If one is seized against one's will (אונס), one places the hand over the mouth to cover the opening. But one does not place the hand on the chin (סנטרו, the lower jaw): that would be a bearing of haughtiness (גסות הרוח).

Séif 2 — אסור לו לרוק: spitting during prayer

אסור לו לרוק, ואם אי אפשר לו שלא לרוק מבליעו בכסותו בענין שלא יהא נראה, ואם הוא איסטניס ואינו יכול להבליעו בכסותו זורקו לאחוריו, ואם אי אפשר לזורקו לאחוריו זורקו לשמאלו אבל לא לימינו, וכל שכן לפניו דאסור.
Séif 2: it is forbidden for one to spit; and if one cannot avoid it, one absorbs it into one's garment (מבליעו בכסותו) so that it is not visible; and if one is sensitive (איסטניס) and cannot absorb it into one's garment, one casts it behind oneself (זורקו לאחוריו); and if one cannot cast it behind oneself, one casts it to one's left but not to one's right — and all the more so in front, it is forbidden.
Spitting before the King is forbidden. Failing the ability to hold back: first absorb it into one's garment (מבליעו בכסותו). The sensitive person (איסטניס), who cannot bear that, casts it behind him; then, failing that, to his left — but never to the right nor in front, out of honour, for the Shekhina is before the one who prays.

Séif 3 — כינה עוקצתו: the louse that bites

אם כינה עוקצתו ימשמש בבגדיו להסירה שלא תתבטל כוונתו אבל לא יסירנה בידו. הגה: ודוקא בשעת התפלה, אבל שלא בשעת התפלה יכול ליטול כינה ולזורקה בבית הכנסת.
Séif 3: if a louse bites him, he removes it through his garments (ימשמש בבגדיו) so that his concentration is not lost, but he does not remove it with his hand. Gloss (Rama): and this is only during prayer; but not during prayer, he may take the louse and cast it away in the synagogue.
Bitten by a louse (כינה) during the Amida, one removes it through the garment so as not to lose one's כוונה — but not directly by hand. The Rama adds: this reservation applies only during prayer; otherwise, one may take it by hand and cast it away (in the synagogue).

Séif 4 — נשמט טליתו: the tallit that slips

אם נשמט טליתו ממקומו יכול למשמש בו ולהחזירו, אבל אם נפל כולו אינו יכול לחזור ולהתעטף בו דהוי הפסק.
Séif 4: if one's tallit slipped from its place, one may adjust it and return it (למשמש בו ולהחזירו); but if it fell off entirely, one may not take it back and wrap in it again, for that would be an interruption (הפסק).
A tallit that partly slips from its place: one may adjust and return it, for it is only a gesture. But if it has fallen off entirely, re-wrapping oneself in it would be a new act that constitutes an interruption (הפסק) of the Amida — so one does not do it.

Séif 5 — הנושא משאוי: carrying a load at the time of prayer

הנושא משאוי על כתפיו והגיע זמן תפלה, פחות מד׳ קבין מפשילו לאחוריו ומתפלל, ד׳ קבין מניחו על גבי קרקע ומתפלל.
Séif 5: one who carries a load on his shoulders and the time of prayer has arrived: if it is less than four kabin (ד׳ קבין), he swings it behind him (מפשילו לאחוריו) and prays; if it is four kabin, he places it on the ground (על גבי קרקע) and prays.
A light load (less than ד׳ קבין): one swings it behind the shoulder and prays thus. A heavy load (ד׳ קבין): its weight prevents concentration, so one places it on the ground before praying. Everything is measured by what allows one to stand with dignity before the King.
The siman in one sentence: before the King one does not belch or yawn (and under אונס — hand over the mouth, never on the chin); it is forbidden to spit — otherwise one absorbs it into the garment, or casts it behind oneself then to the left, never to the right nor in front; a louse is removed through the garment; a tallit that slips is adjusted, but fallen off entirely — הפסק; and a load is swung behind (light) or placed on the ground (ד׳ קבין).

Practical cases

Case 1 — Yawning against one's will

Situation: in the midst of the Amida, a yawn (פיהוק) seizes him and he cannot hold it back. What to do?
Conduct: under compulsion (אונס), he places the hand over the mouth (יניח ידו על פיו) to cover the opening. He should be careful not to place the hand on the chin (על סנטרו), which is a bearing of haughtiness (גסות הרוח). For the practical application, one follows one's Rav.

Case 2 — Needing to spit

Situation: saliva in his mouth troubles him and he must spit during the Amida. How does he proceed?
Conduct: first absorb it into the garment (מבליעו בכסותו) discreetly. If he is איסטניס and cannot bear it, he casts it behind him; failing that, to his left — never to the right nor in front. For borderline cases, one follows one's Rav.

Case 3 — The tallit that slips or falls

Situation: during the Amida his tallit slips off the shoulder; or it falls off entirely. May he put it back?
Conduct: if it has only slipped from its place, he may adjust and return it (למשמש בו ולהחזירו). But if it has fallen off entirely, re-wrapping in it would be an interruption (הפסק) — he does not do it but finishes his Amida. For the details, one follows one's Rav.

Comprehension questions

Check your understanding:
  1. Why should one not belch or yawn during the Amida, and what does one do under אונס (séif 1)?
  2. Why does one not place the hand on the chin (סנטרו) during prayer?
  3. What is the order of solutions for spitting — garment, behind, left — and why never to the right or in front (séif 2)?
  4. How does one remove a louse during prayer, and what does the Rama change outside prayer (séif 3)?
  5. What is the difference between a tallit that slips and a tallit that has fallen off entirely (séif 4)?

Going further

If you wish to deepen this siman:
Continue to the next simanSiman 98 →
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
DAAT · רב יוסף חיים סממה

סימן צ״ז · ה׳ סעיפים · Level 1 — Introduction
♥ Support DAAT
📖Join the khavroutha