The Tefilah Podcast

Bodily Posture in Tefilah: Positions of the Hands and Feet (Rashba Berachos 10a)

July 27, 2021 Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss
The Tefilah Podcast
Bodily Posture in Tefilah: Positions of the Hands and Feet (Rashba Berachos 10a)
Show Notes

This evening (7/27/21 at YBT) we began our inquiry into the halachos of tikun ha'guf (loosely translated as "bodily posture") in tefilah. After reading the halacha in the Rambam, I shared two quick insights: the first was a technique for maintaining kavanah (which I wrote about in my article entitled, Bodily Posture as a Sensory Anchor for Kavanah in Tefilah) and the second was a possible insight into the general reason for tikun ha'guf. We then read the Rashba's explanation for why we place our feet next to each other and clasp our hands. We ended by taking a quick look at how we paskin.
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מקורות:
רמב"ם - משנה תורה, ספר אהבה, הלכות תפילה ה:ד
Tara Brach, "True Refuge" pp.31-32
Bessel van der Kolk, "The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma," Ch18
חידושי הרשב"א על ההגדות - ברכות דף י עמוד א
ערוך השולחן - אורח חיים צה:ה
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This week's Torah content has been sponsored by Sol and Chummie Azose, in honor of the upcoming 81st birthday of the Rosh ha'Yeshiva, Rabbi Yisroel Chait, and the 91st birthday of Sol's father, Hazzan Isaac Azose.
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