(א) שְׁמוֹנָה דְּבָרִים צָרִיךְ הַמִּתְפַּלֵּל לְהִזָּהֵר בָּהֶן וְלַעֲשׂוֹתָן. וְאִם הָיָה דָּחוּק אוֹ נֶאֱנַס אוֹ שֶׁעָבַר וְלֹא עָשָׂה אוֹתָן אֵין מְעַכְּבִין. וְאֵלּוּ הֵן. עֲמִידָה. וְנֹכַח הַמִּקְדָּשׁ. וְתִקּוּן הַגּוּף. וְתִקּוּן הַמַּלְבּוּשִׁים. וְתִקּוּן הַמָּקוֹם. וְהַשְׁוָיַת הַקּוֹל. וְהַכְּרִיעָה. וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוָיָה:
(י) כְּרִיעָה כֵּיצַד. הַמִּתְפַּלֵּל כּוֹרֵעַ חָמֵשׁ כְּרִיעוֹת בְּכָל תְּפִלָּה וּתְפִלָּה. בִּבְרָכָה רִאשׁוֹנָה בַּתְּחִלָּה וּבַסּוֹף. וּבְהוֹדָיָה בַּתְּחִלָּה וּבַסּוֹף. וּכְשֶׁגּוֹמֵר הַתְּפִלָּה כּוֹרֵעַ וּפוֹסֵעַ שָׁלֹשׁ פְּסִיעוֹת לַאֲחוֹרָיו. וּכְשֶׁהוּא כּוֹרֵעַ נוֹתֵן שָׁלוֹם מִשְּׂמֹאל עַצְמוֹ וְאַחַר כָּךְ מִימִין עַצְמוֹ וְאַחַר כָּךְ מַגְבִּיהַּ רֹאשׁוֹ מִן הַכְּרִיעָה. וּכְשֶׁהוּא כּוֹרֵעַ בְּאַרְבַּע הַכְּרִיעוֹת כּוֹרֵעַ בְּבָרוּךְ וּכְשֶׁהוּא זוֹקֵף זוֹקֵף בַּשֵּׁם. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים בְּהֶדְיוֹט. אֲבָל כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל כּוֹרֵעַ בִּתְחִלַּת כָּל בְּרָכָה וּבְסוֹף כָּל בְּרָכָה. וְהַמֶּלֶךְ כֵּיוָן שֶׁשָּׁחָה בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה אֵינוֹ מַגְבִּיהַּ רֹאשׁוֹ עַד שֶׁגּוֹמֵר כָּל תְּפִלָּתוֹ:
(1) In reciting prayers, eight points should be heeded and observed. If, however, these were disregarded, owing to stress, or disability or even wilfully, the recital of the prayers would not be debarred [deemed ineffective]. The points are as follows: one should stand; with face towards the Temple; the body should be in correct posture; the clothing adjusted; one should stand in a proper place; the voice should be properly modulated; and genuflection and prostration be correctly performed.
(2) The Standing position. The Amidah [main prayer] is only recited, standing. A person who is on a ship or in a waggon should, if he is able, stand up for that prayer. If unable, he may read it, sitting in his place. A sick person may read it, even lying down on his side, provided, however, that he can concentrate his mind. A thirsty or hungry person is in the same category as the sick: if he can concentrate, he recites the prayer; if not, he should not do so till he has refreshed himself with food and drink. A person who is riding, need not alight, even if there is some one to hold his beast so that his mind may be at ease.
(3) With face turned towards the Temple. Anyone outside Palestine turns his face towards the land of Israel and recites the prayer. One who is in the Holy Land turns towards Jerusalem. One who is in Jerusalem turns towards the Temple. If one is in the Temple, he turns towards the Holy of Holies. A person who is either blind, or unable to determine the right direction, or is on a ship, directs his heart to the Divine Presence and prays.
(4) Correct posture. When standing in prayer, the feet should be in line; the eyes lowered as if one were looking towards the ground; while the heart should be uplifted as if one were in heaven; the hands should be placed over the heart, close together, the right over the left. The worshipper should stand, like a servant in his master's presence, in awe, fear and dread. He should not place his hands on his hips.
(5) Adjustment of the dress. Before beginning the Service, the dress should first be adjusted and the personal appearance made trim and neat, as it is said, "O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness" (Psalms 96:9). One should not stand in prayer wearing a moneybelt, nor bareheaded, nor barefoot, where the local custom is not to stand in the presence of the great, without shoes. And one should not pray anywhere, holding phylacteries in the hand or carrying a scroll of the law in the arms, for the mind would then be preoccupied with those sacred objects. Nor while praying, should vessels or money be held in the hand. On the feast of Tabernacles, however, the worshiper prays, while carrying a palm branch—this being the religious duty of the day. When the time comes to recite the prayer, a person carrying a burden on his head, adjusts it behind him, if it is less than four kabs*A kab is equal in volume to 4 logs. A log is equal in volume to 6 hen’s eggs. and recites the prayer. If it is four kabs in size, he places it on the ground, and then prays. The practice of all the sages and their disciples is not to pray unless their heads are wrapped in the Talith (praying shawl).
(6) Place where the worshiper prays. He should stand in a low place and turn his face to the wall. Windows or doors towards Jerusalem should be opened, and he should stand facing them when he prays, as it is said, "Now his windows were open in his upper chamber towards Jerusalem" (Daniel 6:11). There should be one fixed place set apart for prayer. It should not be recited in a ruin nor at the rear of a synagogue, unless the worshiper turns his face towards the synagogue. It is forbidden to remain seated at the side of one who is standing in prayer, or pass in front of him unless he has moved away from the worshiper to a distance of four cubits.
(7) One must not, while praying, stand on a spot three hand-breadths or more above the floor of the room; nor may one stand for prayer upon a bed, stool or chair. A lofty structure, provided that it is four cubits by four cubits in area—the size of a chamber—is regarded as an attic, and it is permitted to pray in it. So, too, if it was enclosed on all sides by partitions, even though its area was less than four cubits by four cubits, prayers may be recited while standing in it, for the height of such a structure is not noticed, it being a compartment by itself.
(8) Labourers who are working on the top of a wall, or on the top of a tree, when the time for prayer arrives, should descend to the ground, recite the prayer, and resume their labours. If they are on the top of an olive tree or a fig tree, they recite it where they are, as it would entail excessive trouble to descend. What prayer do they recite? Those who work for board only recite the three daily prayers, of nineteen blessings each. If they were working for wages, they recite Havinenu [Summary of the Middle Blessings, together with the first three and last three blessings]. In either case, no congregational service is held, nor is the priestly benediction pronounced.
(9) Modulation of the voice. The voice should not be raised during the recital of the Amidah prayer nor should it be offered [silently] in thought alone. The words should be pronounced with the lips, but softly, and yet be audible to the speaker's ears. The worshiper should not permit his voice to be heard by others, unless he is sick, or is unable to concentrate his attention without reading aloud. He may not, however, do so at public worship, so that the congregants shall not be disturbed by his loud praying.
(10) Genuflection. The worshiper bends the knees five times in every [Amidah] prayer,*Prayer, recited standing. at the beginning and at the end of the first blessing; at the beginning and the end of the thanksgiving blessing (which begins "We thank Thee"); and after the conclusion of the prayer. The knees are then bent, the worshiper steps backwards three paces, and with knees bent, bows to the left, then to the right, and then raises his head. When he bends the knees the first four times, he does so while uttering the word "Blessed" and resumes the erect posture at the word "O Lord." This rule applies to the layman. The high priest however bends the knees at the beginning and end of every blessing. The king bows his head at the beginning of the [Amidah] prayer and does not raise it till he has concluded it.
(11) Why does the worshiper bow towards the left, first? Because his left corresponds to the right of the person whom he faces. And just as one who stands before a king bows to the king's right and then to the king's left, so the sages ordained that at the conclusion of the Amidah, the same etiquette should be observed as in taking leave of the royal presence.
(12) In all these genuflections, the worshiper should bow till all the vertebrae of the spinal column become prominent, and his body assumes the shape of a bow. If however he bowed slightly and made an effort which caused strain, so that it is evident that he bows as low as he can, he need not be apprehensive [as to whether he had fulfilled his duty].
(13) Prostration. After he has raised his head, subsequent to the fifth genuflection, the worshiper seats himself on the floor and "falls upon his face" and offers all the supplications he pleases. Genuflection, wherever mentioned, always refers to bending the knees. Kidah means "falling on the face" [with knees bent]. Hishtahvayah means stretching out the hands and feet, so that one is lying prone with face to the ground.
(14) When performing the rite of "falling on the face", after the service, some fall on the face, some prostrate themselves. The latter is forbidden on a stone floor, except in the Temple of Jerusalem, as has been explained in the laws concerning Idolatry. [Even] a worthy person may not fall on his face unless he is conscious that he is a righteous man like Joshua.*(Joshua 5:14) “And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship.” He should only incline his face somewhat, but not press it against the floor. It is permissible to recite the service of prayer in one spot and "fall upon the face" elsewhere.
(15) It is a rule universally observed in Israel, that the rite of "falling upon the face" is not practised on Sabbaths, Festivals, the New Year, the New Moon, Feast of Lights, Feast of Lots, at the afternoon services on the eves of Sabbaths and Festivals, or in the evening service any day. Some individuals fall on their faces in the evening service. All do so in every service on the day of Atonement, this being a day of petition, supplication, and fasting.
בקומו להתפלל אם היה עומד בח"ל יחזור פניו כנגד ארץ ישראל ויכוין גם לירושלים ולמקדש ולבית קדשי הקדשים היה עומד בא"י יחזיר פניו כנגד ירושלים ויכוין גם למקדש ולבית קדשי הקדשים. היה עומד בירושלים יחזיר פניו למקדש ויכוין גם לבית קדשי הקדשים היה עומד אחורי הכפורת מחזיר פניו לכפורת:
כיוון איבריו בשעת תפלה. ובו ד סעיפים:
יכוין רגליו זה אצל זה בכוון כאלו אינם אלא אחד להדמות למלאכים דכתיב בהן ורגליהם רגל ישרה כלומר רגליהם נראים כרגל אחד: (וי"א כשעומד להתפלל ילך לפניו ג' פסיעות דרך קירוב והגשה לדבר שצריך לעשות) (רוקח):
צריך שיכוף ראשו מעט שיהיו עיניו למטה לארץ ויחשוב כאלו עומד בבית המקדש ובלבו יכוין למעלה לשמים:
מניח ידיו על לבו כפותין (פי' כקשורין) הימנית על השמאלית ועומד כעבד לפני רבו באימה ביראה ובפחד ולא יניח ידיו על חלציו מפני שהוא דרך יוהרא: (וע"ל ריש סימן צ"ז):
טוב לכוין רגליו גם בשעה שאומר קדושה עם ש"צ:
אין לדבר בין תפלה לנפילת אפים. כשנופל על פניו נהגו להטות על צד שמאל: הגה וי"א דיש להטות על צד ימין והעיקר להטות [ריב"ש סי' רי"ב וב"י בשם הרוקח] בשחרית כשיש לו תפילין בשמאלו על צד ימין משום כבוד התפילין ובערבית או כשאין לו תפילין בשמאלו יטה על צד שמאל [מנהגים] ולאחר שנפל על פניו יגביה ראשו ויתחנן מעט מיושב וכל מקום ומקום לפי מנהגו ומנהג פשוט לומר ואנחנו לא נדע כו' וחצי קדיש אשרי למנצח [טור] ואפילו בימים שאין אומרים תחנון אומרים למנצח מלבד בראש חודש וחנוכה ופורים וע"פ וערב יום כפור וט"ו באב [מנהגים וע"ל סי' תקנ"ט]: