Swaying During Prayer
The most characteristic way to move during prayer is to sway gently back and forth.
Generally referred to by English-speaking Jews as shuckling (from Yiddish), this movement is a physical way of putting ourselves “in the moment.”
Putting the whole body to work in prayer helps us attain a greater level of focused intention during our t’fillah. By involving our entire bodies and not just our mouths in prayer, we respond to the psalmist’s ancient injunction that all one’s bones together should praise God (Psalms 35:10).
The swaying also has another purpose: it puts us in touch with the ebb and flow of the liturgy itself.
The rhythm and the motion might feel strange at first, but one of the secrets of learning how to pray involves finding one’s personal pace at prayer. The gentle swaying of the body allows us to find that rhythm as we measure the ease of our involvement by noting the degree to which our bodies are tense or relaxed during prayer.
(קיד) קַמְנָא וְאָזַלְנָא. וְתּוּקְפָּא דְּשִׁמְשָׁא הֲוָה יַתִּיר, וְדָחִיק לָן בְּאוֹרְחָא. חֲמֵינָן אִילָנִין בְּמַדְבְּרָא, וּמַיִין תְּחוֹתַיְיהוּ. יָתִיבְנָא תְּחוֹת חַד טוּלָא דְּאִילָנָא דְּמַדְבְּרָא. שָׁאִילְנָא לֵיהּ, מַאי הַאי דְּכָל עַמִּין דְּעָלְמָא לָא עַבְדִּין נִעְנוּעָא, אֶלָּא יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּלְחוֹדַיְיהוּ, דְּכַד לָעָאן בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, מִתְנַעְנְעָן הָכָא וְהָכָא, בְּלָא לִמּוּדָא דְּבַר נָשׁ בְּעָלְמָא, וְלָא יַכְלִין לְמֵיקָם בְּקִיּוּמַיְיהוּ.
(קיה) אָמַר לִי, אַדְכַּרְתָּן מִלְּתָא עִלָּאָה, וּבְנֵי עָלְמָא לָא יַדְעִין, וְלָא מַשְׁגִּיחִין. יָתִיב שַׁעֲתָא וּבָכָה, אָמַר, וַוי לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא דְּאַזְלִין כִּבְעִירֵי חַקְלָא, בְּלָא סוּכְלְתָנוּ. בְּמִלָּה דָּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָן נִשְּׁמָתְהוֹן קַדִּישִׁין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, בֵּין נִשְׁמָתְהוֹן דְּעַמִין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת. נִשְׁמָתְהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְגְּזָרוּ, מִגּוֹ בּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּדָלִיק, דִּכְתִּיב, (משלי כ׳:כ״ז) נֵר יְיָ נִשְׁמַת אָדָם. וְהַאי נֵר בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְאַחֲד (נ"א דאתדליק) מִגּוֹ אוֹרַיְיתָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, לָא שָׁכִיךְ נְהוֹרָא עָלֵיהּ אֲפִילּוּ רִגְעָא. וְרָזָא דָּא, (תהילים פ״ג:ב׳) אֱלֹהִים אַל דֳּמִי לָךְ. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו ס״ב:ו׳) הַמַּזְכִּירִים אֶת יְיָ אַל דֳּמִי לָכֶם, לָא שְׁכִיכוּ לְכוֹן. נְהוֹרָא דְּשַׁרְגָּא כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְאַחֲדָא גּוֹ פְּתִילָה, הַהוּא נְהוֹרָא לָא שָׁכִיךְ לְעָלְמִין, אֶלָּא מִתְנַעְנְעָא נְהוֹרָא לְכָאן וּלְכָּאן, וְלָא מִשְׁתְּכִיךְ לְעָלְמִין.
(קיו) כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּנִשְׁמָתַיְיהוּ מִגּוֹ הַהוּא נְהוֹרָא דְּשַׁרְגָּא, כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר מִלָּה חֲדָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, הָא נְהוֹרָא דָּלִיק, וְלָא יֵכְלוּן אִינּוּן לְאִשְׁתַּכְּכָא, וּמִתְנַעְנֵעָן לְכָאן וּלְכָּאן, וּלְכָל סִטְרִין. כִּנְהוֹרָא דְּשַׁרְגָּא, דְּהָא (משלי כ׳:כ״ז) נֵר יְיָ נִשְׁמַת אָדָם כְּתִיב.
(קיז) וּכְתִיב, (יחזקאל לד) אָדָם אַתֶּם, אַתֶּם קְרוּיִין אָדָם, וְלָא אוּמִין עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת. נִשְׁמָתִין דְּעַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, מִדְעִיכוּ דְּקָשׁ, בְּלָא נְהוֹרָא דְּשָׁרֵי עָלַיְיהוּ. וְעַל דָּא מִשְׁתַּכְכִין, וְלָא מִתְנַעְנְעָן, דְּהָא לֵית לוֹן אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְלָא דַּלְקִין בָּהּ, וְלָאו נְהוֹרָא שַׁרְיָיא בְּהוֹן, אִינּוּן קַיְימִין כְּעֵצִים בְּגוֹ נוּרָא דְּדָלִיק, בְּלָא נְהוֹרָא דְּשַׁרְיָא עָלַיְיהוּ, וְעַל דָּא מִשְׁתַּכְכִין בְּלָא נְהוֹרָא כְּלָל. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, דָּא אִיהוּ בְּרִירוּ דְּמִלָּה, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקִי דְּזָכֵינָא לְהַאי, לְמִשְׁמַע דָּא.
We stood and we walked. The sun was very strong and beat down on us on the road. We saw trees in the desert, and water beneath them. We sat under the shade of one of the desert trees. I asked him [R Shimon b Yochai], why is it that all the nations of the world do not do the swaying, except for Israel alone---for when they study the Torah, they sway this way and that way, without learning it from anyone in the world, and they can't stand on their own?
He said to me, you reminded me of a lofty matter, and the people of the world do not know it, and do not pay attention to it. He sat for a while and cried, and said, Woe to the people that go like beasts of the field, without intelligence. By this thing alone are the holy souls of Israel distinguished from among the souls of the nations that worship the stars and the constellations. The souls of Israel are cut from the holy, lit candle, as it is written (Proverbs 20:27) "The candle of God is the human soul". And that candle, in the moment that it catches from within the heavenly Torah, the light is not still on it even for a moment. And the hint for this is (Psalms 83:2) "God, do not be silent". Similarly, it is written (Isaiah 62:6) "Those who recall God, do not be silent"---do not be still. The light of a candle, once its wick has caught, that light is never still, rather the light sways this way and that, and is never still.
Similarly, Israel, whose souls are from that candle light, when they have said one word of Torah, that light is kindled, and they cannot be stilled, and they sway this way and that way, and to all sides. Like the light of a candle, just as (Proverbs 20:27) "The candle of God is a human soul" is written.
And it is written (Ezekiel 34) "You are human"---you are called human, and not the nations of the star and constellation worshippers. The souls of the nations of the star and constellation worshippers are of extinguished straw, with no light resting on it, and therefore they are still, with no light at all. Rabbi Yosei said, This matter is clear! How meritorious my portion, that I have merited to this, to hear this!
...ונהגו ישראל להתנועע בשעה שקורין כי כשנתנה התורה נרתעו כלם שנאמר וירא העם וינועו, וכתיב כל עצמותי תאמרנה ה' מי כמוך להודיע כי הוא וכל עצמותיו עסוקין יחד להלל ולשבח לשם.
...and Israel has the practice to shake/sway at the time that we read [the Torah], because when Torah that was given everyone trembled, as it says "and the nation feared, and they moved," and it says (Psalms 35:10)"all my bones will say to you, Lord who is like You?" to declare that you and all your bones are involved together in praising and celebrating God.
... ונהגו המדקדקים להתנועע בשעה שקורין בתורה דוגמת התורה שנתנה ברתת וכן בשעה שמתפללים על שם כל עצמותי תאמרנה ה' מי כמוך [אבודרהם]:
... 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, Lord who is like You?" (Abudarham)
(א) התפלה הוא זיווג עם השכינה וכמו שבתחלת הזיווג ניענוע כן צריך לנענע עצמו בתפלה בתחלה. ואח"כ יכול לעמוד כך בלי ניענוע ויהי' דבוק להשכינה בדביקות גדול.
(ב) ומכח מה שמנענע עצמו יכול לבא להתעוררות גדול שיחשוב למה אני מתנענע את עצמי כי מסתמא השכינה בודאי עומדת לנגדי. ומכח זה יבא להתלהבות גדול:
(1) Prayer is like having marital union with the Divine Presence (The Shechinah). Just as at the beginning of marital union there is much movement, so likewise, at the beginning of prayer, rouse yourself with motion, after which you will be able to stand motionless and adhere to the Divine Presence with tremendous adhesion (Dveikut).
(2) Moving yourself can bring you to great arousal and awakening. Consider to yourself, “Why am I swaying back and forth? Because, the Divine Presence stands before me.” From the strength of this realization you will be roused to great passion.
R' Israel Baal Shem, peace upon him, said: When a person is sinking in the river and shows in the water some motions to pull themself out of the water that is overwhelming them, surely, those who see the person will not laugh at the person or their gesticulations. So too, when someone who is praying makes some gesticulations, one should not laugh at them. Because that person is saving themself from the violent waters, which are the klipot and foreign thoughts that come to divert the person from their thought in their prayer.
(Skip to 8:39 for Shuckling)
The fifth: Motion. One who sways in their prayer causes an abrogation of their kavana (focus), and the Amida prayer without any motion at all aids with kavana. And what was said "All my bones will say, etc."—that is for songs and praise and the blessings of the reading of the Shema and learning Torah, but not [the Amida] prayer. And if anyone says so also for prayer, I believe that one shouldn't listen to them, because experience proves that standing (amida) without swaying in prayer causes focus of the heart/will. And imagine for yourself a person asking requests of a flesh and blood king, if their body would sway like the swaying of trees in the wind!
הלכה אתיופית
לא נהגו כלל. יתרה מזאת, הנענוע נחשב למעשה שטות וודאי שאינו מביע כבוד או יראה. הנענוע בתפילה דומה למי שנטרפה דעתו עליו כשיכור שאינו מסוגל לעמוד ישר.
Ethiopian Halakhah Swaying was not practiced at all. Further, swaying was considered a frivolous practice, far from an expression of respect or awe. Swaying during prayer was comparable to the actions of one who was mentally unstable, or of a drunk who could not stand up straight.
Rabbi Jung’s Jewish Center Synagogue was designed to maintain decorum, aesthetic appearance, and conduct. Children could not be brought into services because they might be disruptive. Rabbi Jung believed that the physical appearance of both the synagogue and the worshippers should add to the beauty and sanctity of the service. The dress code was formal, as were the services. The clergy and officials wore top hats and frock coats during the winter and homburgs in the summer.
Things associated with the shtiebel were eliminated. Honors were not to be auctioned off from the pulpit, and there was to be no “swaying” while praying as this was considered old fashioned, undignified, and un-American. Rabbi Jung gave his sermons in English, not in Yiddish; he spoke to the congregants about things to which they could relate. He wrote: “The Jewish message came in a foreign method, and there- fore did not reach the youth. ...Our youth here drift away not because the message is distasteful to them, but because they have never received it.” Jenna Weissman Joselit and Jeffrey Gurock have both suggested that the Eastern European rabbi’s Yiddish sermon—either idealistic or esoteric—built a chasm between the life of the congregant and the rabbi’s sermon, keeping the Orthodox congregants away. There were to be no disorderly, drawn out services, with individuals praying at their own speed and to their own tune. The rising generation needed innovations in practice and up-to-date interpretations of Jewish doctrine.