Fasten Your Seatbelts And Prepare For Minchah

Our Gemara discusses the laws of avodah in the Beis HaMikdash. Avodah performed by kohanim while sitting is invalid (Zevachim 23b). It is viewed as if a non-kohen performed the avodah. The Gemara in Sotah (38a) states that Birkas Kohanim should be recited while standing because the Torah compares Birkas Kohanim to the avodah.

Rabbeinu Yitzchak (quoted in Tosfos) says that a kohen who blesses the congregation while sitting accomplished nothing. He utilizes the Gemara’s comparison to the fullest extent possible. Not only is there a mitzvah for the kohanim to stand while duchaning, but if they fail to stand, their berachah is ineffective. This is the very same halachah that applies to the avodah.

The Panim Meiros (quoted in Shaarei Teshuvah OC 126:25) takes this one step further. If a Yisrael goes up with the kohanim to bless the congregation, he violates a mitzvas aseih. The Panim Meiros writes that it is very possible that a kohen who duchans while sitting also violates this mitzvas aseih. The Mishnah Berurah paskens that a kohen who needs to sit or to lean on something while standing should not duchan.

We seem to have flown far afield. What does this have to do with davening on a plane?

The Shulchan Aruch writes (O.C. 98:4, loose translation): “Tefillah is in place of a korban. Therefore a person should be careful with his intent as if he were bringing a korban. Inappropriate intent can invalidate a sacrifice. Likewise, he should recite Shemoneh Esreih while standing, just as the avodah was performed while standing. He should have a set place to daven, just as every korban was brought in a specific place. It is also fitting that he should have special nice clothing exclusively for davening, just as the kohanim had their special clothing for the avodah. However, not everyone can afford that.”

From the Shulchan Aruch’s own words we see that if one fails to daven in special clothing, he has nevertheless fulfilled his obligation. Does that mean that everything mentioned, including standing during Shemoneh Esreih, is just a mitzvah? Or should we treat sitting during Shemoneh Esreih like duchaning while sitting, in which case the person would have to daven over again?

The Shulchan Aruch himself tells us the answer in a different siman. The Shulchan Aruch writes (94:4), “If a person was riding on a donkey, he does not have to dismount and daven … but can daven while he is riding.” The Mishnah Berurah explains that if we obligated a person to dismount, he would not be able to concentrate. He would rush his davening so that he could continue on his journey. Therefore, our sages permitted him to daven while still riding on his donkey.

Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, zt’l, ruled that one should not daven while driving, because distracted driving can be fatal. The authorities never forbade texting while riding a donkey, so it must be less dangerous. The donkey is smarter than the most intelligent vehicle and knows to avoid a ten-donkey pileup.

The Shulchan Aruch continues, “So, too, if someone was on a boat or wagon, if he is able to stand he should do so; otherwise, he should sit in his place and daven. Everything depends on the route, the place, and his apprehension and state of mind. Some are stringent that a person should at least stand for the first three berachos. One should initially follow that opinion.” The Rema adds, “Even if a person is sitting during the entire Shemoneh Esreih, he should still try and stand for the places that he should bow down and for the three steps after Shemoneh Esreih.”

The halachah is clear that in pressing circumstances one can daven Shemoneh Esreih while sitting. Rav Shlomo Zalman, zt’l, ruled that one should in fact daven while sitting on an airplane. It is difficult to keep one’s balance while standing and it is no different than davening while on a ship. Further, even if one could keep his balance, very often the only place where one can daven is in the aisle or in front of the bathrooms. One has no right to interfere with other people’s use of the bathroom or aisle so that he can daven while standing. (It seems to me to be a tremendous chillul Hashem that occurs when people davening on a plane block the bathrooms.)

It is interesting to note that the Rema writes that if a person is davening Shemoneh Esreih while riding on a donkey and cannot dismount even for the three steps at the end, he should have the animal take three steps backward. Rav Shlomo Zalman writes that a similar halachah applies to someone in a wheelchair. He should roll backward the length of three steps. I haven’t seen anywhere if this would apply to someone davening Shemoneh Esreih in a car as well, but I don’t see why not. All those times when you were circling around the airport to land, you thought it was due to congestion. The pilot just wanted to go backward a little!

The Sefer Ishei Yisrael has an appendix of many questions he asked R’ Chaim Kanievsky to which he received answers in writing. A few of them are apropos. R’ Chaim Kanievsky paskened that if someone was davening Shemoneh Esreih while on a bus, he is permitted to exit the bus when it reaches his stop. He reasons that this is no worse than davening while traveling, which the Shulchan Aruch permitted.

If a person was traveling on a bus and could daven Minchah either before sunset while sitting or right after sunset at his stop while standing, which is preferable? If you are a chasid you may be laughing at this question. However, apparently, R’ Chaim Kanievsky is not of the chassidish persuasion. He rules that davening Minchah before sunset trumps davening Shemoneh Esreih while standing.

If a person could daven Ma’ariv between plag ha’mincha (one and a quarter seasonal hours before sunset) and sunset while standing or after sunset while sitting, which is preferable? R’ Chaim Kanievsky ruled that since one may daven Ma’ariv (even during the week), in pressing circumstances, between plag ha’mincha and sunset, it is better to daven while standing and not wait until sunset. Likewise, davening Ma’ariv after chatzos (midnight) while standing is preferable to davening before chatzos while sitting. (Generally, someone who davens Ma’ariv after chatzos is considered over al divrei chachamim, transgressing the words of the sages.)

In all these situations, where a person davened while sitting, the Shulchan Aruch rules that if one reached a safe place where he can concentrate, he should daven again while standing. The Mishnah Berurah differs and rules that it is not our minhag to daven again.

Hope this article didn’t fly over your head. May all our tefillos soar to new heights.