When a man stands in prayer he should keep his feet together,1T. B. Berachoth, l0b. and cover his head, and he should also shade his eyes so as not to look at the Shekinah. In the Book of R. Hamnuna the Elder it says that if a man opens his eyes at the time of prayer or does not cast them on the ground he brings the Angel of Death on to himself before his time, and when his soul leaves him he will not behold the face of the Shekinah, nor will he die by a (divine) kiss. If one contemns the Shekinah, he himself is contemned in the hour of need, as it says, “Them that honour me I shall honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed” (I Sam. 2, 30).
This is he that looks at the Shekinah at the time of prayer. In fact, of course, one cannot look at the Shekinah; but what he should do is to know that the Shekinah is before him, and therefore there should be nothing interposing between him and the wall.
Before a man stands in prayer he should first recite the praise of his Master and then offer his supplication. So Moses first said, THOU HAST BEGUN, ETC., and then LET ME GO OVER, I PRAY THEE. ‘ R. Judah said: ‘Why did Moses say first “Lord” (Adonay) and then “God” (TETRAGRAMMATON)? Because this is the proper order from the lower to the higher, so as to combine the measure of day with night, and of night with day, and to unite all fitly together.
תָּא חֲזֵי, מַאן דְּקָאִים בִּצְלוֹתָא, בָּעֵי לְכַוְּונָא רַגְלוֹי, וְאוֹקְמוּהָ. וּבָעֵי לְחַפְּיָא רֵישֵׁיהּ, כְּמַאן דְּקָאִים קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא. וּבָעֵי לְמִכְסְיָיה (למכסייא) (ס"א לאסתמא) עֵינוֹי, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִסְתָּכַּל בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא. וּבְסִפְרָא דְּרַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא אָמַר, מַאן דְּפָקַח עֵינוֹי בְּשַׁעֲתָא דִּצְלוֹתָא, אוֹ דְּלָא מָאִיךְ עֵינוֹי בְּאַרְעָא, אַקְדִּים עָלֵיהּ מַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת, וְכַד תִּיפּוּק נַפְשֵׁיהּ, לָא יִסְתָּכַּל בִּנְהִירוּ דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, וְלָא יָמוּת בִּנְשִׁיקָה. מַאן דִּמְזַלְזֵל בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא מִתְּזַלְזֵּל הוּא בְּהַהוּא שַׁעֲתָא דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ בֵּיהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (שמואל א ב׳:ל׳) כִּי מְכַבְּדַי אֲכַבֵּד וּבוֹזַי יֵקָלּוּ.
When a man stands in prayer he should keep his feet together,1T. B. Berachoth, l0b. and cover his head, and he should also shade his eyes so as not to look at the Shekinah. In the Book of R. Hamnuna the Elder it says that if a man opens his eyes at the time of prayer or does not cast them on the ground he brings the Angel of Death on to himself before his time, and when his soul leaves him he will not behold the face of the Shekinah, nor will he die by a (divine) kiss. If one contemns the Shekinah, he himself is contemned in the hour of need, as it says, “Them that honour me I shall honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed” (I Sam. 2, 30).
הַאי מַאן דְּאִסְתָּכַּל בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִיהוּ מְצַלֵּי. וְהֵיךְ יָכִיל לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא. אֶלָּא לִינְדַע דְּוַדַּאי שְׁכִינְתָּא קַיְּימָא קַמֵּיהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (ישעיהו ל״ח:ב׳) וַיַּסֵּב חִזְקִיָּהוּ פָּנָיו אֶל הַקִּיר, דְּתַמָּן שָׁארֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא. בְּגִין כָּךְ לָא בַּעְיָא לְמֶהֱוֵי חוֹצֵץ בֵּינוֹ וּבֵין הַקִּיר, וְאוֹקְמוּהָ.
This is he that looks at the Shekinah at the time of prayer. In fact, of course, one cannot look at the Shekinah; but what he should do is to know that the Shekinah is before him, and therefore there should be nothing interposing between him and the wall.
מַאן דְּקָאִים בִּצְלוֹתָא, בָּעֵי לְסַדְּרָא שְׁבָחָא דְּמָארֵיהּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וּלְבָתַר יִתְבַּע בָּעוּתֵיהּ. דְּהָא מֹשֶׁה הָכִי אָמַר בְּקַדְמִיתָא, אַתָּה הַחִלּוֹתָ וְגוֹ'. וּלְבַסּוֹף אֶעְבְּרָה וְגוֹ'. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, מַאי שְׁנָא הָכָא דִּכְתִּיב אֲדֹנָ"י בְּקַדְמִיתָא, בְּאָלֶ"ף דָּלֶ"ת נוּ"ן יוֹ"ד, וּלְבַסּוֹף ידו"ד, וְקָרֵינָן אֱלֹהִי"ם. אֶלָּא סִדּוּרָא הָכִי הוּא מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָּא, וּלְאַכְלְלָא מִדַּת יוֹם בַּלַּיְלָה, וּמִדַּת לַיְלָה בַּיוֹם וּלְזַוְּוגָא כֹּלָּא כַּחֲדָא כַּדְּקָא יָאוּת.
Before a man stands in prayer he should first recite the praise of his Master and then offer his supplication. So Moses first said, THOU HAST BEGUN, ETC., and then LET ME GO OVER, I PRAY THEE. ‘ R. Judah said: ‘Why did Moses say first “Lord” (Adonay) and then “God” (TETRAGRAMMATON)? Because this is the proper order from the lower to the higher, so as to combine the measure of day with night, and of night with day, and to unite all fitly together.