I live in Beer Sheva, Israel where there are presently ongoing rockets fired at us from Gaza. We are warned of an impending rocket by a loud siren that gives us less than a minute to run to a bomb shelter. Now that's it time for the Maariv, I'm feeling quite apprehensive about approaching prayer in general and realized a few questions.
I am not seeking practical halachic advice for which I can ask my Rav. I'm interested to know the sources on the basis of which my Rav would decide.
- If I'm in the middle of the Amida and a siren goes off I will of course run to a shelter to save my life. Until I can return to my home and continue praying again (maybe 10 minutes later), is it forbidden for me to speak?
- Would I have to start over again from the beginning of the Amidah?
- If a person is stricken with fear of an impending siren, are they released from the obligation to pray? As this situation might last for several days, I don't think one could hope for a tashlumin.
Obviously, I never before considered the context of such halakhot, but they are quite pressing and real. I would be grateful if someone could help me out, as well as ask everyone here to have us in your tefillot.
Answer
Point 1:
See Mishnah Brurah 104:25 that says it is forbidden to speak unless one is an Oines.
Point 2:
See Mechabar 104:5 that says if the hefsek took as long as it takes to finish the Tefilla then one must start over, otherwise one starts again from the Bracha that he was in the middle of. For more complicated details look at the Mishnah Brurah there.
Point 3:
The Mechaber in simon 98:2 says ideally one should not pray in a time when one has not got presence of mind (see Mishnah Brurah for a examples of pain, anger [and I suppose one could add fear as well]) however nowadays since we anyway do not have that much concentration we should daven even in such a time. See the Mishnah Brurah there that says one should still try and put ones thoughts out of the mind first.
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