flatbusher,
A lot of people shuckle during the davening, but considering one is standing before Hashem, isn’t it disrespectful to stand other than straight as one would before a human leader?
While one can draw lessons about proper service to Hashem through the way in which human leaders are respected, the analogy can only really go so far, since Hashem is not a human. Even among humans, there are many different ways to show respect. In the U.S., one stands when the president stands, and a proper greeting is to shake his hand. Soldiers will salute him, and not drop their hands until he salutes back. In Japan, it’s respectful to bow at the waist. In some cultures, kissing is considered respectful, but it would be awkward for me to bow in front of or kiss the U.S. president.
So, many Jews throughout the world shuckle when they daven to Hashem. It’s culturally accepted. Why would this inherently be disrespectful to Hashem?
Any thoughts about the origin of shuckling and what is it exactly supposed to accomplish?
I’ve heard similar things to mik5’s first response to you. For me, shuckling sometimes helps with concentration, and it provides a sort of rhythm to the words.