Reply To: Halacha and Mishna and Gemara questions

REBUKE TO LOUD DAVENERS

Intro: There are a number of people in my Beis Knesses who daven very loudly, thus disturbing me. I only daven

loudly when I daven at home, without a minyan, in accordance with the Shulchan Oruch’s prohibition of

davening loudly in public with a minyan, in case you disturb others. But at home it is fine, according to all the

poskim (even including the Taz, who rules strictly that you are not yotzei if you daven loudly in a minyan). I

have always thought Hilchos Tefila an interesting topic, and thus I will attempt to piece together a couple of

sources and original thoughts/interpretations into a Dvar Torah on this.

The Gemara in Brachos 24b talks about how ‘One who raises his voice while davening is one of little faith’.

Rashi here says ‘Of little faith, because he thinks that Hash-m Yisbarach cannot hear him unless he raises his

voice’ from where does Rashi get that interpretation? Rabbeinu Yehonasan HaKohen MiLonil leads us to the

posuk in Melochim I Perek 28: Posuk 28; ‘And they called in a great voice’. this refers to the priests of Ba’al,

who were challenged to have their korbanos visibly accepted by Ba’al as proof of their Avodah Zorah’s existence.

This compares loud daveners to Ba’al worshipers! Is that not a bit extreme?! Rashi’s could be viewed extreme,

and kal vachomer this!

The answer to our question and a proof to R’ Yehonasan HaKohen is that the Gemara says ‘haYagbiyah’,

One who RAISES their voices during prayer. Why not say: ‘HaMispalel beKol Ram This implies it was raised

from davening in a whisper! This means that they thought, ‘Hash-m won’t hear me if I daven quietly, I must

shout instead to get His attention.’ And so the false prophets of Ba’al, in the previous pasuk it says

‘and they called in a big voice’. Then it says ‘Is Ba’al in the bathroom (according to Rashi) so he cannot answer you?’

Then they yelled even louder to ‘get God’s attention. (Thus the repitition of ‘and they called in a great voice’.)

It is a machloikes if you are even yotzei in a tzibbur if you daven out loud, because of ‘Mitzvah she’Baah

be’Aveirah’. You daven and do a mitzvah, and you distract others and do aveiros! (Acording to the svara of the

Taz). But according to the Gro and the Ateres Zekeinim, you are yotzei bedieved.

The Arizal never raised his voice, even in Zemiros! Only while davening during Shabbos he raised his voice

a small amount. Kabbalists are rather strict on this issue, and the Zohar in Parshas VaYakheil tells us it

is strictly forbidden to do so.