Keeping quiet in shul is a zechus for parnassah, shidduchim, refuos and yeshuos. However despite the knowledge that talking during davening is wrong, the epidemic continues. So you may ask, what is the best way to combat this phenomenon? The shushing and apparent frustration of onlookers hardly seems to be enough.
Whether you are the “shush”er, or the person who has a difficult time limiting conversation to outside of shul, there is nothing more powerful than being inspired by words of Torah.
So we are calling on you, the YW readers, to contribute divrei torah, links to shiurim, etc so that we can build a compilation to further work on this holy mission of keeping the shul sanctified.
You can email contributions to [email protected]
Or, if you’d rather contribute directly to the shul in your area, you can contact [email protected] for free “Stop The Talking” cards to display in your shul or beis midrash.
Join the movement – we want to hear from YOU.
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7 Responses
It’s a very strange phenomenon that people are so lax in this Aveira. The Shulchan Aruch says that if one engages in idle chatter during Chazaras Hashatz his aveira is “Gadol Avono Min’so” – too great to bear. Why can’t everyone just BE QUIET during Davening?
The author of this article regards talking in shul as a recent “phenomenon”
Please be informed that it is an old old problem.
The Rivash who lived about 600 years ago discussed this problem and writes how he gave up lecturing his mispallelim because they just continued talking regardless of his admonishments.
It should be noted that with long silent shmoneh esreis and many mishebeirachs there is a lot of talking. The time spent waiting for the Rav to finish shmoneh esrei and the gabbai to say the mi shebeirachs get much of the talking started. I know of one place where the baalei batim told this to the Rav who kept admonishing the people for talking and one person suggested that the Rav shorten his davening and cut out the mi shebeirachs and the talking wouldn’t get a chance to start. He agreed and it worked!
How about another angle?
Talking during davening irritates and disturbs others, which is why it is so problematic. But the core of the problem is for the talker. The issue is a denigration of the kavod of the tefilah itself (as opposed to the denigration of the kavod of the tzibbur).
Perhaps, one would improve the situation with the gaining of a new appreciation of what tefilah is. Many of us do not understand it at all, and even fewer view our tefilah experience as connecting to HKB”H. If we knew enough to take a different attitude, it would go a long way to change the chatter.
Well said #3. It is because people dont appreciate daveneing that they talk. This is what should be stressed and taught. Negativity will never change other people.
Personally, I do not this is a movement that should ever exist. Do we have a movement for not stealing? Where people are proud to join? Do we have a movement for not being oiver Aroyos?
Proudly being a shul that has this kind of movement is a sad state of affairs of our time.
On the other hand, as one person recently told me: What do these people talk about non-stop during davening?! They live on the same street, work with each other, how much can you say to each other that it cant wait a few minutes?!
I have also davened in a shul that davens at break-neck speed, and if you keep up with them it is difficult to even stop to breath – and still find people who will talk
during davening.
Not talking during davening is not a ‘zchus’ or a ‘segula’ or something extra special. Its a basic halocho.
What will stop this averoh? The same that stops all aveiros. Personal kivush hayetzer. You cant stop other people following their yetzer by shushing, but teaching the basic halochos and understanding of davening is a good start.
If you can get even one of the biggest talkers to realize his error and the impact, he will become the most effective shushers
Reply to ikovitz:
You said “It’s a very strange phenomenon that people are so lax in this Aveira”. The Gemara (Berachos 32b) says Tefillah needs strengthening.
I can tell you of a friend of mine who came to thank me for the chorus to stop talking because he saw some pretty incredible brochos come his way AS SOON AS HE CO MIT TED O STOP TALKING. IN OTHER WORDS WIIFM
(WHATS IN IT FOR ME