The Gemorah in Mesechta Megillah relates that Haman took the royal steed and royal garments to parade Mordechai throughout the city and bestow honor on him for saving the king’s life when uncovering the plot of Bigson and Seresh. When Haman arrived at the Bais Medresh to pick up Mordechai, Mordechai had just begun to daven Shmoneh Esrei. Haman, respectfully, stood at his side and waited for Mordechai to complete his davening. As he waited, he asked the talmidim what sugya they were learning. They responded that they were involved in the study of the halachos of the kemitzah that is separated from the korbon Minchah and placed on the mizbeach. Upon hearing their response, he lamented, “Oy! The kemitzah is going to overpower my ten thousand shekolim that I paid to purchase the rights to destroy Klal Yisroel and render them useless”.

Rav Shteinman asked: how is it possible that this consummate evil man should suddenly arrive at the lofty level of understanding the koach and zechus of limud haTorah to override his evil decree? Even the average Yid is sometimes unaware of the strength of Torah to defeat and protect from terrible decrees!

Upon returning home from parading Mordechai through the streets of Shushan, filthy and dejected, Zeresh declared, “If you started up with Mordechai, the Yid, “Nafol tipol lifanav”-you will surely fail and fall before him”.

The Malbim asks: How can it be that Zeresh and his advisors should respond with such negativity and discourage him?

He explains with a novel approach. They were not discouraging him at all. To the contrary! They were advising him to adopt a winning strategy to overcome and carry out his decree. They well understood that as long as Mordechai remained engrossed in fast and prayer, they stood no chance to be victorious. Their advice was to be “nafol tipol lifanav”. Humble yourself an his presence. Express your submission to Mordechai. Demonstrate to him that you gave up your evil designs. This will mislead Mordechai to believe that the tzorah had passed and gone is the need for intense, heartfelt tefilos. Once the Yidden are disarmed from their ammunition- tefiloh, once again they will become vulnerable and you will be enabled to be victorious.

When Haman expressed to the talmidim that their kemitzah would outdo his shekolim, it was not an admission of truth. It was said in order to mislead them and give them false hope that Haman had surrendered, thus neutralizing their efforts in tefiloh.

This can also explain why Haman, who certainly had total disdain for Mordechai, yet, waited respectfully until he finished his davening. In truth, his ‘respect’ was merely a show. His true intent was to convince Mordechai that he was submissive to him and to no longer feel threatened. This ruse was to calm the intensity of the tefilos, thereby weakening their strength to counter the evil gezeirah.

This is the tremendous rishus of Amalek. They understand that our koiach is “hakol kol Yaakov”. They are fully aware of the Eibershter, yet they intentionally disregard Him, counter Him and rebel against His total dominion over the universe.

We must begin to value our koiach hatefiloh, at least to the extent that Amalek lends esteem to its power. We must recognize that tzaros are imposed upon us to awaken us to daven. Hashem yearns for our tefilos and our tefilos are tremendously potent. Its potency can overcome any and all troubles and difficulties. 

Should the chazan bow at the beginning of the Bracha M’ein Sheva?

Chazal instituted that a person should bow at the beginning and end of the brochos of Avos and Hodayah. One who decides on his own to bow at the beginning and end of other brochos should be instructed to abstain from doing so. Bowing more than necessary seems haughty. In addition, a person who adds stringencies when they are unnecessary may come to be lenient when he is truly obligated to bow. Bowing is permitted in the middle of a brocha, since there is no confusing this with the takana of Chazal which applied to only the beginning and end of brochos. Most poskim rule that the chazan should bow at the beginning of the Bracha M’ein Sheva on Friday night.

סי' קי"ג ס"א ס"ק א'-ד' ביאורים ומוספים דרשו 4

May one bow during the Birchos HaTorah of Kriyas HaTorah?

Some Achronim rule that a person may not bow at the beginning or end of any brocha, even if it is not in the middle of Shemoneh Esrei. Therefore, they rule that a person should not bow at the beginning or end of Birchos HaTorah before Kriyas HaTorah. Other Achronim seem to say that the prohibition against bowing during brochos only applies to Shemoneh Esrei. There were those who bowed during pesukim of praise in other parts of davening and Birchas Hamozon. Shulchan Aruch discourages bowing at these points, viewing bowing as inappropriate during verses of praise.

ס"ג ס"ק ח' ביה"ל ד"ה בסוף ביאורים ומוספים דרשו 6

Can a person bow during Shemoneh Esrei if there is avodah zorah in the vicinity?

If a non-Jew who is carrying or wearing an idol or other form of avodah zorah passes a Jew who is at a point in davening where he is supposed to bow, the Jew should not bow. Even though he does not have nefarious intentions, it appears as if he is bowing to avodah zorah. The poskim say that even if the avodah zorah is enclosed in a glass, it is still forbidden to bow in that direction. If the form of a cross is sewn onto the non-Jew’s shirt, bowing is only forbidden if the Jew is facing the front of the non-Jew. If the non-Jew has his back to the Jew or is facing sideways, bowing in his direction is permitted.

ס"ח ס"ק ט"ו ביאורים ומוספים דרשו 17

• There is an obligation to be somech geulah l’tefilla--to connect the brocha of Go’al Yisroel with Shemoneh Esrei. It is forbidden to speak at that point, even to respond to a davar shebekedusha.

• During Ma’ariv one must also be somech geulah l’tefilla. Saying the pesukim of Boruch Hashem or V’shomru are not considered interruptions. Semichas geulah l’tefilla at Ma’ariv is not as stringent as it is during Shacharis. Therefore, a person who arrives after Ma’ariv already began should daven Shemoneh Esrei with the tzibur and say Kriyas Shema along with its brochos afterwards.

• There are some Rishonim who hold that there is no obligation to be somech geulah l’tefilla on Shabbos. Their reasoning is based on the fact that one of the sources for semichas geulah l’tefilla is the proximity of the pasuk of ya’ancha Hashem b’yom tzora to the pasuk of yihyu l’rotzon. Since Shabbos is not a day of tzora, it does not have the inyan to connect geulah l’tefilla. 

• What is the proper way to pronounce the word geshem?

• Why is it important to announce that people should begin Mashiv Haruach?

• Which tefilla is the last Shemoneh Esrei in which Mashiv Haruach is recited?