[Avodah] interruptions to prayer

[kennethgmiller at juno.com]

R' Eli Turkel asked:
> Many people on the go end up davening in many public
> places. The general question is what to do when in the
> middle of amidah this becomes a problem. ...
> One goes to a secluded spot and in the middle of shemonei
> esrei people come over and say they need the spot for
> either work or recreation. Remember that stopping to
> explain to them that it is only a few minutes and important
> is a bigger problem than simply moving to a new location.

Precisely because of this last point (that moving is not as bad as talking) I try to avoid any place where the situation might lead to questions, but that the worst is that I am in their way. A rarely-used stairwell or hallway is a good example.

Plus, I try to daven from a siddur (or Palm Pilot); even if I am actually davening by heart I would try to hold some sort of book in my hands, and keep my eyes on a blank part of it. This makes it very easily to simply wave it, and explain silently that "Hey, I'm reading."

(On a related note: On the one hand, the fear of being interrupted in these situations makes one want the davening to end quickly. But paradoxically, I often find myself paying *more* attention to the words than I usually do, resulting in a net slowdown. It is in shul, where I have no worries about such things, that my mind wanders and my lips zoom.)

Akiva Miller
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