[Avodah] Hachnasat orchim v. Shmona Esrei

[Jonathan Dickson]

What do you do if, while you are davening the Amidah, guests arrive and one needs to interrupt it to greet them? (let's assume that, if you didn't interrupt the Amidah, the guests would give up and you would lose the chance of hachnasat orchim).

One the one hand, we learn from the Gemara in Shabbat (127a) "gadol hachnasas orchim mikabalas pnei ha'shechinah" (because Avraham interrupted his conversation with HKBH in order to greet the melachim).

On the other hand, I'm not aware of any halacha that allows one to interrupt one's Amidah for hachnasat orchim.

Why is that?

(especially when you consider that our davening is, presumably, a lower level of engaging with HKBH than Avraham's was. So kal vechomer, we should be able to interrupt it to carry out hachnasat orchim).

My 9-year-old daughter's question, not mine - any thoughts?

kol tuv

Jonny

Save paper ..... think before you print.

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