[Avodah] Swaying During Prayer and Torah Study

[H Lampel via Avodah]

On 11/4/2016 9:25 AM,  Micha Berger via Avodah
> Swaying is actually less work than standing still, whereas shukling is an
> action that has the potential to distract.
>
> Or as I noted earlier, to help the davener work himself up.
>
> I think there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this.
>
> Tir'u baTov!
> -Micha
There is another component which may (academically, at least) weigh the 
scales. It is a bein adam l-chaveiro concern (for males). The twisting 
from side to side during Shacharis causes the tsitsis of one's tallis to 
lift up and hit whomever is within their reach. I have been repeatedly 
stung in such circumstances. (The same happens when the davenner next to 
me first wraps himself in his tallis, flinging the tsitsis into my face, 
and at times into my eyes). Sometimes it happens with people to both my 
left and right, so that I feel like I'm going through a car wash. This 
of course, besides causing me pain, interrupts my kavanna, a problem 
during Shemoneh Essray, especially, when I'm lechatchilla helpless to 
move away (or get closer to the culprit so that it bothers him to 
twist). Sometimes I feel justified in moving away, just as I do when 
someone next to me is cracking his knuckles--but that's another knuck to 
crack.

Not that I haven't tried asking the mispallel to be careful, but habits 
are hard to break.

So, to the other guy, one's shuckling or pumping or defiant-looking 
hands-on hips postures or head contortions may be annoying, but the 
twisting or flinging causes real pain.

Zvi Lampel