Rabbi Michael Laitner
If you have comments please feel free to e-mail Rabbi Laitner at: michael@southhampstead.org

Parshat Lech Lecha

Is that really your seat?

‘And Abram travelled through the Land, until the location of Shechem… (Nablus)’ (Bereishit 12,6)

Why is Shechem singled out when nothing appears to happen there? Rashi, the premier Torah commentator, explains that Abram prophetically saw the troubles that would befall Jacob and sons in Shechem and thus prayed there on their behalf.

Siftei Chachamim, a commentary on Rashi, asks why the Torah uses the word ‘Makom’, literally ‘place’, translated above as ‘location’, and also a euphemistic name for G-d. This word teaches 2 lessons. Firstly, it is used in the description of Jacob’s prayers when fleeing Esau (Bereishit 28,11). Secondly, it teaches us that every person should fix a designated place for prayer.

From another verse involving Abraham (Bereishit 19,27), the Talmud (TB Berachot 6b) concludes that every person should fix a place for saying the Amida - which is the quintessential prayer - and is doing so invokes merit from Abraham. But how does this translate into practice?

The Shulchan Aruch, the major statute book of practical Jewish law, written in 16^th century Safed by Rabbi Yosef Caro, rules (Section Orach Chayim 90,19) that a person should have a fixed place where they pray the Amida in shul, and should not change this place unless necessary. The authorative 20th commentary, Mishna Berura, explains that this also applies at home.

But what if somebody is sitting in ‘your’ seat?

The great 17th authority, Magen Avraham, explains that a person’s ‘place’ is not a fixed seat, but rather an area of 4 cubits² (approximately 2 metres).

Therefore, we should not make anybody move from a seat if it is going to embarrass or alienate them, as avoidance of these factors is much more important than sitting in a particular seat. If you cannot get to even within 2 metres of your place in shul, you should still pray wherever you find a space.