Halacha Date: 3 Tevet 5775 December 25 2014
In the previous Halacha, we have quoted the words of Rav Hamnuna (in Berachot 31a) that there are several Halachot derived from the verses depicting Hannah’s prayer when she prayed to Hashem that she merit bearing children. She vowed that if she had a son, she would dedicate him to the service of Hashem. Eli Ha’Kohen, the leader of the generation, blessed her that Hashem should grant her wish.
The following verses tell us that a son was born to Hannah and was named “Shmuel”. When Shmuel grew up, his mother brought him to the Mishkan in Shiloh in order to show him to Eli Ha’Kohen and to tell him that his blessing and prophecy had been fulfilled. Hannah told Eli, “I am the woman who had stood here with you to pray to Hashem. This is the lad that I had prayed for and Hashem granted me my request that I had requested from him.”
The Gemara derives from the words “I am the woman who had stood here with you to pray” that one may not sit within four Amot (approximately 6.5 feet) of one reciting the Amida prayer. This is derived from the fact that Hannah used the words “stood with you,” this means that Eli Ha’Kohen was standing as well while Hannah prayed and this is because one may not sit within four Amot of one praying. Rashi explains the Gemara likewise.
The Tosafot comment on the above Gemara that were the regular Hebrew word for “with you” ("עמך") to have been used in the verse, we would have been able to derive that Eli remained standing within four Amot of Hannah, as Rashi explains. However, since the word is spelled differently in this verse with an added letter "ה" ("עמכה"), this teaches us that Eli was not within Hannah’s four Amot; rather, he was in the fifth Amma (since the numerical value of "ה" is five) and he was therefore permitted to sit.
The Gemara further derives from the words “who had stood with you here” ("בזה" in Hebrew) that the prohibition to sit next to one praying is within four Amot. This is hinted in the numerical value of the word "זה"which is twelve; this refers to four Amot to the right of the individual praying, four to his left, and four before him. Thus, according to the letter of the law, one is permitted to sit behind one who is praying even if one is within his four Amot. According to the Ashkenazi custom, however, one may not sit within four Amot of one praying even from behind, for the word "זה" refers to four Amot in front, four Amot behind, and four Amot to either side, for there it is unnecessary to teach us about each side separately since there is no reason to differentiate between right and left. Thus, both sides are halachically considered one.
Hagaon Harav David Yosef Shlit”a writes in his Halacha Berura that it is correct to act stringently in this regard even according to the Sephardic custom and one should not sit within four Amot of one praying, even from behind. The Perisha and other Poskim rule likewise.
