The Amida prayer must be recited with continuity. One may not interrupt one’s Amida prayer for any reason.
In the previous Halacha, we have written that if one begins reciting the Amida prayer and senses a foul odor emanating from a baby and the like, one must stop praying immediately, for one may not pray in a place where there is such an odor. One must pause silently until the child leaves the room or until the one praying relocates to a different room in which case one may resume one’s prayer.
Regarding the issue at hand, if one pauses in the middle of the Amida prayer due to a foul odor and the like, how long does one have so that he may continue one’s prayer where he left off?
The Opinion of Maran Ha’Shulchan Aruch
Maran Ha’Shulchan Aruch (Chapter 104) writes: “If one pauses during the Amida prayer for the amount of time it takes to recite the entire Amida, one must return to the beginning of the Amida.” In this case, one may not resume the Amida prayer where one left off and one must recite the entire Amida prayer anew.
Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef zt”l discusses this matter at length (in his Halichot Olam, Volume 1, page 166) and writes that there is no difference why one paused during the Amida prayer, either willingly or due to an external circumstance, in any case, the law is that if one paused for the amount of time it takes to recite the entire prayer, one must return to the beginning of the prayer.
The Amount of Time it takes to Recite the Entire Prayer
How long is the time it takes to recite the entire Amida prayer? The Talmud Yerushalmi states that this time is estimated according to the average time it takes every individual to recite the entire Amida prayer. One must time one’s self and see how long it takes him to pray, for if one generally recites the entire Amida in seven minutes, the time limit for such an individual will indeed be seven minutes. If it usually takes one eight minutes to pray then this individual’s time limit will be eight minutes and if one paused, even silently, for eight minutes, one must return to the beginning of the Amida prayer (Rashba in his commentary on Berachot 13a as quoted by Bet Yosef).
Although Rabbeinu Aharon Ha’Levi writes in his Sefer Pekudat Halvi’yim that this time limit is not estimated on an individual basis, rather, it is measured by the amount of time it takes the average person to finish the entire Amida prayer, nevertheless, Maran Ha’Shulchan Aruch (Chapter 104) rules in accordance with the view of the Talmud Yerushalmi that we estimate it on an individual basis. This is indeed the Halacha.
Summary: If one pauses silently in the middle of one’s Amida prayer for a short time, one may resume one’s prayer where one left off. However, if one pauses for a “prolonged” amount of time, which is defined as the time it usually takes one to recite the entire Amida prayer, this is indeed considered an interruption and one may no longer resume one’s prayer where one left off; rather, one must begin his Amida prayer anew.
