## Magen Avraham Siman 123

###### Magen Avraham 123:1
[Magen Avraham 123:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Magen%20Avraham/r/123:1)

**ג' פסיעות**. עבב"י שכתב הרבה טעמים ועוד שמעתי טעם דבזכות ג' פסיעות זכה נ"נ להחריב ב"ה ולכן אנו פוסעים ג' פסיעות ומתפללין שיבנה ב"ה, ובאמ' בגמרא אית' ד' פסיעו' וברב' ש"ה דף ד' איתא ג' פסיעות וכ"ה בזוהר מקץ ע' תמ"ז ופשוטו של דבר פוסע לאחריו כעבד הנפט' מרבו:

**Hadar Egalitarianism Tshuva:**
See the Beis Yosef who writes many reasons (for the significance of three steps). I heard a reason is because it is symbolic of the fact that in the merit of three steps Nevucadnetzar was able to destroy the beis hamikdash (Gemara in Sanhedrin 96a relates a story that he took four steps in an attempt to stop a letter which was disrespectful towards Hashem from being delivered). Therefore we take three steps and daven for it to be rebuilt (the Magen Avraham also just explained why we daven for the beis hamikdash after the steps, the Rama gives a different explanation on sief 1). In reality the Gemara does say Nevuchadnezzar took 4 steps (so not a great proof). In the Midrash Rabbah Shir Hashirim daf 4 and in the Zohar parashas miketz page 447 it's brought 3 steps (so according to some versions of this story his explanation makes sense). The simple explanation of backing up (3 steps) is to be like a servant who (respectfully) departs from his master.


###### Magen Avraham 123:2
[Magen Avraham 123:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Magen%20Avraham/r/123:2)

**ואחר שפסע**. לא כאותן שאומרים עושה שלום בעוד שפוסעין דאין נכון לעשות כן:

**Hadar Egalitarianism Tshuva:**
(the Shulchan Aruch says "after you take the steps back say oseh shalom") Not like those who say "oseh shalom..." AS there backing up. That is an improper thing to do


###### Magen Avraham 123:3
[Magen Avraham 123:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Magen%20Avraham/r/123:3)

**לצד שמאלו**. שהוא ימין השכינה:

**Hadar Egalitarianism Tshuva:**
Your left is the Divine presence right (since Hashem is "facing you")


###### Magen Avraham 123:4
[Magen Avraham 123:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Magen%20Avraham/r/123:4)

**שלום עלינו**. דלא כהאומרים עלינו ועל כל ישראל:

**Hadar Egalitarianism Tshuva:**
(the Shulchan Aruch only mentioned saying oseh shalom when bowing left and "hu birachamav yaaseh shalom aleinu" when bowing right) This is against those who say "alienu vial col amo yisroel (when bowing forward)."


###### Magen Avraham 123:5
[Magen Avraham 123:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Magen%20Avraham/r/123:5)

**יעמוד**. חייב לכוין רגליו כמו בתפל' [רד"ך בית כ"ז וע"ש ובס' ב"ז סי' קפ"ז]:

**Hadar Egalitarianism Tshuva:**
5. One is obligated to keep his feet together like he does during shemona esrie [Radach bayis 27 see there and in the sefer Binyomin Zev siman 187].


###### Magen Avraham 123:6
[Magen Avraham 123:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Magen%20Avraham/r/123:6)

**ולא יחזור**. וכשאומרי' פיוטים חוזר כשש"ץ מתחיל י"ח (ל"ח): כתב הכ"מ דאם רוצה עומד שם ואינו חוזר למקומו אבל לפי סברת י"א הטעם דבעינן ו' פסיעות עב"י ולכן צריך ג"כ לפסוע ג"פ לפניו ומה"ט מקפידין שלא יעבור אדם לפניהם בעוד שעומדין שם שלא להפסיק בין הו' פסיעות (ל"ח) עסי' צ"ה ס"א ומ"ש סי' קכ"ד וסימן קל"א ס"ב:

**Hadar Egalitarianism Tshuva:**
6. On days that they say piyutim (before the chazans repetition) on should take (3 steps) forward when the chazan begins his repetition (Lechem Chamudos). The Kesef Mishna writes (9:4) if one wants he can just continue standing where he ended up (after taking the steps back) and not take steps forward. However according to the one explanation of the three steps brought in the Beis Yosef you really need 6 steps (and we include the steps you take forward). Therefore according to this opinion one must take three steps forwards. For this reason were careful not to have people pass infront of others when there standing in there place (after taking three steps back) to not interrupt between the six steps (Lechem Chamudos). See siman 95 sif 1 (where the Rama brings an opinion that need to take three steps forward before Shemoneh eshrei aswell. If so you already have 6 steps, 3 before shemona esrie and 3 after). And also see siman 124 (sif 1 brings from the kesavim to take 3 steps forward at kedusha and wait there until tachanun) and siman 131 sif 2 (where he says if one doesn't have a seat where he took 3 steps to then should take the steps back to get to his seat to sit).


###### Magen Avraham 123:7
[Magen Avraham 123:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Magen%20Avraham/r/123:7)

**והש"ץ יעמוד**. אבל מדינא יכול לחזור מיד דביחיד נראה כאלו רוצה לחזור ולהתוודות והוא ככלב וכו' ועסי' תר"ז ס"ד אבל בש"ץ הדבר ידוע שעושה כן להוציא רבים י"ח (שם ברשב"א):

**Hadar Egalitarianism Tshuva:**
7. But according to the letter of the law the chazan can immediately take the steps forward because only by an individual returning immediately does it look like (when he returns) that he wants to return and repent and he's like a dog etc. (like a dog spitting up and then eating it). See siman 607 sief 4 but by the chazan it's known that he's doing this (going back immediately) to say the repetition shemonah esrie (Rashba).


###### Magen Avraham 123:8
[Magen Avraham 123:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Magen%20Avraham/r/123:8)

**כשיעור זה**. וב"ח פסק כמ"ש הרד"א בשם הראב"ד דצריך לשהות כשיעור שיגיע ש"ץ לקדושה ומ"ש בסי' ק"ה (כ"ה) ד"א היינו משום דצריך לחזור ולהתפלל אבל בלא"ה הוי ככלב ע"כ, וכ"מ בתשובת הרשב"א וגם מ"ש הרי"ו הרי"ו ישהא מעט י"ל דר"ל כשיעור הזה וכ"מ למעיין שם ומ"ש בב"י וכן נראה וכו' הוא מדברי הב"י:

**Hadar Egalitarianism Tshuva:**
8. The Bach follows what Rav Dovid Avudraham says in the name of the Ra'avad that "one needs to wait the amount of time it takes for the chazan to reach kedusha (before taking his steps forward even though davening alone) and in siman 105 when it says "have to wait the amount of time it takes to walk four amos" this is only sufficient because he is repeating shemona esrie (it's dealing in that siman with someone who had to daven twice in a row) but if not repeating then it looks like a dog (to take the steps back even if waited four amos)." This ruling is also implied from the Rashbas responsa and if one looks carefully at the Rabbeinu Yiruchams he also seems to mean this (more than four amos) when he writes "wait a bit." That which the Beis Yosef writes "and this also appears to be etc." is the Beis Yosef talking (not the Rabbienu Yirucham).


###### Magen Avraham 123:9
[Magen Avraham 123:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Magen%20Avraham/r/123:9)

**אסור להחזיר**. שלא יחשדוהו שדילג (לבוש) וכשמתחיל הש"ץ רשאי להחזיר פניו אבל לחזור למקומו אסור עד שמגיע לקדושה כמש"ל דלא כהב"ח ע"ש:

**Hadar Egalitarianism Tshuva:**
9. (not turning ones face is based on) So they don't suspect him to having have skipped (therefore finishing earlier) (Levush). However once the repitition of shemona esrie begins one is permitted to turn his face but may not return his place until kedusha like I said before. This explanation is not like the Bach, see there (he holds turning ones face and taking three steps forward should both be at the same time so the rulings seem to contradict each other).


###### Magen Avraham 123:10
[Magen Avraham 123:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Magen%20Avraham/r/123:10)

**רגל שמאל**. נ"ל הטעם משום דמסתמא עוקר אינש כרעי' דימינא ברישא לכן בשמאל דמראה כאלו כבד עליו ליפטר מלפני המקום ועמ"ש סימן (צ"ז) ומה"ט אטר רגל עוקר שמאלו שהוא ימין דעלמא תחל' ואפשר עוד לומר הטעם דצריך לפסוע לימין השכינה תחילה ואם כן צריך לפסוע בשמאל תחלה וקצת נוהגין לפסוע רגל הימיני אל השמאלי ואח"כ פוסעין בשמאל (ל"ח): כתב ב"ח ואם יש דוחק בב"ה רשאי לפחות משיעור גודל בצד עקב ולסמוך על הרשב"א שכתב בתשובה סי' שפ"א שאין שיעור לפסיעות אלו עכ"ל ול"נ דהרשב"א לא כתב אלא שאין צריך לפסוע פסיעה בינונית שהוא אמה ע"ש אבל פחות מעקב בצד גודל לא מיקרי פסיעה כלל ובד"מ כתב הטעם דתפלות נגד תמידין תקנום ובעי' דומיא דכהנים בעבודתן ולכן לא יפסיע פסיעות גסות יותר ועוד דמחזי כרץ מלפני המלך ע"כ וכ"מ בטור רסי' צ"ה ע"ש בשם הירושלמי:

**Hadar Egalitarianism Tshuva:**
10. I think the reason for this is because a person usually moves his right foot first and therefore by moving his left foot first he's showing it's hard for him to leave from before Hashem. And see what I say in siman 97 (in regards to which side to spit to if forced during shemona esrie). Based on this being the reason, someone who's a lefty (and therefore is accustomed to moving his left foot first) should move his right foot back first. Its possible to give another explanation that the reason is because one should move the foot on the Shechinas right side first (since Hashem is "facing" you, your left is His right), so that would be your left foot. There are a few who have the custom (after putting there left foot back) to put there right foot beside there left foot and then move there left foot back again (Lechem Chamudos). The Bach writes that "if the shul is squished one is permitted to lessen from putting his foot all the way to ankle beside toes and to rely on the Rashba who writes in his responsa in siman 381 that there is no amount one has to move his feet back in each step (so even a drop)." I (disagree and) think that the Rashba just meant your steps don't need to be a full amah but less than putting your ankle beside your toes isn't called a step (and he wouldn't permit that). The Darchie Moshe writes that the reason (for the steps) is that tefillah was enacted to correspond to the sacrifices and therefore we need to resemble the priests (who took steps). Therefore ones steps shouldn't be bigger than normal (and should be like the priests who had there ankle beside there toes). And further more it looks like one is running from before the king (if there so big)." The Tur also implies this in the beginning of siman 95 see there where he quotes the Yirushalmi (that we should resemble the priests during shemona esrie with how our feet are positioned, ankle beside toes. so even though during shemona esrie we position like angels when taking the steps back we should position like priests).


###### Magen Avraham 123:11
[Magen Avraham 123:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Magen%20Avraham/r/123:11)

**בקול רם א"צ**. דסומך על הקדיש שאחר ובא לציון אף על פי שמפסיקין בקריאת התורה והלל וא"מ כולהו לסדר התפלה באים (ת"ה סי' י"ג):

**Hadar Egalitarianism Tshuva:**
11. The chazan is relying on the kadish which he says after uva litziyon. Even though there are many interruptions (before that kadish such as) reading the Torah (when applicable like Mondays, Thursdays and Shabbot) and hallel (when applicable like on rosh chodesh) and avinu malkeinu (when applicable like during the 10 days of repentance between rosh hashana and Yom Hakippur) nevertheless all these things are being said because of tefillah (there organized around it and therefore not an interruption) (Terumas Hadeshen siman 13).


###### Magen Avraham 123:12
[Magen Avraham 123:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Magen%20Avraham/r/123:12)

**אין צריך לחזור**. ואם הוא רגיל לפסוע אין למחות בידו (רדב"ז סי' קנ"ג וע' בהגה' פ"ק דברכות):

**Hadar Egalitarianism Tshuva:**
12. If the chazans accustomed to take steps back you don't have to stop him (Radvaz siman 153 and see the hagoas on the first perek of berachot).


###### Magen Avraham 123:13
[Magen Avraham 123:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Magen%20Avraham/r/123:13)

**פוסע ג' פסיעות**. דמתחלה צריך לפסוע ולהפטר על התחנונים של עצמו כגון אלהי נצור ואח"כ צריך אחר הקדיש על התפלה שהתפלל בעד הצבור (לבוש):

**Hadar Egalitarianism Tshuva:**
13. (the reason when he didn't daven before the repetition that the chazan does take steps back is) Because the chazan has to take the steps back and leave (i.e. finish) from Hashem on his supplications for example elokay nitzur and afterwards he says kadish on the tefillah he said for the congregation (Levush)


###### Magen Avraham 123:14
[Magen Avraham 123:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Magen%20Avraham/r/123:14)

**יהיו לרצון**. דסומך על תתקבל צלותהון ובשל"ה כתוב לומר יהיו לרצון:

**Hadar Egalitarianism Tshuva:**
14. The chazan is relying on saying (in kadish)"our tefillah should be accepted." The Shelah writes the chazan should say yihiyu liratzon.