291. The Volume of One's Voice

Tefillah u’Birkas Kohanim 5:9

Control of the voice (in 5:1) means that one should not raise his voice while davening Shemoneh Esrei, nor should he daven silently. Rather, one should actually pronounce the words but whispering softly so that only he can hear. One should not make his voice audible to others unless he is ill or cannot focus his attention otherwise. If this is the case, one may do so but not when davening with a congregation because his voice will disturb others.

Tefillah u’Birkas Kohanim 5:10

Bowing (in 5:1) entails bowing five times in every Shemoneh Esrei as follows: (1-2) at the beginning and the end of the first bracha; (3-4) at the beginning and the end of the bracha of Modim; and (5) at the conclusion of Shemoneh Esrei. At that point, one bows and takes three steps back while still bowing. He takes his leave from his left and then from his right, after which he stands up from his bowed position. When bowing the first four times, he does so when saying “Baruch” and he straightens up upon saying God’s Name. All this only applies to a regular person. The kohein gadol (high priest) would bow at the start and finish of each bracha. A king would bow at the start of Shemoneh Esrei and not straighten up until he has completed Shemoneh Esrei.