Be'er Moshe: Too Much Noise? Can You "Shish", "Nuu" & Bang In Middle of Shemona Esrei
If you are davening Shemona Esrei and children (or even adults) are making noise and distrurbing your concentration what recourse do you have? Rav Moshe Stern in the Be'er Moshe brings a raya from the gemara in Rosh Hashana (34b) that making sounds, motioning, or banging is permitted and not considered a hefsek in this case. In the Gemara, Rav Papa told his shamash that he should blow the tekios when he signals to him. He reasons that if you may signal for tekios which are not mi'akev the tefila certainly to concentrate better you may signal and even make noises. He further says there is no difference if you are in middle of a bracha or at the end of a bracha. The Shaarei Teshuva (104:1) brings this same opinion down in the name of the Chida.
If these methods do not achieve the desired results, Rav Stern says you may stop your shemona esrei and go daven in a quieter spot.
Disclaimer: We try to convey the Tshuva to the best of our ability. We admit that our understanding may not be accurate. Please also understand that this Tshuva may not be the final word on this topic. One should consult a Rav before drawing any conclusions.
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