Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim Siman 131

Siman 131

Presented here for study, not as a practical ruling. The Shulchan Aruch rules by Sephardi custom, the Rema's glosses by Ashkenazi custom, and the Kitzur follows Ashkenazi custom. For a practical question, ask your rabbi.

א אֵין לְדַבֵּר בֵּין תְּפִלָּה לִנְפִילַת אַפַּיִם. כְּשֶׁנּוֹפֵל עַל פָּנָיו, נָהֲגוּ לְהַטּוֹת עַל צַד שְׂמֹאל. הַגָּה: וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּיֵשׁ לְהַטּוֹת עַל צַד יָמִין, וְהָעִקָּר לְהַטּוֹת (רִיבַ"שׁ סי' רי"ב וּבֵית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם הָרוֹקֵחַ) בְּשַׁחֲרִית כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ תְּפִלִּין בִּשְׂמֹאלוֹ, עַל צַד יָמִין מִשּׁוּם כְּבוֹד תְּפִלִּין; וּבְעַרְבִית, אוֹ כְּשֶׁאֵין לוֹ תְּפִלִּין בִּשְׂמֹאלוֹ, יִטֶּה עַל שְׂמֹאל (מִנְהָגִים). וּלְאַחַר שֶׁנָּפַל עַל פָּנָיו יַגְבִּיהַּ רֹאשׁוֹ וְיִתְחַנֵּן מְעַט מִיֹּשֶׁב, וְכָל מָקוֹם וּמָקוֹם לְפִי מִנְהָגוֹ; וּמִנְהָג פָּשׁוּט לוֹמַר: וַאֲנַחְנוּ לֹא נֵדַע כו' וַחֲצִי קַדִּישׁ אַשְׁרֵי לַמְנַצֵּחַ (טוּר), וַאֲפִלּוּ בְּיָמִים שֶׁאֵין אוֹמְרִים תַּחֲנוּן אוֹמְרִים לַמְנַצֵּחַ, מִלְּבַד בְּרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ וַחֲנֻכָּה וּפוּרִים וְעֶרֶב פֶּסַח וְעֶרֶב יוֹם כִּפּוּר וְט"וּ [וט'] בְּאָב (מִנְהָגִים וְע"ל סי' תקנ"ט).
1 The Laws of "Nefilat Apayim" ("Falling on the Face"). Containing 8 S'ifim: One should not speak between [the Amidah] Prayer and N'filat Apayim. When one "falls on one's face", the custom is to lean [on] one's left side [i.e. arm]. Rema: And there are those who say that one should lean on one's right side [arm]. But the correct way (Rivash S'if 212; and Beit Yosef in the name of the Rokeach) is that during Shacharit when one has tefillin on one's left [arm], one should lean on one's right side [arm] because of honor for the tefillin. But [towards] the evening (i.e., when doing Nefilat Apayim during Mincha), or when one is not have tefillin on one's left, he should lean on one's left [arm]. (Minhagim [of the Maharil, etc.]) And after one "fell on his face", one should lift one's head and supplicate a little while sitting; each place should do according to their custom. And the widespread custom is to say "Va-anachnu lo neida..." ["And we do not know..."] and then Half Kaddish, Ashrei, and La-m'natzeyach (Tur). And even on days when we do not recite Tachanun, we say La-m'natzeyach, except for Rosh Chodesh, Chanuka, Purim, Erev Pesach, Erev Yom Kippur, and the 9th of Av. (Minhagim. And see below in siman 559)
ב נְפִילַת אַפַּיִם מִיֹּשֶׁב, וְלֹא מְעֻמָּד. הַגָּה: יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּאֵין נְפִילַת אַפַּיִם אֶלָּא בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ אָרוֹן וְסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה בְּתוֹכוֹ, אֲבָל בְּלֹא זֶה אוֹמְרִים תְּחִנָּה בְּלֹא כִּסּוּי פָּנִים, וְכֵן נוֹהֲגִים (בֵּית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם רוֹקֵחַ סי' שכ"ד). וַחֲצַר בֵּית הַכְּנֶסֶת הַפָּתוּחַ לְבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת, (מַהֲרִי"ל) אוֹ בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהַצִּבּוּר מִתְפַּלְּלִין אָז, אֲפִלּוּ יָחִיד בְּבֵיתוֹ אוֹמֵר תְּחִנָּה בִּנְפִילַת אַפַּיִם (דִּבְרֵי עַצְמוֹ פי' אָגוּר).
2 "Nefilat Apayim" is [said] sitting and not standing. Rema: there are those who say is no "falling on the face" [done] other than in a place that has an ark with a Torah in it; but if not, then we say supplication without covering of the face, and that is what we practice (Beit Yosef in the name of Rokeach - siman 324). And [regarding "falling on the face" in] a courtyard/room of the synagogue which is open to the synagogue (Mahari"l), or at the same time when the congregation is praying, then even an individual in his home may says supplication while "falling on the face") (his own opinion, commentary of the Agur).
ג אֵין נְפִילַת אַפַּיִם בַּלַּיְלָה; וּבְלֵילֵי אַשְׁמֹרֶת נוֹהֲגִים לִפֹּל עַל פְּנֵיהֶם, שֶׁהוּא קָרוֹב לְיוֹם.
3 There is no "falling on the face" at night. And on the nights of vigils [i.e. saying early morning Selichot], we practice to "fall on one's face" since it's close to daytime.
ד נָהֲגוּ שֶׁלֹּא לִפֹּל עַל פְּנֵיהֶם לֹא בְּבֵית הָאָבֵל, וְלֹא בְּבֵית הֶחָתָן, וְלֹא בְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת בְּיוֹם מִילָה, וְלֹא כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ שָׁם חָתָן. הַגָּה: וְדַוְקָא שֶׁהַמִּילָה אוֹ הֶחָתָן בְּאוֹתוֹ בֵּית הַכְּנֶסֶת, אֲבָל אִם אֵין הַמִּילָה בְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהִיא בְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת הָאַחֶרֶת, אוֹמְרִים תַּחֲנוּן (פִּסְקֵי מַהֲרִי"א סי' פ"א); וּבְיוֹם הַמִּילָה שֶׁאֵין אוֹמְרִים תַּחֲנוּן, דַּוְקָא שַׁחֲרִית שֶׁמָּלִין אָז הַתִּינוֹק, אֲבָל בְּמִנְחָה אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמִּתְפַּלְּלִין אֵצֶל הַתִּינוֹק הַנִּמּוֹל, אוֹמְרִים תַּחֲנוּן; מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בְּחָתָן, שֶׁאֵין אוֹמְרִים תַּחֲנוּן כָּל הַיּוֹם, כְּשֶׁמִּתְפַּלְּלִין אֵצֶל הֶחָתָן (הַגָּהוֹת מַיְמוֹנִי פ"ה מֵה"ת) וְלֹא מִקְרֵי חָתָן אֶלָּא בַּיּוֹם שֶׁנִּכְנָס לְחֻפָּה.
4 The custom is to not "fall on one's face" in the house of a mourner or a groom, and not in a synagogue on a day when there is a brit milah (circumcision) taking place or when a groom is present. Rema: And this is specifically when the brit milah or the groom is in the same synagogue [where one is praying], but if the brit milah is not in that synagogue, even though it's in a different one [in the same city], Tachanun is said (Piskei Mahari"a - siman 81). And on the day of a brit milah, when Tachanun is not said, that is only during Shacharit, since that is when the baby is circumcised; but during Mincha, even though they are praying in the presence of the circumcised baby, Tachanun is said. As opposed to a groom, where we do not say Tachanun the entire day when praying in the presence of the groom (Hagahot Maimoni - chapter 5 in the Laws of Prayer). And he is only called a "groom" on the [actual] day that he enters the chuppah (wedding canopy).
ה אִם חָלָה מִילָה בְּתַעֲנִית צִבּוּר, מִתְפַּלְּלִים סְלִיחוֹת וְאוֹמְרִים וִדּוּי וְאֵין נוֹפְלִים עַל פְּנֵיהֶם וְאֵין אוֹמְרִים וְהוּא רַחוּם בְּשַׁחֲרִית, אֲפִלּוּ בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁנָּהֲגוּ לְאָמְרוֹ בְּלֹא זֶה.
5 If a circumcision fell out on a public fast day, we pray the Selichot [Penitential] prayers and say Vidui [Confession prayers], but we do not "fall on their faces" nor do we say "V'hu Rachum" ["And He is Merciful"] during Shacharit, even in a place that practices to recite it otherwise.
ו נָהֲגוּ שֶׁלֹּא לִפֹּל עַל פְּנֵיהֶם בְּט"וּ בְּאָב, וְלֹא בְּט"וּ בִּשְׁבָט, וְלֹא בְּרֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ, וְלֹא בְּמִנְחָה שֶׁלְּפָנָיו, וְלֹא בַּחֲנֻכָּה, וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים גַּם בְּמִנְחָה שֶׁלְּפָנָיו, וְכֵן נוֹהֲגִין. בְּפוּרִים, אֵין נוֹפְלִים עַל פְּנֵיהֶם בְּלַ"ג בָּעֹמֶר אֵין נוֹפְלִין, בְּעֶרֶב יוֹם כִּפּוּר אֵין נוֹפְלִין, וְכֵן עֶרֶב רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה אֲפִלּוּ שַׁחֲרִית, (מִנְהָגִים).
6 They practiced not to "fall on their faces" on Tu B'Av [the 15th of Av], Tu BiShvat [the 15th of Sh'vat/New Year of Trees], Rosh Chodesh, nor on the Mincha that precedes it, and not on Chanukkah, and some say also not on the Mincha that precedes it (and that is how we practice). On Purim, we do not "fall on their faces". On Lag BaOmer, we do not "fall". On Erev Yom Kippur, we do not "fall", and so too on Erev Rosh Hashana, even during Shacharit. [Minhagim]
ז וּמִנְהָג פָּשׁוּט שֶׁלֹּא לִפֹּל עַל פְּנֵיהֶם בְּכָל חֹדֶשׁ נִיסָן, וְלֹא בְּט' בְּאָב, וְלֹא בֵּין יוֹם כִּפּוּר לְסֻכּוֹת, וְלֹא מִתְּחִלַּת רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ סִיוָן עַד אַחַר שָׁבוּעוֹת.
7 The widespread custom is to not "fall on their faces" the entire month of Nissan, and not on the 9th of Av, and not between Yom Kippur and Sukkot. [And not from the beginning of Rosh Chodesh Sivan until after Shavuot.]
ח אֵין אָדָם חָשׁוּב רַשַּׁאי לִפֹּל עַל פָּנָיו כְּשֶׁמִּתְפַּלֵּל עַל הַצִּבּוּר, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הוּא בָּטוּחַ שֶׁיֵּעָנֶה כִּיהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן. הַגָּה: וְכֵן אָסוּר לְכָל אָדָם לִפֹּל עַל פָּנָיו בְּפִשּׁוּט יָדַיִם וְרַגְלַיִם, אֲפִלּוּ אֵין שָׁם אֶבֶן מַשְׂכִּית (הַגָּהוֹת אֲשֵׁרִי סוֹף פ' תְּפִלַּת הַשַּׁחַר וְרִיבַ"שׁ סי' תי"ב); אֲבָל אִם נוֹטֶה קְצָת עַל צִדּוֹ, מֻתָּר אִם אֵין שָׁם אֶבֶן מַשְׂכִּית; וְכֵן יַעֲשׂוּ ביום כִּפּוּר, כְּשֶׁנּוֹפְלִין עַל פְּנֵיהֶם, ( אִם) [אוֹ] יַצִּיעוּ שָׁם עֲשָׂבִים כְּדֵי לְהַפְסִיק בֵּין הַקַּרְקַע, וְכֵן נוֹהֲגִין (מָרְדְּכַי).
8 An important/prominent person is not permitted to "fall on his face" when he is praying with the congregation, unless he is confident that he will be answered like Yehoshua ben Nun. It is also forbidden for any person to "fall on their face" by [lying face down and] extending their hands and feet, even if it's not a stone floor (Hagahot Ashiri - end of the chapter on The Morning Prayers, and the Riva"sh - siman 412). But if one is leaning a little on his side, it is permitted as long as it's not a stone floor; and that is how it should be done on Yom Kippur when they "fall on their faces", [or] if they spread out grass [on the floor] in order to make a separation between [them and] the floor, and that is how we practice. (Mordechai)
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