Q&A: Bowing … Until When?
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Bowing … Until When?
Question
My son asked me: when bowing all the way to the floor, how long do you stay down, and when can you stand up? I didn’t know.
So really, until when?
Answer
I didn’t understand this riddle-like wording.
Discussion on Answer
This is a custom, and you can do as you understand. The practice is to finish the passage while bowed (since we bow and prostrate ourselves and say what we say while bowing).
When prostrating on the ground during the bowing on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. What do you say? “We bow and prostrate ourselves and give thanks before the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He” — do you continue until “who stretches out the heavens”? How long do you remain bowed, and when do you stop and get up?