Sanctity of the synagogue is the translation of the expression kedushas beis haknesses. The term refers to any behavior or activity that is not appropriate or in any way diminishes the holiness of a shul. “The Sanctity of The Synagogue” is the title of the classic 1962 book about the court case in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, where they tried to remove a mechitza.
Most people have or should have an intrinsic understanding of what is proper to take place in a shul. However, sometimes this understanding becomes very elastic. The Talmud, Codes and poskim spell out in great detail the parameters of what is acceptable behavior. There is also the fundamental Biblical verse from Vayikra 19:30 to “… revere my holy place.”
One might argue that notions of what is appropriate for shul might change with the times, but even if this is so (which according to all poskim is not the case) we still need to examine what some people might feel is acceptable from the prism of the halacha.
I have written about this issue here and elsewhere and discussed this issue with friends and family for many years. There are individuals who share my concern, and among them is my dear friend Sid Goldschmidt. Since his retirement he has more time to learn, which he does in various kollelim. Proper behavior in shul has been an issue of Sid’s for a long time. He and his chavruta Rabbi Yonason Harris spent a great deal of time learning the halachot that relate to this topic. They organized it into 110 daily snippets, and it has just been published by Feldheim under the title “Revere My Sanctuary, A Guide to Honoring the Shul, The Goldschmidt Edition.”
This is not a harsh, preachy or condescending book. It is a look at what goes on in many shuls and conveys the inappropriateness of the way some people behave in shul and how they daven. We join Chaim, Bernie and the rest of the diverse group of congregants at Congregation Shomrei Shabbos as they embark on a thought-provoking, sometimes amusing, and always informative journey of discovery about shul, davening and themselves—and about the many halachic issues that come into play when we step into shul.
These daily lessons cover a broad array of the halachot most relevant to the shul experience.
Basic concepts concerning building a shul, mechitza and Torah reading are covered, as well as throwing candy in shul, auctioning off aliyot, and breakaway minyanim. Kiddush clubs, shul attire, talking in shul, tardiness and many aspects of how one prays are also covered. Other topics include meshulachim, makom kavua, messiness, who gets to daven, plaques and hazaka. If schools and shuls do not spend time on these topics, perhaps parents can share a few lessons around the Shabbat table each week and open it up for discussion.
The most important lessons learned by children are from the modeling done by their parents. My father, z”l was hard to control when people talked in shul during the repetition of the Amidah, and he always came to davening on time. He never understood how latecomers during the week managed to finish their prayers at the same time as those who came on time. I have inherited this trait and passed it on to my son. One of my sons–in-law is always in shul 15 minutes prior to davening as is his father, and now his sons. I remember Sid Goldschmidt’s father, z”l and his father-in-law, z”l, both models of shul rectitude. This book is a monument to the lessons they conveyed in the manner of their comportment in shul.
Rabbi Dr. Wallace Greene is the author of “Casual Saturday:Dressing Down for Shabbat,” The Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society, LXV (2013).
