Chapter 12:10-12
Preparing Oneself to Pray
10.A person should designate one synagogue or house of study where he will
pray regularly. Similarly, within the synagogue, he should designate a
fixed place to pray. Within four cubits of a place is still considered as
the dame place. It is preferable if he can find a fixed place near a wall,
as we find in the case of Hezikiah. [Isaiah 38:2 relates that when he
decided to pray to G-d]: "Hazekiah turned his face to the wall."
One should not stand or sit next to a wicked person during prayer. When a
person prays at home, he should also establish a fixed place, so that the
members of his household will not disturb him.
11.It is a mitzvoh to run to the synagogue, to the house of study, or to
fulfill other mitzvos, as [Hoshea 6:3] states: "Let us run to know G-d,"
and [Psalms 119:32] states: "I will run [on] the path of Your mitzvos."
Accordingly even on the Sabbath it is permitted to run for the sake of a
mitzvoh. However, within a synagogue or a house of study, it is forbidden
to run.
When a person approaches the entrance [to the synagogue], he should
hesitate momentarily so that he does not enter suddenly. He should tremble
and fear from the splendor of His glory, blessed he His name. He should
recite the verse (Psalms 5:8) "And, I, through Your great kindness, {enter
Your house...,"]which is comparable to receiving permission. Afterwards, he
should enter and proceed with awe and fear, as if he is walking in the
presence of a king.
In communities where Jews have streets of their own, it is a mitzvoh to
wrap oneself in the tallis an put on tefillin at home, and walk to the
synagogue wearing them. In those places where the Jews live among the
gentiles, or one would have to pass alleyways that are filled with filth,
one should wrap oneself, in the tallis and put on tefillin in the anteroom
before the synagogue itself, for entering the synagogue wearing a tallis
and crowned with tefillin is a great matter.
12. Should something prevent on from going to a synagogue or a house of
study or attending any other fixed minyan, one should try to assemble, ten
people to pray together with a minyan at home. If that is impossible, one
should at least pray at the time the minyan prays, for this is "a
propitious time." Similarly, a person who lives in a place where there is
no minyan should pray at the time the people of the nearest city pray
communally.
Nevertheless, a person who must study Torah or begin work which is very
pressing may begin prayers early [even if there is no minyan], as soon as
the sun rises, since, as explained in Chapter 8, a person may not involve
himself in these activities before prayer.
e."
