Why Do We Shukle?

Hi, this is Dov bar Lanski with our question and answer series. Why do we, or at least some of us, shuckle? [snorts] Now, I know we have all kinds of different members of the audience. You may not be familiar with the word shuckle. Shuckle is this. You see Jews sometimes swaying. Yeah? And um uh there are different types of shucklers. This is standard shuckling. Then there's alternative shuckling. Go from side to side. Ay ay ay ay ay. Then there's more of the uh intense shuckle. And uh then there's the more aerobic shuckling, you know, something >> [clears throat] [laughter] >> But it is pretty common. So, the simplest explanation is you probably remember when you were a kid and you had to speak in front of the class and they would tell you don't fidget. Stand straight. Why? Cuz that's not natural. Your body has a rhythm. Even Jews have rhythm. I got rhythm. Uh huh. And so if you just let, you see when you're walking, you know how your arm swings by your side and if you try to hold it straight, it's more difficult. Your body has a natural rhythm. And so since when we're davening, the focus is on kavana, to be able to concentrate, so the more that we let ourselves, you know, into the experience, so it makes it easier for us to concentrate. That's the idea uh of shuckling. Others say it's based on a pasuk in Tehillim, which you can find in the tfila of Nishmas that we say at the end of Sukkot to Zimrah on Shabbat morning. It quotes the possuk in Tehillim. Kadosh Kosev in Tehillim, "Kol atzmotai tomarnah, Hashem mi khamocha." All of my bones say, "Who is like Hashem?" So, in order to do that, we're not just using our mouth. We're using all of our bones, our entire body, in the process of praising Hakadosh Baruchu. That's another explanation that people give for shackling. But, at the end of the day, you know, try. Try standing perfectly still without moving and and concentrate, and then try letting your body just go with the motion. Go with the flow. Yeah? And see what happens. This is David Eliavsky with that question and answer.