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Q:

Is it an aveirah to yawn during davening if the yawning is involuntary?

A:

And the answer is no; but the yawning is not involuntary.

And I’ll prove it to you.  Because when you’re standing in front of the mayor, although the mayor – especially the New York City mayor – is a zero shebi’zeros, still you wouldn’t yawn because you have a little bit of respect for him.  Yawning is always a sign that you don’t care at all. So it’s not involuntary.

Suppose you’re standing with a beautiful young woman who’s been introduced to you and it’s a marriage prospect; you’re not going to yawn.  It would never enter your mind! You wouldn’t even have any desire to yawn!

Or would you ever yawn during supper?  Did you ever see anybody yawning during supper?

Yawning is a sign of disregard.  You don’t care what’s going on.  It’s boring.  And not only is it boring, but you’re going to demonstrate that it’s boring.  You don’t care even if you’ll show that it’s boring because at least if you didn’t want to show it, you’d control yourself.

Let’s say, suppose a bum is talking on the street and threatening you and he’s speaking at length; you wouldn’t yawn. Because you’d get a punch in the nose for yawning.  So yawning is a sign that you don’t care so much; so much so that you’re even willing to demonstrate your disregard.

TAPE # 277

Rav Avigdor Miller on Yawning 

print

Q:

Is it an aveirah to yawn during davening if the yawning is involuntary?

A:

And the answer is no; but the yawning is not involuntary.

And I’ll prove it to you.  Because when you’re standing in front of the mayor, although the mayor – especially the New York City mayor – is a zero shebi’zeros, still you wouldn’t yawn because you have a little bit of respect for him.  Yawning is always a sign that you don’t care at all. So it’s not involuntary.

Suppose you’re standing with a beautiful young woman who’s been introduced to you and it’s a marriage prospect; you’re not going to yawn.  It would never enter your mind! You wouldn’t even have any desire to yawn!

Or would you ever yawn during supper?  Did you ever see anybody yawning during supper?

Yawning is a sign of disregard.  You don’t care what’s going on.  It’s boring.  And not only is it boring, but you’re going to demonstrate that it’s boring.  You don’t care even if you’ll show that it’s boring because at least if you didn’t want to show it, you’d control yourself.

Let’s say, suppose a bum is talking on the street and threatening you and he’s speaking at length; you wouldn’t yawn. Because you’d get a punch in the nose for yawning.  So yawning is a sign that you don’t care so much; so much so that you’re even willing to demonstrate your disregard.

TAPE # 277

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