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From: Russell Hendel <rhendel@mcs.drexel.edu>
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1998 19:44:43 -0500 (EST)
Subject: An Actuarial Analysis of  The time it takes to pray

In MJ10, Sheri and Seth Kaddish cite David Rozensweig and discuss how
long it "should" take to daven. A very simple analysis based on firm
halachik precedent was made by me in the Email Group,HebLang (on
Shamash)last year.  The analysis is consistent with research on
effective speech speeds in the business world and research on typing
speeds. Allow me to redevelop the argument for the situation at hand (As
well as cite my own personal studies)

>>Ideally you should start Kriath Shma at the beginning of sunrise and
>>finish it at the completion of sunrise--this takes about 6 minutes
>>[Rambam, Shma 1: 11].

Thus we have that an "expected time to say Kriath Shma" is 6
minutes. This turns out to be about 2.1 words per second which is the
same figure recommended for good business presentations.

For those interested in "CONCENTRATION-CAVANNAH"--the typing literature
points out that typing speed increases when you start to "type phrases"
vs "individual words or letters". A similar practice can be advocated in
prayer---pray in phrases..do not pause on each word. This has signficant
implications for Cavannah...if you pause on each word you can't really
concentrate so that praying too slow and praying too fast are both bad!!

For those wishing to do their own counting a simple (effective)
estimation trick is to count words per line and muliply by the number of
lines.

As a final application the Bible has 100,000 words in 6,000
verses---which suggests 8 seconds per verse during laining (using 2.1
words per second).

Now for some personal studies: I have timed Kriath Shmah and laining in
many shules (most people are unaware that the average seconds per posook
is relatively stable for each Ba'al Koray and similarly the time to say
Kriath Shmah and its blessings remains the same in most shules.)

I have found Kriath Shmah normally takes 4-6 minutes. Similarly I have
found most Ba'alay Kriah take 6-12 seconds per posook (8-10 seems
normal).

RECOMMENDATIONS: Let Kriath Shmah take 6 minutes and Shmoneh Esray 4
minutes.  This is the main part of davening. A congregation can just say
Bracoth or let korbanoth be said individually. Rush thru PSookay Dzimrah
at 70% of the recommended rate and take 10 minutes. This leaves 5
minutes for Kadishes tachnun etc. Thus you can still daven in 30 minutes
but SAY the important things with FULL cavannah and be fully compliant
with halachah.  (Please don't misunderstand me--if you can find 10
people on a weekday who want to daven uniformly at 2.1 words per second
(50 minutes for davening)--fine; but if you can't the above is
halachically kosher and will give full cavanah)

Russell Jay Hendel; Phd ASA Rhendel @ mcs drexel edu