Rav Yehuda Aryeh Dinner, a rav and posek in Bnei Braq, was asked by people from southern Israel, though by now it could have been by people from Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Petach Tikva, Hod Hasharon, Holon, Rishon Letzion or any of many other places, what to do if one is in the middle of davening shmoneh esrei and the sirens go off warning of incoming rockets - should one ignore the siren and continue davening and only upon completion go to a bomb shelter, which might be too late, or should one stop and run right away?
Haredim10 reports that Rav Dinner paskened that one should stop davening immediately and go to the bomb shelter or other protected area - a reinforced room, stairwell, etc. Rav Dinner said that pikuach nefesh takes precedence.
Rav Dinner added that he heard this psak himself from Rav Shteinman back in the day. He says he asked Rav Shteinman for an explanation, as the gemara says that one who is davening should not react and interrupt the prayer even if a snake is winding itself around his ankle. Rav Shteinman had explained that most snakes are not dangerous and do not kill. The explosions - each one is dangerous, they are all dangerous, and it is a miracle that more people are not killed from each one, but being that each rocket is dangerous but most snakes are not, that is why on a rocket siren one must stop his prayers and go immediately to a protected room.
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