1400 Discovering Covering

The Talmud (Brochos 13b) relates that Rebi Yehuda Hanossi would place

his hand over his eyes when reciting the first pasuk of the shema.

Rosh (ibid.) and Shulchan Aruch (O.H. 51: 5) explain that the reason

is to avoid being disturbed by what one sees and to maintain

concentration on the shema.

Kaf

Hachaim (ibid. 22) maintains that there is no fault in just closing

one’s eyes, although many disagree.

Od

Yosef Chai (Vaero) writes that the tradition is that at night one

closes his eyes with the right hand, while in the morning, one covers

his head and upper face with the talis and then he places his right

hand over the talis covering his eyes with both. He notes that

although the Arizal omitted the above, it is the accepted tradition

to do it. See similar in Divrei Benayahu (O.H. 4: 2).

Meor

Yisroel (Brrchos 15b) quotes a minhag to cover ones eyes with both

hands, placing them in a specific way that creates the name Shakai.

Horav

Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is that one should follow the

minhag of the community where he davens.