Commentary for Berakhot 27:11
אמר רב כל הנותן שלום לחבירו קודם שיתפלל כאלו עשאו במה שנאמר (ישעיהו ב, כב) חדלו לכם מן האדם אשר נשמה באפו כי במה נחשב הוא אל תקרי במה אלא במה
Rab said : Whoever greets his neighbour before he prays is as though he accounted him as an idolatrous altar [bamah] ; as it is said, "Cease ye from man, in whose nostrils is a breath ; for how little [bammeh] is he to be accounted" (Is. ii. 22). Read not bammeh but bamah.
Abraham Cohen Footnotes to the English Translation of Masechet Berakhot
According to one interpretation, the Tefillah is here intended; otherwise it is contradicted by the passage quoted by Rab Sheshet from the Mishnah, which permits one to offer greeting between the sections of the Shema' — which is recited before the Tefillah. But R. Abba interprets the phrase "before he prays" quite generally.
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Abraham Cohen Footnotes to the English Translation of Masechet Berakhot
On the Bamah was offered what should have been brought to the Temple. Similarly to greet a man before praying is to give him what is due to God.
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Abraham Cohen Footnotes to the English Translation of Masechet Berakhot
To pay him honour instead of God.
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Abraham Cohen Footnotes to the English Translation of Masechet Berakhot
I.e. translate "for as an idolatrous altar is he to be accounted" if honour is paid to him first.
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