mik5,
“HOLD UP YOUR HANDS”
Hmmm… To show that you don’t have any weapons?
Lol, no. I meant the almost reflexive gesture many people make to nonverbally apologize.
Is one permitted to make gestures to other people while reciting a bracha?
No. That’s a good point, and an interesting question. It might be better for me to make no gestures, and then apologize and explain when finished. Bedieved the bracha is still valid despite the gesture. Good question to bring separately to each of my eight local Orthodox gedolim hador 🙂