Rashi explains the words that Bilam used to praise Am Yisrael (Bamidbar 23:24): “Hein am kelavi yakum uk’ari yisnasa” as follows: “When they rise from their sleep in the morning, they are as vigorous as a young lion and a lion, to grab the mitzvos...” From Rashi’s explanation on this passuk it emerges that the praise and virtue of Am Yisrael is not only with the mitzvos that they do in the morning, but rather, and perhaps mainly, in the way they do them: “Like a young lion and a lion”! No delay or obstacle will stand in the way of a Jew to fulfill what he is obligated to do! But the expression “to grab the mitzvos” needs explanation: Aren’t we commanded to prepare properly to fulfill the mitzvos and to do them with dignity and with calmness?
That’s exactly why we have to be vigorous like a lion and get up early, as the early chassidim who would “spend an hour” (Brachos 30b) preparing for prayer. So what is the meaning of grabbing the mitzvos that is mentioned by Rashi?
I thought that it can be explained according to the words of Rav Yaakov Di Alba, one of the sages of Italy four hundred years ago, who writes in sefer Toldos Yaakov that the final letters of the words הן עם כלביא make up the word amen, to allude that the merit of answering amen is what prevented Bilam from cursing Am Yisrael.
In light of this, we can understand Rashi’s term of “grabbing the mitzvos.” The mitzvah of answering amen is not in the complete control of the person, because it depends on the mevarech. And because one who recognizes the value of every amen is not able to miss out on even a single one, he finds himself in the morning, when the brachos are coming out of the mouths of mispallelim, going from one to the next to “grab” more and more amens...
So we find that the passuk testifies that Am Yisrael rises early like lions each morning to come early to the shul, to go from one mispallel to the next, listen to their brachos and to answer amen after them. That is the characteristic, that is the identity. Rising early is an excellent opportunity to amass many angels of amen, and we need to take advantage of it!
The dorshei reshumos, the ones who record history, also added proofs for the custom of Am Yisrael to run to Shacharis in shul to merit to answer amen to Birchos Hashachar from the words of the passuk (Shir Hashirim 1:4): “Mashcheinu acharecha narutzah,” and the acronym of these words is amen, while the second letters of these words is שחר– from here that we should run to grab as many amens as possible for Birchos Hashachar.
Let us remember that in a few minutes of getting up early to go to shul we can easily merit so many amens, which will protect us from those who seek to harm us and will bring upon us endless goodness all our lives. Amen.
Good Shabbos
Yaakov Dov Marmurstein
