Amen and Brachos in the Teachings of a Baal Hayahrtzeit
The Shaarei Hayashar of Liska
27 Iyar 5704
The Rebbe Harav Tzvi Hirsh Friedlander of Liska was born in 5634 to his father, Harav Chaim of Liska, author of Tal Chaim. He was named for his mother’s father, the first Liska Rebbe, the author of Ach Pri Tevuah.
From an early age, he followed the path of his holy ancestors and toiled in Torah day and night. When he reached the age of 17, he was given semichah by leading poskim in his generation. At the age of 26, he was chosen to serve as the Av Beis Din in the city of Gava, where he established a yeshivah that attracted many talmidim.
In 5664, when he was just thirty years old, his father, the Tal Chaim passed away, and Rav Tzvi Hirsch was appointed his successor in leading the community and as the Rav of the city of Liska. His greatness became renowned, and thousands flocked to bask in his presence.
He authored some thirty works on all subjects of Torah, including on Torah, on Shas and on the four parts of Shulchan Aruch. However, only his sefer Shaarei Hayashar, on Tehillim, which he printed in his lifetime, survived.
The Liska Rebbe was about seventy years old when the Nazis invade Hungary and sent its Jewish population to the death camps. He perished on 27 Iyar 5704 in the furnaces of Auschwitz, along with his three sons and many grandsons, Hashem yikom damam.
Amen Opens the Gates
In his sefer Shaarei Hayashar on Tehillim, the Liska Rebbe explains that the passuk (Tehillim 130:7) "Nafshi l’Hashem mishomrim laboker shomrim laboker," alludes to the great shemirah one merits if he is strict to answer amen aloud. He wrote:
Chazal say (Shabbos 119b) that "anyone who answers amen with all their strength has the gates of Gan Eden open to them, as it says (Yeshayah 26:2): ‘Pischu she’arim veyavo goy tzaddik shomer emunim.’ Do not read it ‘shomer emunim’ but rather ‘she’omrim amen.’" And Tosafos explain (ibid ad loc. Kol) that "kol kocho" means in a loud voice.
In light of this we can explain this passuk as follows: The word "nafshi" is a term of tefillah, as it says (Shmuel I, 1:15): "V’eshpoch es nafshi lifnei Hashem." When we calculate the numerical value of the four letters that comprise the Name of Adnus [אלף, דלת, נון, יוד] the result is 671, or תרעא which is the Aramaic word for שער. Based on this we can explain the words "nafshi l’Hashem" as alluding to the words תפילת שער– in other words, tefillah that opens the gates, which is answering amen. The passuk promises that those who are careful to have this tefillah fluent on their lips, and לבקר– which is the acronym of לענות בקול רם– merit "shomrim laboker," guards that watch over them to protect them in all that they do. (Shaarei Hayashar, ibid)
Harav Tzvi Hirsh Friedlander of Liska, Hy"d
