The Segulah of Answering Amen
Six Amens Corresponding to Six Grandchildren
Reb Naftali, a respected Yid who serves as a maggid shiur in a prominent yeshivah in Eretz Yisrael, saw open miracles after he strengthened his observance of answering amen. He shares them in a letter that he sent to us:
"At one point, I had married off my youngest son, and at the same time, my older children began to marry off their children. From that point and until now, baruch Hashem, I have participated as a grandfather at many simchos of grandchildren and great grandchildren, and yet, I do not stop thanking Hashem for the myriad chassadim He keeps on bestowing upon me.
A few years ago, my wife drew my attention to the fact that the list in her siddur of grandchildren that had reached shidduch age now had six names on it. She davened each day that they should merit to find their zivug.
Six grandchildren waiting for a shidduch was definitely something to pay attention to. Because this happened in Nissan, and on 11 Nissan is the yahrtzeit of the Shelah HaKadosh, whose tefillah is known to serve many who daven for the children, I decided to visit the tziyun in Teveriah. It is a place known for its segulos regarding tefillos for children, especially on the yahrtzeit, and I hoped to go and daven for a yeshuah for my children.
Throughout the long ride to Teveriah, I pondered which mitzvah I could take upon myself to improve in as a zechus to have my tefillos accepted willingly. After thinking, I decided to redouble my efforts for a mitzvah that I loved, the mitzvah of answering amen. If until then, I made sure to seek out opportunities to say amen to Birchos Hashachar, I decided to seek out more amens throughout the whole day, to all brachos. Already during that ride, I managed to hear a number of brachos and to answer amen to them.
At the holy tziyun, after reciting Tefillas Hashelah with a large group, with great emotion, I sat down and randomly opened a Sefer Tehillim. I began to read the first chapter that was on the page, and it was none other than Chapter 41, which concludes with the passuk: "Baruch Hashem Elokei Yisrael...amen v’amen."
I saw this as a sign from Above that I had chosen to improve the most fitting thing. But if that was not enough, when I continued to the next perakim, Chapters 42 and 43, I was surprised to see that the passuk "Hochili l’Elokim ki od odenu yeshuos panai," appears three times, as if it was a call to me: Continue yearning and hoping to Hashem, because it is guaranteed that I would yet merit to thank for this very soon, once I would see the yeshuos with my own eyes.
I delved further in, and discovered that the acronym of the words כי עוד עודנו and the acronym of the words אודנו ישועת פני together are numerically equivalent to amen. This passuk is written three times, so each time, amen is alluded to twice. So we find that the word amen is alluded to in these chapters no less than six times – twice in each passuk – corresponding to my six grandchildren. And all these words contained a clear promise for a yeshuah...
I returned from Teveriah with a feeling of tranquility. I had already seen a sign from Above that very soon, I would merit to see the simchos of all six of my grandchildren who were waiting for a yeshuah. And indeed...the unbelievable happened: During that summer, we had six engagements, one after another. The last one took place on Erev Rosh Hashanah. Baruch Shomea Tefillah."
