Wellsprings of Emunim Sources for the Virtue of Answering Amen

From Rabbeinu Bechayei in this Parashah, on the Virtue of Answering Amen

In his commentary on the passuk (Shemos 4:31): “Vayir’u ha’am es Hashem vaya’aminu b’Hashem uveMoshe avdo”

“אמן” תיבת משמעות ,אמונה מלשון נגזר שהוא ,אמן לענות ובברכות בתפילה לברכה זיכרונם רבותינו לנו תיקנו ,כולה התורה כל יסוד שהאמונה ומפני אמן ,

קבלה אמן’ :(א לו שבועות) לברכה זיכרונם רבותינו שאמרו וזהו .

בהם ומודה המברך דברי עליו שמקבל הודאה ומלשון .

קיום אמן ,שבועה העדות קיום אמן עניית מקור שהוא הוא ברוך הקדוש של בברכתו מעיד המברך כי :העניין וביאור .המברך מן יותר אמן העונה גדול :(ב סו נזיר) אמרו זה ועל אמן והעונה ,ידו על נגמר שהעדות שני בעד אלא ראשון בעד העדות קיום שאין ,העיקר והוא השטר מקיים הוא אמן והעונה ,הברכה .

קיים העדות עימו כי ,המברך שהוא הראשון העד עם שיצטרף הוא וצריך ,השני העד הוא הגייתה בדקדוק הזהירות חובת מז ָ כוֹתבְּר) ְרוָּמֶאשׁ וְהוּא ,ָםָדא ֶןבָּה ַגוֹתלַה ַיֵּבְחיִת ֵיוְא ַזֹּאתה ֵבָהַתּה ִ וֹיּתאוֹת ַתַזְכָּרה ְפַּטִשׁבְּמ ַבֵּרלְד ָכָהלִבְר זִכְרוֹנָם ֵ ינוַּ וֹבּתר ִ יכוֱּרֶאה וּכְבָר ,ָיויָמ ְ פוַּטְּחיִת ֲטוּפָהח ֵןָמא ָעוֹנֶהה ֵראוֹמ ַזַּאיע בֶּן .

ֻכָּהֲרא ֵןָמא ֶלָּאא ,ָהיְתוֹמ ֵןָמא וְא ,ֲטוּפָהח ֵןָמא וְא ,ְ טוּפָהק ֵןָמא א עוֹנִין ֵיןא” :(א

1. The Tur and Shulchan Aruch (124:6) also ruled that when answering amen one should have in mind both: “The brachah that the mevarech made is emes, true,” and “I believe this” – and it seems that like the words of Rabbeinu, the meaning of answering amen is both a declaration of emunah and an agreement and confirmation of the words of the mevarech.
2. Just like in the event of the brachos and klalos that took place as Am Yisrael entered Eretz Yisrael, they took upon themselves to fulfill the Torah by answering amen after the words of the Levi’im, as it says (Devarim 27:26): “Cursed is the one who does not establish the words of this Torah to fulfill them and the whole nation said amen” (Shevuos ibid).
3. Like a woman takes upon herself the shevuas ha’alah said in the parashah of sotah by answering amen after the oath said by the Kohein, as it says (Bamidbar 5 21:22): “Vehishbia haKohein...v’amrah ha’ishah amen amen” (ibid).
4. In other words, expressing hope that the words will be fulfilled, as Yirmiyahu Hanavi said (28:6) “amen kein ya’aseh Hashem” regarding the news of Chananyah ben Azur that the klei hamikdash and the exiles of Yehudah would be returned (ibid). Previously in Maseches Shevuos (and in the Yerushalmi Sotah 2 5 and in Devarim Rabbah 7 1) under the term “kiyum” that Rabbeinu mentioned, the term “ha’amanah” is mentioned, and they mean one and the same. Rabbeinu intended to bring proof from the words of the Gemara that answering amen expresses absolute agreement with the words of the ones who answer amen after it. But for the premise that answering amen is derived from the word emunah there is no proof from this Gemara, but it emerges from the words of Chazal who say (Shabbos 119b): “What is amen? K-l Melech Neme’an,” and Rashi explains (ibid): “This is how he testifies of his Creator that He is a K-l Melech Ne’eman.”
5. In Maseches Brachos (45a), Chazal explain the passuk (Tehillim 34:4): “Gadlu l’Hashem iti uneromemah Shemo yachdav” regarding answering amen, and the Ritva (ibid) explains that the mevarech calls to the listeners “Gadlu l’Hashem iti” with answering amen, and that is as Rabbeinu here says, that the mevarech and the oneh amen are two witnesses who together, glorify the Name of Hashem (and see further in the commentary on Maseches Nazir 66b, ad loc. Echad ha’oneh). And see the previous note, that Rashi also classifies the oneh amen as an “eid”, a witness.
6. Because the oneh amen is like a “second witness” that joins the testimony of the first one, then the oneh amen is like one who finishes the mitzvah that the mevarech began, and because Chazal say (Sotah 13b) “Anyone who does something and does not finish it, and someone else comes and finishes it, the passuk considers it for the [one] who finished it as if he did [all of it]”, therefore “the one who answers amen is greater than the mevarech” (Sukkas Dovid Parashas Metzora 38, in the words of Rabbeinu there. And see Tosafos HaRosh Brachos 53b)
7. That he answers amen by swallowing one of its letters (Rashi ibid ad loc. Ketufah, based on Bach Orach Chaim 124).
8. That he reads the aleph with a chataf-pasach and not a kamatz, and says “ahmen” instead of “omein”, and Rabbeinu explains further on like this, and Rav Y. of Lunil (Brachos ibid) concurs, and similarly, Rashi explains (ibid ad loc. chatufah).
9. That he answers amen without knowing which brachah he is answering to. (Rashi ibid ad loc. yesomah)
10. But the Shulchan Aruch rules (Orach Chaim 124 8) that he should not prolong the answering of amen too much (and it should be as long as it takes to say the words ‘Kel Melech Ne’eman’), because otherwise it loses the meaning of the word.

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ִנֵּהוְה .ח“ָפַּתּ א“ְ בָבִּשׁ ף“ָ לֶָאה ֵףחוֹט ֶ הוּאשׁ ֲטוּפָהח ִנְיַןוְע .“ָ יוְ נוֹתשׁוּ ָיויָמ לוֹ ִ יכִיםֲרַאמ ֻכָּהֲרא ,ִיםיְתוֹמ בָּנָיו ְיוּיִה ָהיְתוֹמ ,ָיויָמ ְ פוַּטְּקיִת ְ טוּפָהק ָעוֹנֶהֶהשׁ ְָתַּדלָמ ָאוְה .

ז“ַבְּלַע ר“דשקרי ל“זָ י“ִַשׁוּפֵר ,“ָִמּע ָיָהה ִיָחא ִינוֹןֲמַאה” :(כ ,יג ‘ב ֵלְ מוּאשׁ) ְנוֹןַמבְּא ֶ כָּתוּבשׁ ָהִמּמ ֱמוּנָהָאה ֵפֶה זֶה .ֱמוּנָהָאה חוֹמוֹת יְסוֹדוֹת ֶץָרלָא ִ ידוּמוֹר ָפִּיה ַלע ָהָרְעַקּה ַפֵּְהמ הוּא ִנֵּהה

ֲטוּפָהח ֵןָמא אמן עניית לכפול ִ יםֱקא ‘ה בָּרוּ” :(יט-יח עב ִלִּיםְהתּ) ב“ע ִזְמוֹרמ בְּסוֹף ָ לוֹםַשּׁה ָלָיוע ָוִדדּ ַרָמא וְכֵן ,עוֹלָמוֹת לשני זוֹכֶה ֵןָמא-ֵןָמא ַוֹכּפֵלוְה ְכַוֵּןַמּה וְכֹל ... בָּרוּ” :(נג פסוק) פט ִזְמוֹרבְּמ וְעוֹד .“ֵןָמוְא ֵןָמא ֶץָרָאה כֹּל ֶתא כְבוֹדוֹ ָלֵאוְיִמּ לְעוֹלָם כְּבוֹדוֹ ֵםשׁ וּבָרוּ .לְבַוֹדּ נִפְלָאוֹת ֵהעֹשׂ ֵלָאְריִשׂ ֵיֱקא .“ֲכַבֵּדא ַיְכַבְּדמ כִּי” :(ל ב א ֵלְ מוּאשׁ) ַכָּתוּבה ַרָמא ָלָיוע ֶרֲשׁא ֶתֱמבֶּא ַְבָּריִת ‘ה ֶתא ְכַבֵּדַמּה וְזֶה .

“ֵןָמוְא ֵןָמא לְעוֹלָם ‘ה ֵןָמא ֲנִיַּתבַּע ְזַלְזֵלַמּה ֶלשׁ ָנְוֹשׁע ָהִבְעִשּׁוּמ .“וּלּ ָיֵק וּבֹזַי” :(ָםשׁ) ַכָּתוּבה ַרָמא ָלָיווְע ,ַְבָּריִת ֵםַשּׁה ֶתא ְבַזֶּהמ זֶה ֵיֲרה ,וְ כַ וָּ נָ תוֹ כֹּחוֹ בְּכָל לְכַוֵּן ֵןָמא ִילַתבְּמ ָרנִזְה ֵינוֶֹאשׁ ִימ וְכֹל ,ִ יתְתַּחתּ ְ אוֹלשׁ ֶץֶרא וְהוּא ,“ָהֵפָתע ֶץֶרא” :(כב י ִוֹיּבא) ָאְרנִק וְהוּא ,כָּפוּל ֶ הוּאשׁ ֶבְּכֻלָּםשׁ ֲרוֹןַחלָא אוֹתוֹ ִיםִ ידמוֹר ִנֹּםבַּגֵּיה ֶיֵּשׁשׁ ִ יןְדוֹרמ ֲבַוֹדּןלָא ֵדֶ וֹיּרשׁ ִימ ,“‘ה ד נֶג ֲבַוֹדּןוַא ְ אוֹלשׁ” :(יא טו ְלֵיִשׁמ) וְזֶהוּ “ֲבַוֹדּןא” ָאְרנִק ִ יתְתַּחתּ וְאוֹתוֹ ,ֵנִישׁ ָדוֹרמ “ִ יתְתַּחת“וְ ָדֶחא ָדוֹרמ “ְ אוֹלשׁ” כִּי ַַוֹנּבֵע ה הוּא ,ַיִּיםח ַיִםמ ְקוֹרמ ָזְבוּע ֵןָמא ֲנוֹתלַע ְבַזִּיםַמּה – “ַיִּיםח ַיִםמ ְקוֹרמ ָזְבוּע ִיאֹת” :(יג ,ב ְיָהְמיִר) ַכָּתוּבה ַרָמא זֶה ַלוְע .

עוֹלֶה ֵינוֹא וּשׁב בְּעֹנֶשׁ ה ֵָגְרַדמ ַרַחא ה ֵָגְרַדמ ִנֹּםלַגֵּיה ִיםְדיוֹר ֵןה ֵיֲרה :ַרכְּלוֹמ ,“ִ יםְבָּרנִשׁ בֹּארֹת בֹּארוֹת ֶםלָה ֲצֹבלַח” – ָםָנְשׁע ְיֶהיִה ָהוּמ .

ְלָהַעלְמ ָזְמֶנִּרשׁ .

ָכָרבְּשׂ בֵּין בְּעֹנֶשׁ בֵּין ָהִדּמ ד ֶכְּנֶג ָהִדּמ ַכֹּלוְה ,‘בֹּארֹת בֹּארוֹת’ :ֶכָּפַלשׁ וְזֶהוּ ,כָּפוּל

1. To explain the difference between “yiskatfu” and “yischatfu” see sefer Birchas Rosh (Brachos ibid).
2. Rabbeinu explains that Chazal were strict about the punishment of one who answers amen with a chataf-pasach under the aleph, because by doing so, the meaning of the word is switched from expressing emunah to expressing a lack of faith. As we find that when Avshalom wanted to condemn Amnon in the ears of Tamar his sister, he called him “Aminon” – the aleph with a chataf-pasach, and Rashi explained that “Aminon” ז“בלע is “ר“דשקרי” which means a lack of faith. But here, the copiers omitted these words of Rashi in his commentary on the passuk (see Ma’ayanei Agam p. 12). And see sefer Toras Chaim (commentary on Rabbeinu Bechayei, by Rav Chaim HaKohein of Tripoli), on what he explained on this subject.
3. The Yerushalmi (Megillah 4 10) says that just like one who repeats “Modim Modim” is silenced because it looks like he is thanking two deities, likewise, one who answers “amen amen” is silenced. L’halachah, the poskim are divided: The Bais Yosef (Orach Chaim 61) believes that one is permitted to answer amen amen, but the Rema (ibid 12) rules that one should not do so. The Levush (ibid) wrote that even according to the Rema one is allowed to answer amen twice, one after the other, if he adds a “vav” to the second amen and says “amen v’amen,” as the words of the passuk; the Mishnah Berurah (ibid 28) concurs. According to Rabbeinu, there is no difference between answering “amen amen” and “amen v’amen.” And he brings proof of this from the pesukim in sefer Tehillim that one may answer a double amen, and on the contrary, it is considered hiddur. The Magen Avraham (ibid 10) brings the words of Rabbeinu here, and rules like him. But the Eliyah Rabbah writes (ibid) that even Rabbeinu, who write “hamechaven vekofel” did not permit doubling amen, unless one is answering amen with kavanah, but someone who does not have kavanah, must not answer amen twice even according to Rabbeinu. As the Shulchan Aruch rules (Orach Chaim 104 7) that someone who cannot have kavanah in his tefillah k’halachah should not daven a tefillas nedavah, because the passuk says of someone like him (Yeshayah 1:11): “Lamah Li rav zivcheichem.”
4. The source of the words of Rabbeinu from here on is in the sefer HaZohar, Parashas Vayeilech (285b). In sefer Pri Eitz Chaim (Sha’ar Kavanas Amen Ch. 3) it is brought that from the fact that the last letter of each word of the passuk (Tehillim מלא פניהם :)83:17 קלון is amen, and the word that begins this passuk “מלא” is comprised of the same letters as the word אלם, alludes that one who acts like a mute when he hears a brachah and does not answer amen is punished with kalon.
5. As will be explained further along that there are two sections: one that is called “she’ol” and the other that is called “tachtis” and “avadon.”
6. The Zohar (ibid) explains that ארץ עפתה means a double land, as Onkelos explained (Shemos as רבוע יהיה כפול the words )28:16 and see also מרובע יהא עיףPri Eitz Chaim that explained that “afsah” is also from the term אפילה, as the darkness is sourced in this section, where those who do not answer amen are sent, and “from there came the darkness of Mitzrayim during which someone was not even able to stand up.”
7. In Pri Eis Chaim (Mishlei 5 6) he explained that the lower section in Gehinnom is called “avadon” because as its name says “ki sham avdan hanfesh, besod (Vayikra 23:30): ‘Veha’avadeti es hanefesh hahu mikerev amah.’”
8. In the previous segment regarding the secrets of amen (which was omitted in this part), Rabbeinu explained that one who answers amen draws down brachah to this world “like one who opens a well to water all those that need watering.”
9. Until they reach the lower section of Gehinnom, as mentioned previously in Rabbeinu’s words.
10. It means: The Leadership of Hashem in the word through middah kenegged middah is manifested in this, both with the reward of those who answer amen k’halachah and in the punishment of those who are lax about it.