Harav Eliyahu Meni
8 Tammuz 5659
Rav Eliyahu Meni, the Re’em, was born to his father, Rav Saliman, in 5581 in Bagdad. As a youth, he was one of the select group of scholars in Yeshivas Midrash Abu Menashe, headed by his rebbi muvhak, Rabi Abdallah Somech, who in time became his brother-in-law when Rav Eliyahu married his sister. In addition to learning Toras Hanigleh, he set certain times to learn Toras Hasod together with Rav Eliyahu, the father of the Ben Ish Chai.
In 5617, he came to Yerushalayim, where he joined the lomdim in the Beis Medrash Lemekubalim Beis E-l. The Rosh Yeshivah, Rabi Raphael Yedidya Abulafia, referred to him as the “lion that came from Bavel.”
In 5618, he moved to Chevron and in 5625 he was appointed Rav there, a position he held until the end of his life. In Chevron, he established the Bais Yaakov shul and beis medrash, where he conducted the tefillos according to the practices of the Ari Hakadosh.
The Re’em authored his first sefer, Siach Yitzchak, which includes mussar and halachos, in 5608, and from then, he kept writing prolifically. He merited to author 140 seforim in all parts of Torah, and he placed them for safekeeping in Yeshivat Porat Yosef in the Old City of Yerushalayim. In 1948, when the Old City fell into Jordanian hands, his manuscripts disappeared.
Among the seforim that were printed were: Maaseh Eliyahu and Tanna Devei Eliyahu; Michtav M’Eliyahu – an exchange of letters with his disciple the Ben Ish Chai; Zichronos Eliyahu – a collection of halachos in the order of the aleph-beis; Me’il Eliyahu – an explanation on Sha’ar Hakavanos; Mazkir Shalom – chiddushim on the Torah of the Arizal and Kisei Eliyahu – an introduction to the chochmas hanistar.
The Re’em passed away on Thursday 8 Tammuz 5659 in Chevron and he was buried in the ancient cemetery in the city.
Wait with Anticipation for Every Amen
In his sefer Siach Yitzchak (Sha’ar Ha’ahavah) Rabi Eliyah Meni, the Rav of Chevron, dedicates a special chapter to the tremendous obligation to answer amen after every brachah. This is the first part of this chapter:
It says (Yeshayahu 26:2): “Pischu she’arim veyavo goy tzaddik shomer emunim,” and the holy Zohar (Vayeilech 285 2) explains: “Don’t read it emunim but rather amenim.” And the Zohar explains that the reason the passuk says: “Shomer amenim” and not “oneh amenim,” is because the word “shomer” in this passuk is derived from the term of waiting and anticipation, as it says (Bereishis 37:1): “V’aviv shamar es hadavar,” meaning that Yaakov waited with anticipation for the realization of Yosef’s dreams (as Rashi explains there.) And the intention of the passuk is to instruct that from when a person hears a brachah, he should abandon all his affairs, and he should not even be engaged in Torah, but rather he should stand and wait with anticipation to answer amen according to halachah for the brachah, the way a guard (shomer) does not do anything else.
A person must know that answering amen is not beneficial for someone who utters it without any kavanah and thought of his heart. Amen is also from the term emunah, and what value is there for someone who says he believes that what the mevarech is saying is the truth, without putting any thought into what his mouth is uttering?
The holy Zohar describes the punishment of one who does not have kavanah when answering amen, and certainly of one who is lax and scornful about answering amen. Therefore, a person should fear the day of judgement and should repent and be strict to answer amen according to halachah, and instead of being lax abut amen, he should be strict not to lose even one amen, even for a brachah that is said by a small child.
