Birchos hashachar k'halachah: Aloud, with kavanah, bechavrusa
We had a conversation with an individual who is very active, and has accrued so many zechusim, a prominent talmid chacham from Beit Shemesh, Rabbi Moshe Kadouri, shlita, who dedicates times each morning to answer amen after the mispallelim in the shul near Kever Rochel, and who has been distributing the Vechol Ma’amnim pamphlets in the area where he lives for many years.
Reb Moshe, what brought you to dedicate your time to the mitzvah of answering amen?
Without a doubt my main motivation was and remains the chizuk that I draw from reading the weekly Vechol Ma’aminim pamphlet. As soon as I saw the first issue, I stopped and recalculated, and resolved to be mehader in the fulfillment of this lofty mitzvah.
And yet, as the father of a family with a very busy schedule, how do you find the time for this distribution, which you have been doing for so many years?
“Great question!” he says honestly. “I won’t deny it and say that it was always easy... If we just take into account that this is a weekly distribution that doesn’t skip any season of the year, and add to that the fact that the weather is not always merciful, it’s obvious that it’s not a minor thing. But at the same time,” he adds modestly, “I don’t remember a single week that I didn’t give out the pamphlets, and on the contrary, even in extreme times, like steamy summers or stormy winter days, I dedicate myself to completing this task.”
Now, to the point of your question, the enjoyment and the chizuk that I personally derive from the fascinating pamphlets have led me to recognize how valuable they are, and therefore, to become a partner in distributing them. But the truth is that it is not my personal feeling. Young and old, Yidden of all ages, wait with anticipation for these pamphlets each week, and they have long become an integral part of their Shabbos tables.”
Let’s go back to the holy task that you have undertaken, to answer amen after Birchos Hashachar of mispallelim in Kever Rochel. In order to be at this job every single day, you need a very strong inner source of strength! Can you share with us the source of your strength?
“Although it is hard to point out one specific thing, I do have one thing that I see each day and which I consider a source of inspiration. There is a person who is well into his eighties, bli ayin hara, who visits Kever Rochel at dawn every single day, and does not give up on answering amen to the Birchos Hashachar of many who visit the site. When you see a Yid of that age investing so much time and energy to fulfill this precious mitzvah, you cannot just ignore it. And with a hefty dose of kinas sofrim you find yourself joining this mitzvah. For me, it started with just a few people, who I asked if I could answer amen to their brachos. Over time, more people joined when they saw how important it was to me.”
For many who ask, can you give us a good piece of advice how we can infuse our families with awareness for this precious and most important mitzvah?
“Personally I would say that I recommend, with all honestly, your highly invested pamphlets as the best tool for this purpose. Sometimes, people do not know how to appreciate what they are given, as is the case with many good things that we take for granted. And it really is a shame, because it is a treasure that never ceases to amaze me, both regarding the quality content that is compiled with great effort, and the pleasing way it is presented. Some of the segments are written in language that everyone can understand, even the younger readers.
In my house, I also attribute the awareness that we have to these pamphlets. Despite all the chinuch tools that have been passed down from the Rishonim, such as encouragement with sweets and suchlike, which are also put to use with this, the main tone is set by the weekly pamphlets that I bring to the Shabbos table, and learn with the whole family in a pleasant manner.”
In conclusion, there is a saying “lo hamedrash ha’ikar ela hama’seh,” and jokingly it can be interpreted that it’s not only the learning, there’s got to be a good story. As someone who has been in the field for years, you surely have a good story on the subject that you can use to give chizuk to the tzibbur.
“For sure. A few years ago, when I returned from Yerushalayim to my house after davening at the Kosel, I was dismayed to find that while I was out, I had lost a valuable bag with a large sum of money as well as a disc full of files that were very important to me. A quick inquiry with the driver of the car that took me home to Beit Shemesh made it clear that the bag had not been forgotten in his car, which mean that the chances of locating it were virtually nil. Another call I made was to the Kosel Police Station, which also didn’t turn up anything. The operator was, incidentally, a “cousin,” an Arab, who responded flatly that he had no way to help me.
Distraught, I traveled back to Yerushalayim, with the bitachon in Hashem that He would help me, even though I knew that I didn’t have a clue for how to locate my lost items. Only Hashem could do it. When I returned to the Kosel, I offered a heartfelt tefillah. Towards the end of the tefillah, I asked to invoke the merit of amen, and then I turned to the person standing next to me and asked him to do a chessed with me and answer amen to my tefillah. He agreed.
Wondrously, the yeshuah occurred through that person who answered amen to my tefillah. My story touched his heart, and as we spoke, he directed my attention to the fact that perhaps I had lost the bag on my way to the Kosel, on the bus from Beit Shemesh to Yerushalayim. For some reason, I hadn’t thought about that possibility at all...In addition, that person also directed me to a hotline that deals with returning items lost on public transportation. I will not expound, but in the end it turned out that he was right – the package was returned to me through that hotline, quickly and efficiently...”
