The mitzvah of v’ahavta lerei’acha kamocha, which we are commanded in this parashah, obligates us to love every Jew, to be benevolent to him, and to seek his welfare. This mitzvah requires us not to focus solely on our own personal good, but to pay attention and think all the time about the good of the other.
Throughout the day, we have many opportunities to do good to others, in many varied ways. In this segment, I will focus on one unique manifestation of the mitzvah of v’ahavta lerei’acha kamocha, in the context of fulfilling Torah and mitzvos. Toward that end, we need to precede by mentioning that unity and loving the other person are conditions for receiving the Torah, as Rashi states (Shemos 19:2) on the passuk (ibid): “Vayichan sham Yisrael negged hahar,” that the passuk writes ויחן in the singular, because when they stood at the foot of Har Sinai, Am Yisrael was like “one man with one heart.”
This unity is manifested in the answering of amen. When a Jew makes a brachah, even if it is the loftiest of brachos, said aloud and with kavanah, his brachah cannot be complete without a friend helping him – by listening to the brachah and answering amen. This is how he completes the brachah and gives it validity.
How much merit does the who answers amen have! Aside for increasing kavod Shamayim, he is also fulfilling the mitzvah of v’ahavta lerei’acha kamocha in that he benefits another and gives him the merit of saying a complete brachah. It is possible that this is what the words in Birchas Hachodesh allude to: “Chaveirim kol Yisrael venomar amen,” to say that by “saying amen,” Am Yisrael increases love and camaraderie amongst themselves.
This concept is also alluded to in the passuk itself: The passuk (Vayikra 19:18) “v’ahavta lerei’acha kamocha” concludes with the words “Ani Hashem.” It is possible that the passuk is teaching us that it is in our hands to increase kavod Shem Shamayim through the mitzvah of v’ahavta lerei’acha kamocha, through completing the brachah of another person by answering amen.
During these days, when we mourn the passing of the talmidim of Rabbi Akiva, who did not treat each other with respect, let us take care to respect each person by completing their brachos with amen, and may this merit advocate for us that our tefillos should be accepting willingly On High – amen!
Good Shabbos
Yaakov Dov Marmurstein
