Answering Amen After ‘Baruch Hashem Hamevorach L’Olam Va’ed’
One who wishes to answer amen after the chazzan, when he repeats after the tzibbur “Baruch Hashem hamevorach l’olam va’ed,” may do so. But some hold that he should not answer this amen. In any case, if he began the brachah of “Yotzer” all concur that he should not answer this amen.
1.
The Sha’ar Ephraim (4:6) wrote that when the one saying Barchu repeats “Baruch Hashem hamevorach l’olam va’ed,” the tzibbur should answer amen after him, and his words are brought in Derech Hachaim (Din Barchu V’Aniyaso, 2), and the Levushei Serad (66 6) concurred in the view of the Magen Avraham (ibid). But Siddur Harav (Hilchos Tefillin) wrote: “And one should not answer amen after ‘Baruch Hashem hamevorach l’olam va’ed,’ that the shaliach tzibbur says, because he does not need to answer this amen at all, as the shaliach tzibbur is only saying ‘Baruch Hashem hamevorach l’olam va’ed,’ to include himself with the tzibbur. Therefore, the shaliach tzibbur should not wait to say ‘Baruch Hashem hamevorach l’olam va’ed,’ until the tzibbur finishes, and he should answer with them together,” and this is what the Shulchan Aruch Harav rules (192 2). The Chayei Adam (18 5) wrote that one does not need to answer this amen. The Mishnah Berurah (ibid 4) cites the ruling of the Pri Migadim (ibid) that there is no obligation to answer this amen, but if the tzibbur wishes to answer it they may.
The Levush (ibid 1) wrote that when the shaliach tzibbur repeats and says “Baruch Hashem hamevorach l’olam va’ed” he should do so in a whisper. Sefer “V’Imru Amen” (Vol. I 82) wrote that he heard from Rav Chaim Na’eh that the Levush ruled this way so as not to bring the tzibbur to a safek of answering amen, after the poskim were divided as whether one should answer this amen or not.
2.
Mishnah Berurah (ibid). As opposed to the Levushei Srad (66 6), who explained according to the Magen Avraham (ibid) that the din of answering amen after “Baruch Hashem hamevorach l’olam va’ed” that the chazzan says is the same as the din of “Barchu,” and in every place where we can pause to answer “Barchu” we also pause to answer this amen. See Shaar Hatziyun (66:23) who wrote that the Levushei Srad “erred with this.”
