This parashah begins with the mitzvah of machatzis hashekel, which each and every person in Am Yisrael was obligated to give each year, and which served to purchase korbanos tzibbur to be sacrificed in the Bais Hamikdash. Many have asked why the Torah stipulated that the donation amount be “half a shekel.” Would it not be more fitting for the sum for the Bais Hamikdash to be a full shekel?
The Alshich in this parashah quotes Harav Shlomo Alkabetz, who composed Lecha Dodi, that by doing this the Torah seeks to teach us about the importance of unity in Am Yisrael. Just like the full shekel will only be attained if two Jews join together, so, too, a person cannot consider himself whole unless he joins with a friend.
This concept explains a basic halachah regarding answering amen: The Rema (Orach Chaim 167 2) rules that the mevarech must have in mind to be yotzei answering amen from the one who answers amen to his brachah. The Mishnah Berurah explains (ibid 20): “Answering amen is also part of the brachah...and by answering amen to it, the brachah becomes more important, therefore, it is fitting lechatchilah to have kavanah to be yotzei his obligation to answer amen through the amen that the oneh answers.”
So we have a practical halachah of a mitzvah that is completed specifically by two people. The brachah and amen are bound one to another, and the action of the mevarech is only complete after he fulfills the obligation of answering amen from the oneh.
When we think about this, we find that being strict about this halachah is rooted in the middah of anavah. While the humble person will make sure to recite a brachah aloud so his friend can complete the brachah with amen, one who is afflicted with the middah of ga’avah, in contrast, will struggle to recognize that he needs help from another person.
The Ramban wrote of the middah of anavah in his letter: “That it is a better middah than all the other good middos.” Now, we find that it brings a person to be strict about answering amen, and we have learned that there is nothing greater to Hashem than this. An allusion to this special connection can be explained from the name of Moshe Rabbeinu, who was the humblest of all men (Bamidbar 13:3), and that alludes to answering amen. Because the final letters of the words that comprise the letters ,ם“ מ– משה .אמן – are שי“ן ה“א
Let us be strict to make complete brachos that are answered by amen and we will merit to see “brachah sheleimah” in all that we do, always.
Good Shabbos
Yaakov Dov Marmurstein
