Allusions to Meah Brachos and Amen in the Parashah
One Who Answers Amen Draws Good Down Upon Am Yisrael
והוא ויין לחם להם הוציא שלם מלך צדק-ומלכי (יח יד) “עליון לאל כהן
The holy Zohar (Vayeilech 285 2) says that in the merit of answering amen with kavanah, the gates of brachah and goodness are opened on High and much abundance is brought down to all the worlds.
The Mekubal, Rav Shlomo Aharon Auerbach, a maggid in Boyan, brought an allusion to this from the acronym of the last letters of the words הוציא לחם ויין which is amen, to prove that the power of answering amen k’halachah has good hashpa’os on Am Yisrael.
Tiferes Shlomo [Rav S. A. Auerbach, Chernowitz, 5651]
Inheriting the Land in the Merit of 100 Brachos
(ח טו) “אירשנה כי אדע במה אלקים ‘ה ויאמר”
Harav Eliyahu Hakohein Ha’itamari, author of Shevet Mussar, explained:
In Maseches Menachos (43b) Chazal cited the source for the mitzvah of Meah Brachos as the passuk (Devarim 10:12): “ועתה – and ”ישראל מה ה‘ אלקיך שאל מעמך Rashi explains (ibid ad loc. Mah) that the passuk is explained in the form of ‘don’t read’ – don’t read it as “mah” but rather as “meah” – meah [brachos each day] is what Hashem asks of you.”
Here, as well, we can explain the word במה as if it says במאה and Avraham Avinu said במ]א[ה אדע כי אירשנה in the merit of saying Meah Brachos a day I will know that Am Yisrael will merit to inherit the land and to settle in it, as we find that Chazal say (Nedarim 81a) that the Land was destroyed because the people in that generation were not strict to say Birchas HaTorah.
Einei Ha’eidah
The Sin of Amen Ketufah
עד האמרי עון שלם לא כי הנה ישובו רביעי ודור (טז טו) “הנה
The halachah (see Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 124 8 and in the Biur Halachah ibid) that one must not answer amen by dropping one of its letters, and such an amen is known as “amen ketufah.”
An allusion to this halachah can be found in this passuk – the לא שלם עון acronym of the last letters of each word is amen to teach that amen that is not complete is considered a sin if one answers it. (Chelek Yaakov)
