Amen and Brachos in the Teachings of a Baal Hayahrtzeit
Harav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi
11 Cheshvan 5784
Harav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi was born to his father, Reb Yisrael in 5689 in Yerushalayim. Already as a child, he was known to be brilliant, and he was very close to the Rosh Yeshivah of Slabodka, Rav Yitzchak Eizik Sher. As a bochur, he frequented the home of Harav Yitzchak Zev Soloveichik of Brisk. Before the age of bar mitzvah, he entered Chevron Yeshivah, where he learned bechavrusa with the Rosh Yeshivah, Harav Moshe Chevroni.
The Mashgiach of the Yeshivah, Harav Meir Chodosh took him as a husband of his daughter, and right after his marriage, he began to deliver shiurim in the yeshivah.
In 5736, he established Yeshivat Ateret Yisrael, which he led until his final day. For decades, he was marbitz Torah and taught thousands of talmidim, among them prominent rabbanim and roshei yeshivah.
He passed away on 11 Cheshvan 5784 and was buried on Har Hazeisim in Yerushalayim. His shiurim and chiddushim were published in the series Birchas Mordechai on Torah and Shas.
The Depth of Amen
In a fiery speech that the Rosh Yeshivah Rav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi delivered at a Bney Emunim event in Av 5776 in Bnei Brak, he said:
“Answering amen is part of the matzav and the tzurah, the form of tefillah of the tzibbur, that when ten people stand and one of them is the shaliach tzibbur and nine answer amen, that is tefillah betzibbur (see Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 124 4).
This word that was revealed to us by Chazal is very deep. The Rambam (Brachos 1 11) rules that “anyone who answers amen after the mevarech is like the mevarech.” Answering amen expresses the content of the words of the mevarech, and therefore, answering amen after the brachah is considered like saying the brachah. That is why the Shulchan Aruch rules (Orach Chaim 284 3) that on Shabbos and Yom Tov, a person can complete the quota of Meah Brachos that he must make each day by having kavanah to hear the brachos of those who go up to the Torah and the brachos of the Haftorah and answers amen after them.
If so, we find that this small word contains both an agreement with and joining in to the words of the mevarech, and the emunah – that his words should be believed, and the yearning and bitachon that his request will be fulfilled.”
