Siach Emunim
Conversations and Feedback from Gabba’ei Amen
Reb Shimon, please share with us how it happens, what brings a person to begin investing hours each day in answering amen after mispallelim?
“The recognition of the importance of answering amen was implanted in our family first and foremost by my father, z”l, who often spoke about it. But my dedication to this mitzvah is in the credit of my older brother, Reb Gershon, shlita, who speaks a lot about the great merit of one who is strict to fulfill this mitzvah.”
Still, many want to strengthen themselves in this mitzvah, but their busy lives and many obstacles prevent them from doing so. What gives you the strength to stand there each day answering amen after dozens of people, with diligence and consistency?
“It’s a good question, but if you don’t mind, I’ll read you a short passage from the Zohar Hakadosh, and these words are always in my mind’s eye. I think that after perusing these words of the Zohar, your question becomes moot. He writes in Parashas Eikev (271 1): When a brachah answered by amen rises On High, there is a declaration in all the firmaments – this is the gift that Ploni sent to the King! This is a gift that is properly fulfilled! And what is that gift? A brachah that is answered by amen! Because every brachah that is answered by amen is a brachah that is fulfilled in the proper way.
Let’s try to imagine what a noise there is Above when a brachah answered by amen arrives. The Zohar’s description about the lofty effects of answering amen is chilling. It’s a minimal investment when compared to the wondrous outcome. Nu, after such a discovery, can we view answering amen as a tirchah, a bother?!”
How does it work, practically? You go over to mispallelim and ask them to give you the zchus of answering amen to their brachos? What kinds of reactions do you get?
“The truth is that I prefer to approach people in a different way. When I see a person about to start brachos, I go over to him and ask if he is ready to partner with me on a deal that guarantees huge profits. When he looks at me in surprise, I quote the Zohar that I just cited above, and I tell him: The perfect gift – is a brachah answered by amen, and it can only be sent if we make a partnership, you make the brachos and I’ll answer amen. Do you think that there’s someone who wouldn’t jump at this opportunity?! It’s the best deal on the planet!
Aside for that, my fellow mispallelim know how dear I hold the mitzvah of answering amen and they do not let me down.
After all the articles expounding on the virtue of answering amen, how is it that there is still a certainly laxity on the subject?
“Well, it’s certainly just the layman’s view...but it reminds me of that person who says ‘vesein tal umatar’ in the summer instead of ‘vesein brachah’, and when he is told that he has to repeat the davening he is not ready to accept it. He doesn’t realize how it is possible that because of one mistaken word he has to repeat the whole tefillah...
It’s hard for people to internalize that one word is so important. They look for proportions, but our job is to believe, not to understand. Aside for that, in my view, people do not sufficiently value the answering of amen, specifically because of how easy and available it is to merit this mitzvah. It makes it hard for a person to internalize its lofty level.
But I have to note that today, the Bney Emunim revolution is very evident, and the awareness of answering amen is mounting every day.
Many say – “I wish we could imbue our children and family members with this mitzvah” – is there something that you can recommend to them?
“The first thing is, like everything in chinuch, that imbuing our families to answer amen has to be done calmly and in a pleasant manner. Even if the child did not make a brachah aloud, or did not answer amen to the brachah, don’t make a big deal of it. The most important thing is a personal example. When a child sees that the mitzvah of answering amen is important and plays a significant role in his father’s life, then naturally, it will penetrate his heart as well.
When I davened from the amud during the year after my father’s passing, naturally, I missed out on many amens. What did I do?! I asked my children to please help me make up those amens, and they were happy to do so. Needless to say, after they saw how important amen is to me, they became much stricter about it, and it continued far beyond that year.
As someone who values the mitzvah of amen over the years, do you have a story of siyata diShmaya that you can share with readers?
“Of course! I merit to see siyata diShmaya every step of the way, but for me the biggest benefit I have are the many zchuisim that come my way. I’ll give you a small example – a bit of a humorous so one – that happened recently. Baruch Hashem I participated in my grandson’s wedding and I had the zchus of making the brachah of “Asher Yatzar” and had about 100 people answer amen to it. During the mitzvah tantz, just as I was being called up as the grandfather of the chassan, I had the opportunity to make this brachah. My brother, Reb Yisrael Aharon, who lives today in Lakewood, and who was the badchan, and knows about my love for this mitzvah, honored me with making the brachah in front of everyone, so it happened that about 100 people answered ament to my brachah...”
Reb Shimon Kletzkin in the Bobover shul in Bnei Brak, answering amen
Harav Shimon Kletzkin, shlita, serves each morning as a gabbai amen in the Bobover shul on Chazon Ish Street in Bnei Brak. We had the privilege of meeting with him for a conversation that reflects on the precious nature of the mitzvah of answering amen, and its great virtue.
