We are on the threshold of the month of Nissan, when Am Yisrael saw the great miracles of Yetzias Mitzrayim, which served as the basis of emunah for all generations. It seems that just like the month of Elul is called the “chodesh harachamim vehaselichos,” it is fitting that this month should be called the “month of emunah and bitachon.” It is not for naught that when Hashem commanded us at Har Sinai about emunah: “Anochi Hashem Elokecha,” it says right afterwards the fact that “Asher hotzeisicha me’eretz Mitzrayim.” Because as noted, Yetzias Mitzrayim is the foundation of emunah.
This month is an opportunity for us to renew inside us the emunah that has been passed down to us through the generations. It behooves us to awaken and arouse it, so that we can properly fulfill the words in the Haggadah Shel Pesach: “In every generation, a person must see hismelf as if he emerged from Egypt.”
It turns out that the best way to do this is by answering amen, because the meaning of answering amen is a declaration of absolute emunah in the Creator, and as the Gemara explains (Shabbos 119b), the word amen is an acronym for א-ל מלך נאמן. Rashi explains (ibid ad loc. ‘K-l’) that one who answers amen testifies of his Creator that He is a ‘K-l Melech Ne’eman.”
Rabbeinu Bechayei writes piercing words on this in his sefer Kad Hakemach (Emunah): “A person needs to be careful about tefillah and brachos, to answer amen after them, as it is a word that is derived from the word emunah. And whoever’s ancestors stood at Har Sinai and accepted the Torah, which is called emunah, is descended from Avraham Avinu, who was the father of emunah, as it says of him (Bereishis 15:6): “Vehe’emin b’Hashem,” and he is obligated to have kavanah in his heart and mind when answering amen.”
The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 124 6) explains the meaning of amen: “The brachah that the mevarech made is true and I believe in it,” and can be understood based on this concept. In addition to the ” the ואני מאמין בזה“ words Shulchan Aruch emphasizes this obligation to integrate in the kavanah of amen also the language of emunah, because emunah is the foundation of amen. It is for this reason that the sages explain that amen is an acronym for אני מוסר נפשי, because if the essence if amen is emunah, then certainly one must be moser nefesh for it!
The strengthening of amen in this month will entrench the emunah in our hearts for all the months of the year, and as the passuk that speaks of this month says (Shemos 14:2): “Hachodesh hazeh lachem rosh chodashim rishon hu lachem lechodshei Hashanah ראשון הוא לכם–” the acronym of the final letter of each word is amen, to allude that in these blessed days it is fitting that we should be more engaged in the avodah of emunah. We should rise early to say Birchos Hashachar together, and in this merit, we should see the fulfillment of the words of Chazal (Rosh Hashanah 11b) that “in Nissan they were redeemed and in Nissan they are destined to be redeemed,” amen v’amen.
Good Shabbos
Yaakov Dov Marmurstein
