The Pele Yoetz
20 Tishrei 5588
Rabbi Eliezer Papo was born to his father, Rav Yitzchak in the city of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, in 5546. Already in his youth, he was known for his tremendous diligence, and his conduct of prishus and holiness. He learned from the sages of his city, Rav Moshe Danon and Rav Meir Binyamin Menachem Danon.
Around the year 5570, at the age of 24, he began to write his first compilation, Chodesh Ha’aviv, on Maseches Brachos. In 5580, he was invited to serve as Rav of Silistra, Bulgaria, a role that he held for eight years until his passing.
Rav Eliezer was known mostly for his wonderful mussar sefer, Pele Yoetz, but aside for that, he authored additional works such as Dan Yadin and Elef Hamagen on Torah, Chessed L’Alafim – halachos on parts of Orach Chaim and Yoreh Deah from the Shulchan Aruch, and others.
On 20 Tishrei 5588, Chol Hamoed Succos, he passed away at the young age of 42. He was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Silistra. Before his passing, he said that it had been revealed to him from Above that there was a dangerous plague endangering his city and he chose to sacrifice himself to atone for the residents. (Oros Pele, p. 28)
The ohel over the matzeivah of the Pele Yoetz in Silistra, Bulgaria
Be Careful About Answering Amen
In Pele Yoetz, Rav Eliezer Papo highlights two values of the obligation to be strict to answer amen according to halachah, and the great reward for one who is strict to do this The first is in the letter ‘aleph’, in the entry Amen and the second is in the letter ‘ayin’ in the entry Aniyas Ameinim. And he begins the entry of Amen as follows:
“It is known how much the holy Zohar (Vayeilech 285 2) expounded on the greatness and tremendous reward for one who is ‘shomer emunim,’ who sits and waits for the opportunity to hear a brachah so he can answer amen. In contrast, the punishment for one who is not attentive about answering amen is very severe. Really, the hairs of a person should stand up when seeing the severity. And hearts should be pained by the many amei ha’aretz who are not careful at all. Hashem should atone for them, because the whole nation is doing it inadvertently.”
Regarding the reward of one who is strict to answer amen, the Pele Yoetz wrote:
“And if those who prevent amens from being answered would know the great reward of answering amens...they would run after them to go and hear and answer, ‘like the korei [a type of bird] pursues in the hills’ (Shmuel I 26:20), and they would rejoice with one answering as if they had discovered a treasure. But unfortunately, they did not know what this mitzvah is, and the severity of it, and the greatness of the reward.”
Things at the Height of the World
The second entry, Aniyas Amen, begins as follows:
“Answering amens...is something that is at the height of the world and people are lax about it. Some are like a deaf person and do not hear, and like a mute and do not open their mouths to answer, and there are those who answer an amen ketufah, chatufah or yesomah. And we know how severe this is, as the Zohar Hakadosh (ibid) was strict about someone who does not answer amen. Wonder of wonders...It is not enough to answer amen, but rather one needs to have kavanah based on what it is, and one who does not have this kavanah, it is said of him (Shmuel I 2:30): “Ubozai yekalu” (Zohar Terumah 178 2). And for this, all the mourners should mourn, because who is clean? In any case, if a person forces himself to overcome and fulfill the mitzvah properly to bring pleasure to his Creator, yet another time, and is careful about an amen chatufah, ketufah and yesomah whose punishment is stated in Shas (Brachos 46a), and poskim (Orach Chaim 124 8), study them and watch your soul very much if you are a baal nefesh.”
Then You Will Understand Yiras Hashem
In his sefer Chessed L’Alafim (56 1) as well, the Pele Yoetz speaks about the great obligation upon a person to answer amen. He writes: “It is worthy for every person to try to run and wait to answer amen, and may it be that they would run to answer amen like they do for a profit of a few pennies. Of things like this it is sais (Mishlei 2:3-4): ‘If you seek it like silver and hunt for it like treasures, then you will understand yiras Hashem.”
The Greatness of the Reward Indicates the Greatness of the Mitzvah
He further wrote in Chessed L’Alafim (ibid): The tremendous reward promised to one who is strict to answer amen with all his strength – “the gates of Gan Eden are opened for him” – teaches us about the lofty level of answering amen and the great nachas ruach it causes to HaKadosh Baruch Hu when amen is answered properly. Surely a person should be happy from the fact that he merits to bring pleasure to his Creator, and it is even fitting for every Jew to be moser nefesh for this.
