Razei Emunim
אפוד Is Numerically Equivalent to אמן
שני תולעת וארגמן תכלת זהב האפד את ועשו” עליו אשר אפדתו וחשב...חשב מעשה משזר ושש (ח-ו כח) “יהיה ממנו כמעשהו
Rav Shmelke of Nikolsburg explained: With the words “v’asu es ha’eifod” the Torah alluded that a person should be strict to answer amen, as אפוד is numerically equivalent to אמן. “Cheishev eifod”, which was woven on the edge of the eifod, alludes that a person must concentrate ahead of answering amen (Divrei Shmuel).
Rav Chaim Meir Mizrachi, one of the sages of Izmir, explained this gematria to indicate that the אפוד represents the strong emunah in Hashem, like answering amen of which Chazal say (Shabbos 119b) is an acronym for נאמן מלך ל-א. Therefore, Chazal say (Erchin 16a) the eifod atones for the sin of avodah zarah (Ben Yair 4).
One Hundred Brachos for a Rei’ach Nichoach
ריח ‘לה הוא עלה המזבחה האיל כל את והקטרת” (יח כט) “הוא ‘לה אשה ניחוח
The holy Zohar (Eikev 271a) explains that when saying the brachah, a person brings tremendous shefa upon himself and on the entire world. The passuk says (Shemos 20:21): “Bechol hamakom asher azkir es Shemi” – wherever I commanded to mention My Name in a brachah, if you do so, “avo eilecha ubeirachticha.” The Zohar continues that “azkir es Shemi” said regarding brachah connects to the passuk (Tehillim 20:3): “Yizkor kol minchosecha” – to teach us that every brachah is considered like a minchah.
An allusion to this that each brachah is considered a minchah lere’iach nichoach l’Hashem can be learned from this passuk: “‘לה אשה ניחוח ריח הוא” – is numerically equivalent to “ברכות מאה” (Hamevarech Yisbarech [Rav Y.M. Schechter] p. 24).
‘Venishma Kolo’ – When Answering Amen
הקדש אל בבאו קולו ונשמע לשרת הארן על והיה” (לה כח) “ימות לא ובצאתו ‘ה לפני
Rav Chaim Ephraim Balaity, Hy”d, one of the dayanim of Tornala, Slovakia, explained from this passuk an allusion to the virtue of answering amen: In reward for “venishma kolo...lifnei Hashem” – with answering amen, a person is guaranteed “uvetzeiso lo yamus” – when he departs form this world, the gates of Gan Eden will open for him, and there, his share will be among the tzaddikim, who are also called alive even when they are deceased, as we were promised (Shabbos 119b): “Anyone who answers amen with all his strength has the gates of Gan Eden opened for him” (Eshel Chaim).
