Venomar Amen Is Also a Request

‘Venomar Amen’ Is Also a Request

In Birchas Hachodesh, recited on the Shabbos before Rosh Chodesh (see Magen Avraham 417 1), it is customary that the community answers amen after each one of the requests in the tefillah of "Yechadsheihu HaKadosh Baruch Hu...letovah ulivrachah, lesasson ulesimchah..." In light of this we can understand why we then say at the end of this tefillah "venomar amen." Didn’t we already answer amen after each request individually?

The Vayechi Yosef wrote that he heard a witty way to explain this: The words "venomar amen" are also a tefillah and a request, that we should merit to be strict to answer amen according to halachah after each and every brachah (ibid p. 210).