Towards the end of his life, Yaakov Avinu summons his sons and blesses them “each one according to his brachah” (Bereishis 49:28). The brachah that Yaakov gave Naftali – “Naftali ayalah shluchah hanosein imrei shefer” (ibid 21) is explained by Rashi: In the war against Sisera, in the times of Devorah Haneviah, the sons of Naftali quickly went out to war, like a “gazelle that is dispatched” and as a result, Devorah Haneviah and Barak Ben Avinoam gave “imrei shefer” praise to Hashem for the great yeshuah that they merited to see in that war.
The story of this war is described in Chapter 4 of sefer Shfotim. Yavin, the king of Chatzor, cast his fear on Am Yisrael, until they were afraid to walk on the roads and to live in the unwalled cities. When Am Yisrael repented, HaKadosh Baruch Hu sent them Devorah Haneviah. Based on her prophecy, the members of Shevet Naftali and Shevet Zevulun, led by Barak ben Avinoam, set out for war against Sisera, the general of Yavin, a war where Hashem performed miracles and wonders and they defeated Sisera and his army. In praise and gratitude to Hashem, Devorah sang her shirah, about which Yaakov said to Naftali that he was destined to be “nosein imrei shefer,” the catalyst for this song, as his shevet fought for this victory.
It is surprising to discover that right at the beginning of the song, Devorah Haneviah reveals to us in which merit Am Yisrael defeated their enemies in this war and that is – the answering of amen!
Shiras Devorah begins with the passuk (Shoftim 5:2): “Bifroa pera’os b’Yisrael behisnadev am barchu Hashem.” The Tanna Devei Eliyahu (Rabbah Chapter 11) explains this passuk as follows: “With whom does HaKadosh Baruch Hu take revenge on Am Yisrael from the nations of the world? With people who go to the beis knesses and beis medrash morning and evening and answer amen.”
The merit of the misnadvim, the volunteers in the nation, who rise early to go to shul to answer amen, is what advocated for Am Yisrael to see the downfall of Sisera and his army with tremendous miracles! We have to learn from here for generations what a great responsibility we have to be strict to answer amen, especially at this time when we are in a constant war with those who seek to destroy us.
Like then, now, if we are wise to rise early to volunteer and answer amen after the mispallelim in the shuls, we will undoubtedly merit to continue to see great miracles, until the resounding downfall of our enemies.
This message is so important for generations, that Devorah then repeats in her shirah later on (ibid 9): “Libi lechokekei Yisrael hamisnadvim ba’am barchu Hashem,” in order to reiterate to us the importance we must attribute to those who volunteer of their time and rise early to help people recite the brachos of Hashem with shleimus – meaning that they are answered by amen.
And maybe this is alluded to in the nevuah of Yaakov Avinu, as the words of the passuk “Hanosein imrei shefer” which refers to Shiras Devora, as noted, contain the word amen in the words “הנותן אמרי” [the last nun of hanosein and the aleph and mem that begin the word imrei]. Because the knowledge about the great virtue of answering amen and its great power to defeat the enemy, are part of the imrei shefer that Devorah Haneviah gave us.
Parashas Vayechi, in which Shiras Devorah is alluded to, is read on the day following the second yahrtzeit of my mother, Devorah, a”h, the daughter of Reb Dov Hoffman, Hy”d, which will take place this Erev Shabbos, 17 Teves. Like Devorah Haneviah who praised and elevated those who rise to go to shul to answer amen, my mother, a”h, accompanied through the years of the Bney Emunim revolution, with strength and encouragement, from the inception of Bney Emunim until her final day, when remarkably, at the time of her passing I was in Eretz Yisrael, and two hours before her peaceful passing, I merited to take leave of her and to receive brachos from her.
My mother a”h was a “na’eh doresh vena’eh mekayem.” She herself was strict to recite Birchos Hashachar each morning with simchah and emotion that expressed her deep gratitude to Hashem. She would not make the brachos until there was someone to answer amen to them. I have no doubt that the merit of her strictness to thank Hashem for her health, with shleimus, is what helped her live a long life, in good health, nachas and joy.
Chazal promise (Tanchuma 96:7): “Anyone who answers amen in this world – merits to answer amen in Olam Haba. How do we know? As it says (Tehillim 41:14): ‘Baruch Hashem Elokei Ysirael mei’ha’olam v’ad ha’olam amen v’amen’ – amen in this world and amen in Olam Haba.”
The song of my mother – “Shiras Devorah” – has not ended! She continues to earn zchusim and to answer amen in Olam Haba as well!
May we merit to speedily see the geulah of Am Yisrael, when all those who have departed should rise up again, and we should merit to see the realization of the passuk (Tehillim 72:19): “Veyimalei kevodo es kol ha’aretz amen v’amen.”
Good Shabbos
Yaakov Dov Marmurstein
