The Reward of Amen Is At Least as Great as the Reward of the Brachah
Chazal say (Chulin 87a) that the reward of every brachah is ten gold coins, and therefore, one who snatches a brachah away from a friend needs to pay him damages in this amount (as ruled in Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat 382 1).
Rabbeinu Tam is mechadesh (Tosafos Bava Kama 91b ad loc. Vechiyevu) that because Chazal say (Brachos 53b): “The one who answers amen is greater than the mevarech,” the reward of the one who answers amen to the brachah is as least as great as that of the mevarech. So, we find that the reward for every amen is also at least ten gold coins.
Therefore, when a person is called to the Torah and a different person insists that he comes first and takes the aliyah in his place, Rabbeinu Tam exempted the one who came second from paying even though he came up to have an aliyah not in his place. This is because the first person could have answered amen to the brachos of the second, and as we said that the value of amen is not less than the value of the brachah, we find that no damage was caused to him.
The Rosh adds (Chulin 6:8) a similar example: A person who had a son and invited a mohel to perform the bris. But another resident of the city then comes first and circumcises that baby, and thus snatches away the mitzvah and the brachah from that mohel. Here, as well, Rabbeinu Tam exempts the snatcher of the brachah from paying the ten gold coins to the mohel who was originally invited, because the mohel had the option to answer amen after the brachah of the one who snatched it away from him, and thus, his reward would have been ten gold coins, the same as the mevarech.
One Can Accumulate Tens of Millions of Gold Coins
Based on the chiddush of Rabbeinu Tam, Rav Mordechai Malka, the Rav of Elad, raises another point that we need to pay attention to: There are so many treasures all around us. Think about it. If every amen is worth ten gold coins, when we are strict about the quota of answering ninety amens a day, then we can accrue a daily reward of nine hundred gold coins. If we multiply that by thirty days of the month, we can reach a monthly reward of twenty-seven thousand gold coins. And in a year, 324,000 gold coins. One who is strict for all seventy years of his life to answer ninety amens a day can reach the huge some of 22,680,000 gold coins!
Let us pay attention, that even if the reward of answering amen was not stipulated in gold coins, whose value is tremendous [during the time of the Gemara (see Peah 8 8 and Rav Ovadia MiBartenura ibid) a person could live for a whole year from 200 zuz, which is eight gold coins!], but rather would promise a sum of ten dollars for every amen that is answered, is there a single person who would give up a monthly salary of $27,000?
Unfortunately, and shamefully, when we look around us, we have no choice but to determine that many of us do not properly value the answering of every single amen. A person who believes in the words of Chazal that the reward of every amen is tremendous will not be willing to miss even one amen (Aspaklaria Vol. 134 [Yom Hakippurim 5778] p. 81).
Fifty Gold Coins for Five Amens
This story took place during the times of the Ben Ish Chai:
There were two business partners who lived in Baghdad – they dealt in old clothes. On day, they heard about a non-Jewish family that was offering old clothes for sale, and as they usually did, they went together to check out the offer.
On the way, they passed a shul, and the gabbai came out to greet them and asked them to complete a minyan to recite Kaddish. That was when their paths diverged: One was afraid to lose out on the deal and he excused himself with the claim that his time was tight, while the other was of the view that “when a mitzvah comes your way to not miss the opportunity.” Without hesitating, he entered the shul, waited, and answered amen to the Kaddish, and only then did he continue on his way.
When he arrived at the site of the sale, he discovered that his friend had preceded him and had purchased most of the items, except a few faded rags that he had not found to be of any interest. But in order not to return empty-handed, he purchased those rags for pennies and turned to go home.
At home, a surprise awaited him. Among the rags was a faded pillow. When he unraveled the stitches to reuse the feathers, he found a pearl inside it. He hurried to a dealer, who appraised the value of the pearl as fifty gold coins, and he paid that amount for it on the spot.
The clothing dealer returned home, thrilled, while his wife, who was familiar with the nature of good stones, was angry to hear how much he had been paid for it and tried to persuade him that the dealer had tricked him and that he should go back and demand the real value of the pearl or cancel the deal. Before taking any action, the man decided to consult with his rebbi, the Ben Ish Chai. The Rav heard the story in detail and replied: “According to the words of Chazal (based on Tosafos ibid) it seems that the reward for every amen is ten gold coins. So, we find that because you heard Kaddish and answered five amens, then it is fair that you should get fifty gold coins in this world, in addition to the reward in Olam Haba, so why should you dispute the reward?!” (Ahavas Chaim Parashas Chayei Sarah)
