The mitzvah of meah brachos is well known. Everyone knows that we have to recite a fixed quota of brachos each day that should not amount to less than 100. But the fact is also that answering amen was also given a daily quota by Chazal – 90 – and that is less known. This quota, whose source is in the Zohar, is brought in the poskim as a worthy practice for each person to follow and to be strict about each day.
Ideally, the completion of the 90 amens is through answering amen to brachos, aside for the amens that are an obligation to answer to Kaddish (see Shu”t Rem”a MiPano, siman 109 and Magen Avraham 6 9). We need to realize that in contrast to the mitzvah of meah brachos that each person can fulfill every day in his regular behavior, the matter of ninety amens to brachos is a practice that one needs to make an effort to fulfill. Because even if we add up all the amens to all the brachos of tefillah heard by the shaliach tzibbur, we will still only reach about half of the quota that was instituted by Chazal. It is possible that for this reason, the passuk alludes (Yeshayah, 26:2): “Tzaddik shomer emunim” – to reach ninety amens, one needs to guard and await the recital of brachos.
The need to meet the daily quota of ninety amens is the main reason why Am Yisrael has the custom of answering amen to the Birchos Hashachar of other mispallelim. One who hears Birchos Hashachar from at least three people can easily cover his daily quota (see Mishnah Berurah 6 13).
But it is a big segulah to complete the daily quota of amens immediately in the morning, through hearing Birchos Hashachar from at least six people. The Chida (Midbar Kedmos, Ma’areches Aleph 31) writes that completing the ninety amens bestows upon a person and his family special Divine protection for that day, as the passuk says (Tehillim 91:7): “Yipol mitzidcha eleph urevavah miyeminecha eilecha lo yigash.” Would we easily forfeit such protection?
We can find an allusion to the words of the Chida from the passuk in this parashah (Bereishis ויאמרו“ :)47:25 – the ”החיתנו נמצא חן בעיני אדני word החיתנו is in the merit of נמצא– whose letters are צ אמן.
Let us rise early to go to shul, and answer Birchos Hashachar said by other mispallelim and we will merit to accrue ninety amens that will protect us and our families.
Good Shabbos
Yaakov Dov Marmurstein
ת.ד 102 בני ברק | פקס : 03-5055919
[email protected]
