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KI
SHAYM HASHEM EKRA….
When
I call out the Name of Hashem, ascribe greatness to our G-d.
Devarim
(Deuteronomy)
32:3
From
this verse, Our Sages derived:
- That a blessing
is recited before Torah study: (Brachot 21a);
- That when three
or more people eat together, one calls upon the others to join
in Zimmun, communal recitation of Grace After Meals. (Brachot
45a)
- When G-d's sacred
Name was heard in the Bait Hamikdash, those assembled there
were to respond aloud "Boruch Shaym K'vod Malchuto L'olam Va-ed."
"Blessed is the Name of His glorious kingdom for all eternity."
(Taanit 16b).
Today,
whenever the Chazzan (cantor) in Shul (Synagogue)
mentions G-d's name in a Bracha (blessing), and also when
we hear an individual say a Bracha, we respond with a blessing.
When
we hear Hashem's Name at the beginning of the Bracha,
we respond "Boruch Hu U'Varuch Sh'mo," and at the end of
the Bracha we respond "Amen," (pronounced Amain).
"Amen"
is short for "(K)ayl Melech Ne'eman" (Hashem, Trustworthy
King). The letters of "Amen, " "Aleph, Mem, and Nun,"
are the first letters of each word in this phrase.
What
you are really saying when you respond "Amen," to a Bracha
is: "It is true, and I believe what is being said."
It is
a great mitzva to answer "Amen" when one hears another
person's Bracha. One who answers "Amen" is considered
greater than the one who said the Bracha. (Brachot
53b).
"There
is nothing as precious to Hashem as the answering of "Amen"
(Devarim Raba)."
The reward
for answering "Amen," "Borchu" and "Amen Y'hei
Shmei Rabba…" is tremendous. Our Sages teach us that one who
answers "Amen, Y'hei Shmei Rabba" with all of his might,
all his sins are forgiven.
However,
the punishment for not answering "Amen" is very severe.
This
awesome story from the Sefer "Moreshet Avot" reveals
how severe the punishment for not answering "Amen" to a Bracha
can be.
"Rav
Mordechai Yaffo (known as the "Levush") once went to study
by a great Sephardic Scholar named Rabbi Abohav.
One day
Rabbi Abohav's son made a Bracha and everyone answered "Amen"
except for Rabbi Yaffo. Rabbi Abohav was so angry with him that
he excommunicated him.
After
30 days, Rabbi Yaffo asked forgiveness which Rabbi Abohav granted.
Rabbi
Abohav then told him a story depicting the severe punishment for
not answering "Amen," explaining that he excommunicated him
to save him from a harsher punishment.
"Before
the expulsions in Spain of 1492,
there were holy Jewish communities there. The King attempted to
expel them many times, but there was this one pious Jew whom the
King liked very much and he would always save the Jews from expulsion.
After
one such edict, the Jews came to the king's friend begging him to
intervene on their behalf. He agreed to go to the King, but wished
to daven Mincha (say his afternoon prayers) first. They persuaded
him to go immediately, since it was a matter of life or death.
The King
was very happy to see him, and they started conversing about the
decree. Meanwhile, a priest came in and started to bless the King
with some long Latin blessing. The Jew, who had not yet davened
Mincha, withdrew to a corner and started to daven, hoping
that he would finish davening (praying) before the priest
would conclude his blessing, thus his absence would go unnoticed.
The priest,
however, concluded his blessing while the Jew was still davening
Mincha, and called upon everyone present to answer "Amen"
on his blessing. Everyone answered "Amen" except the Jew
who was still davening.
Afterwards,
the priest asked the Jew if he answered "Amen" to his blessing.
When the pious Jew told him that he didn't answer "Amen,"
the priest flew into a rage. He started ripping his hair out, screaming
that now his blessing will not be fulfilled because the Jew didn't
answer "Amen."
When
the King heard this, he also became furious and ordered the Jew
be killed with a cruel death and his body sent home. He then expelled
all the Jews from his kingdom.
A close
friend of the murdered Jew fasted for many days to be allowed to
know what sin this pious Jew had committed to deserve such a cruel
death. The murdered Jew appeared to his friend in a dream and explained
to him that one time, (and only one time), he neglected to answer
"Amen" to his child's blessing. Until this incident the Heavenly
Court didn't prosecute him. When this priest got angry over his
lack of saying "Amen," the Heavenly Court prosecuted him
and sentenced him to die such a horrible death."
"Rabbi
Abohav concluded; "Heaven will forgive you on the condition that
you publicize this story, and warn everyone to be careful and always
answer 'Amen'.""
If this
is the punishment for not answering "Amen," we can imagine
how much reward is in store for those who answer "Amen."
In the
Sefer "Mofes Hador," the biography of Rebbe Yechezkel
Levenstien, It is said that he once saw a grandchild of Rebbe Yisroel
Salanter crying.
He asked
the boy of five years old, "Why are you crying, sweet one?"
The child
said, "Because I want to eat."
"Why
don't you eat?" Rebbe Yechezkel asked him.
"Because
I need first to recite a blessing," the child answered.
"Do you
not know the blessing to be recited over this food?" Rebbe Yechezkel
asked.
"Yes,
I know it," the child responded, "but there is no one to answer
"Amen" after my blessing. How can I say it?"
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