What is the exact meaning of amen and where does the word come from?
David H.
(Via E-Mail)
Last week, we cited a second responsum of Rabbi J. Simcha Cohen in which he discusses the proper response to Birkat Hagomel: “Mi shegemalcha kol tov, Hu yigmal’cha kol tov selah – May He who bestowed goodness upon you continue to bestow goodness upon you forever.” The Aruch Hashulchan posits that prior to saying Mi shegemalcha one should say amen. (This does not seem to be the majority view.)
Rabbi Cohen seeks to understand why this berachah merits a special response. He cites HaGaon HaRav Yosef Eliyahu Henkin, zt”l (Teshuvot Ivra, siman 5), who notes that we don’t say amen in response to the berachah of Baruch Dayan Ha’emet because amen is like saying, “So shall it be in the future” and we don’t want t say this in response to bad news. Perhaps the same logic applies to Birkat Hagomel. We don’t wish people to have to undergo emergency situations, even if the end of the story is positive, so we say Mi shegemalcha instead of amen.
Rabbi Cohen also cites Rabbi Baruch HaLevi Epstein and notes that Birkat Hagomel is a communal prayer due to the synagogue’s response, and a communal prayer is more potent than a private individual prayer.
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Earlier in our discussion we cited the Aruch Hashulchan (Orach Chayim 124:11) who notes, “A person should respond amen to each and every blessing whether or not he has already fulfilled his obligation.” He adds, “As for one who does not respond, his sin is great.” Due to the gravity of this statement, it is important to determine what constitutes hearing and what constitutes being present.
Interestingly, my uncle HaRav Sholom Klass, zt”l, discussed this many years ago (Responsa of Modern Judaism, vol. III p.363) addressing the question of whether one may fulfill one’s obligation of keriat Megillah over the telephone. His response includes the views of many authorities. We shall base the next segments on his response.
Rabbi Klass answered: There are many views on the question of listening the megillah being read over a microphone or telephone. Responsa Yerushas Pleita (Rabbi Shlisil, av beit din, Munkacz, responsum 10) discusses this question and b’sha’at ha’dechak (in time of emergency) permits listening to the megillah, keriat haTorah, and even the blowing of the shofar over a telephone or a microphone. He builds his case on the fact that what one is hearing is the voice of the person himself, not an echo.
The author of She’elot u’Teshuvot Pnei Meivin, (Orach Chayyim, chap. 103) also permits hearing the megillah and keriat haTorah over the telephone, but not the blowing of the shofar. He compares the latter to blowing into a hole with listeners hearing an echo, which isn’t sufficient.
Rabbi Chaim Elazar Spira of Munkacz writes in Minchat Elazar that a person who hears a blessing over the telephone should answer amen. He should also respond to Barchu and Kedusha if the person has in mind to discharge the obligation of those listening. Regarding shofar, though, he too posits that listening to a shofar blown over the telephone is like listening to an echo and insufficient to fulfill one’s obligation.
Rabbi Sholom Klass cites as well Responsa Pnei Meivin (103) and Responsa Halacha L’Moshe (6:72), which both concur that the same laws mentioned above apply to sound coming over the radio as well. However, he notes that the Gaon Rabbi Bentzion Meir Chai Uziel, Rishon L’zion, Chief Rabbi of Palestine (Responsa Mishpetei Uziel, vol. 1:21) states that one cannot fulfill mitzvos in this manner.
My uncle further cites from Responsa Sha’arei De’ah, which concludes that in time of an emergency one can fulfill the mitzvah of listening to the shofar over the telephone. What constitutes an emergency? The answer is found in Responsa Yerushas Pleita (cited above) which offers an example: If one is incarcerated, one may listen to the shofar over the radio if a non-Jew turns on the switch. Rabbi Alter Moshe Eliyahu Shtiglitz (Tzlach Hachodosh) disagrees, arguing that any mitzvah whose fulfillment requires external help may not be done via that external help (e.g., a radio, microphone, or telephone).
(To be continued)