The Laws of Saying Amen

[muman613]

During Jewish prayers there are a number of places where the congregation is supposed to answer 'Amen' to the blessing. It is meritorious to say 'Amen' whenever you hear another Jew say a blessing. There are other responses during the service such as saying 'Baruch hu uvaruch Shemo'/'Blessed is he and Blessed is his name' and also 'Yehe Shme Raba Mevorach' during the Kaddish...

Here is what Chabad says about the response Amen:


http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/261102/jewish/The-Laws-of-Responding-Amen.htm

Printed from Chabad.org    
The Laws of Responding Amen

By Eliezer Wenger

When:

• One should respond Amen whenever he hears another saying a blessing, even if the blessing does not contain G-d's name, such as the "May the Merciful One be blessed..." in the Grace After Meals1.

• In order to answer Amen, one may either hear the complete blessing, the ending of the blessing, or at least know to which blessing one is answering Amen to. If he does not hear the blessing at all and does not know to which blessing he will be responding, he does not answer Amen2.

• It is appropriate to answer after hearing G-d's name in a blessing, "blessed is He and blessed is His Name" (Boruch hu uvaruch Shemo). However, since this is only a custom and not an institution of the Rabbis, one may not say it during prayers at points where one may not interrupt, such as during the "praises" (Pesukei dezimrah), even though he would be permitted to interrupt for Amen3.

• One is permitted to answer Amen to any blessing that he hears through a microphone or live hookup4.

• One should answer the Amen immediately after the blessing is completed. One should not answer a "Hurried Amen," that is an Amen which is said before the blessing is even completed. Nor a "orphaned Amen," that is an Amen which was said a while after the blessing was completed. (Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch O.C. 124:1)

When Not:

• It one completes his own blessing at the same time that another person finishes his blessing, one does not answer Amen on the other's blessing, for it appears as if he is saying Amen to his own blessing5.

• One should not answer Amen to an unnecessary blessing. For example, if one washed for a meal and then says a blessing on the vegetable salad (during a meal one does not say a blessing on the various other foods, as it is included in the blessing of bread), that second blessing is considered an unnecessary blessing and no response of Amen is said6.

• Amen is said to a blessing that a child says for something which he needs to say a blessing on such as over food before eating. However, if the child is saying a blessing as part of his learning routine, such as when practicing reading, Amen is not to be said7.

• If someone says a blessing, but changes the text as instituted by the Rabbis, one does not answer Amen8.

• One may answer Amen to a blessing said by a non-Jew, if he hears the complete blessing from beginning to end. If the non-Jew is a believer in idolatry, Amen is not said9.

• Whoever forces himself to be a cantor against the will of the congregation, is not entitled to have Amen answered to his blessing (that he says as the cantor)10.

During Prayers

• One should concentrate well when answering the "Amen Yehei Shmei Rabbah..." in Kaddish, for those who answer "Amen Yehei Shmei..." with the fullest power of concentration will even have their decree of seventy years torn up and given more years of life. Also, this should be said in a loud (not yelling or shouting) voice, for this too achieves the removal of all evil decrees11. The text:

    Transliteration: Amein. Y'hay sh'may raba m'vorach l'olam ul'ol'may ol'ma-yuh yis-buh-raych.

    Translation: May His great name be blessed forever and for all eternity.

• One who ends the last blessing before the morning Amidah prayer, "Go'al Yisroel," together with the quorum, does not answer Amen.

• In the prayers there are certain exceptions to this rule (that one finishes the same blessing together with another, does not respond Amen), such as the blessing of "May Your name be praised..." (Yishtabach). If the person saying Yishtabach ends at the same time as the cantor, he should answer Amen12.

• If however, he finishes a blessing at the same time as the cantor, but the blessings are different ones, then he responds Amen to the cantor's blessing13.
FOOTNOTES
1.    Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 215:2, 189:6.
2.    ibid 215:2, 124:11.
3.    ibid 124:8.
4.    Shaarei Halacha uMinhag Vol. 1 Page 166
5.    For that reason, on Yom Kippur night one must make sure to finish the blessing of shehecheyanu ("Who has granted us life...") before the chazzan so that he can answer to the cantor's blessing.
6.    Alter Rebbe's Shulchan aruch O.C. 215:3.
7.    ibid 215:2.
8.    ibid.
9.    ibid.
10.    ibid 53:29.
11.    ibid 56:2.
12.    Ibid 51:3.
13.    ibid.

[muman613]

http://www.torahtots.com/parsha/devarim/haazinu3.htm

The POWER of AMEN

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.

[muman613]

More Halachas regarding saying Amen:


http://www.dailyhalacha.com/Display.asp?PageIndex=84&ClipID=1111

Pronouncing and Saying Amen

The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 124:8) lists several situations of an improper response of "Amen" to a Beracha:

1) An "Amen Chatufa" refers to mispronouncing the word "Amen" as "Imen," as if there were a Sheva vowel, rather than Patach, underneath the letter Alef. It also means answering "Amen" too early, before the Beracha has been completed. One must ensure to properly pronounce the word as "Amen" rather than "Imen," and to wait until the Beracha is recited in its entirety before answering "Amen."

2) An "Amen Katufa," or "snipped" Amen, refers to a response of "Amen" without pronouncing the letter Nun at the end of the word. One must ensure to pronounce all three letters of the word.

3) An "Amen Ketzara," or "short Amen," means reciting the word "Amen" too quickly. One should recite the word in the amount of time it would take to say the three words, "Kel Melech Ne'eman," and no faster or slower than this duration of time. The Sages say that one who elongates his recitation of "Amen" is rewarded with a prolonged life. That said, one must ensure not to extend the response longer than the amount of time needed to say "Kel Melech Ne'eman."

4) The definition of the fourth category, "Amen Yetoma" (literally, an "orphaned" Amen), is subject to debate. According to the Rama, this refers to answering "Amen" without hearing the Beracha. For example, if a person walks into the synagogue and hears everyone answering "Amen," but he did not hear the actual Beracha, he should not – according to the Rama – join in their response, since he did not hear the Beracha. The Shulchan Aruch, however, disagrees, and permits reciting "Amen" even if one did not hear the Beracha. The term "Amen Yetoma," in his view, refers to a case of a person who recites a Beracha on behalf of another, so that the listener will fulfill his obligation by hearing the recitation, but he did not hear the entire Beracha. Only in such a case must one not recite "Amen" if he did not hear the Beracha; in all other cases, however, according to the Shulchan Aruch, one may recite "Amen" even if he did not hear the Beracha.

The Kaf Ha'chayim (Rabbi Chayim Palachi, rabbi of Izmir, Turkey, 19th century) writes that even the Shulchan Aruch would agree that one bears no obligation to answer "Amen" if he did not hear the Beracha. He merely permits responding "Amen" in such a case, while agreeing that one is not obligated to do so. Therefore, the Kaf Ha'chayim rules that in such a case one should preferably not answer "Amen," thereby satisfying both the view of the Shulchan Aruch and the position of the Rama.

Summary: One must ensure to pronounce the word "Amen" correctly, and to recite it only after the Beracha has been completed and in the amount of time needed to say the words "Kel Melech Ne'eman." One should preferably not answer "Amen" if he did not hear the Beracha.

[muman613]

And one more article on Amen posted on the Breslov website:


http://www.breslev.co.il/articles/judaism/concepts_in_judaism/one_word__amen.aspx?id=18660&language=english

One Word: Amen
By: Racheli Reckles
 

Imagine that you were given a master key that would open any vault in the world. Or, if you’re like me, imagine that you were given a master key that would open any jewelry store in the world! Any time, day or night, you could use that key to open the doors, breeze past the security guard, and take as much money or diamond jewelry as you want!  Fill up your pockets, purses, and garbage bags, take them home, and then come back for more! It’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet, except you don’t actually eat anything. Let me ask you...if you were given such an unbelievable opportunity, would you casually walk over to the heap of gold bars in the safe and slowly put them in your bags, or would you run like a madman (or woman) towards those glittering 10-carat diamond necklaces and stuff them in your bags faster than those lettuce-crazed contestants on “Supermarket Sweep”? Tough question, I know. But seriously, we are given such an opportunity every day, and most of us aren’t even aware of this! It’s literally like we’ve been given the winning lottery ticket, and we didn’t think to check our numbers!
 
What is this lottery ticket, you ask? To sum it up in one word, it is “AMEN”. Amen? That’s my winning numbers? How is this so? What is so special about this word? Let me first begin by quoting the Holy Zohar. In Parashat Vayelech, The Zohar states, “Open the gates and let the righteous nation enter- the nation that is ‘shomer emunim’. The nation that has emuna.”  The Zohar continues, “Don’t read it as ‘emunim’; read it as ‘shomer amenim’- the nation that is careful in answering Amen.” Amen comes from the root word “emuna”, faith. Not only are we hoping for the prayer to be answered when we say Amen, but we are also expressing our faith in the truth of those words that were just said. “Amen is the master key that opens up the gates to ALL blessings,” says Rabbi Eli Mansour.  This one word can give you every blessing you want in life.
 
Are you looking for a soulmate? Do you need shalom bayit? Are you hoping to have children? Do you need sustenance? Do you want good health and longevity? (Goodness, I sound like an insurance commercial!) Well, all of these things and more can be yours for the bargain price of just one Amen!  In the book, Just One Word, by Esther Stern, Rabbi Simcha Zissel of Kelm explains: “It would have been worthwhile for Hashem to have created the entire universe so that one Jew would say, ‘Baruch Hu u’baruch Shemo.’” A mishna in Avos tells us that one moment of spiritual pleasure in the World to Come contains more than all of the physical pleasure ever experienced in this world. With this in mind, Rabbi Zissel states that the reward for one “Baruch Hu u’baruch Shemo” is guaranteed eternal pleasure in the World to Come. He continues: “One Amen is 1,000 times greater than the reward for one ‘Baruch Hu u’baruch Shemo!’” Wait- it gets better! One “Amen! Yehei Shemei Rabba…” is 1,000 times greater than one Amen, making it 1,000,000 times greater than one “Baruch Hu u’baruch Shemo”! Then he goes on to say that one word of Torah study is 1,000 times greater than one “Amen! Yehei Shemei Rabba…”!
 
These are mind-boggling numbers that we can’t practically grasp. Can you imagine all of the joy that you have experienced so far in your life? Now imagine that happiness condensed into one hour. You would be bursting with pleasure! “Now,” explains Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler, “Add to that all of the pleasure experienced by everyone in the history of creation! Even this is still not as pleasurable as one moment of pleasure in the World to Come!” Reish Lakish, in Yeshaya, states, “The gates of Gan Eden are opened for all those who answered Amen with all of their might!” The Holy Shlah writes, “He who listens to a blessing and answers ‘Amen’ with kavanah, or focus and intention, creates in the heavens a tremendous amount of holiness and shefa.” What is shefa? One might compare it to a spiritual pipe that delivers an abundance of blessings each time it is opened. What opens that pipe? Among other things, the Amen!
 
What is the secret of the Amen? The Gemara, in Tractate Berachot, states that one who answers Amen is even greater than the one who said the blessing. What a seemingly backwards statement! The one who said the blessing seems to be like the main character, while the one that says Amen might be compared to a supportive character.  “If anything, maybe the guy saying Amen deserves an assist for doing so, but the main credit would seem to belong to the one saying the blessing,” Rabbi Mansour states. How is it possible that it is the opposite? The Maharsha explains using the following example: An army battalion fights a battle against an enemy unit. They are locked in a bloody battle, with each side fighting it’s hardest to be victorious. Then, a second battalion rides in and turns the tide with another line of attack. That reinforcement allows them to win the war and raise the flag of victory.  Upstairs, there is also an ongoing spiritual war being waged every day. There exists a Spiritual Supreme Court, where there are indeed defending angels and prosecuting angels- it’s like a spiritual version of Law & Order, except none of the lawyers are greedy and corrupt. When we say a blessing, we are in essence asking for a blessing to be granted to us. The prosecuting angel stands all day long making its case as to why we should not receive that blessing. Being that we’re no angels ourselves, we have made his case pretty easy! At the moment we say a blessing, it rises up and the bloody battle begins. We are asking for a blessing from The True Judge. The angel protests, “He doesn’t deserve this blessing! Look at all of his transgressions!” Now we’re in a gridlock- both sides are trying hard to defeat the opponent. But then, we hear a voice! “Wait!” someone yells as he flies through the double doors of the courtroom, waving a bunch of papers in his hand, “There is new compelling evidence as to why this person deserves the blessing!” What is this new evidence that causes us to win our case? It’s the Amen!!
 
What an unbelievably powerful tool! Even though we may not deserve all of the blessings that we ask for, just on the merit of the Amen do we receive them! With just one Amen, we open up the gates of Heaven and cause the abundance of blessings to be showered on the entire world! Furthermore, the Chofetz Chaim wrote, “The ‘Amen Yehei Shemei Rabba’ that the men and young boys say in shul save thousands of people from death! Those who encourage others to do so have a tremendous merit, since they are effecting salvations for Klal Yisrael!” WOW! This makes me want to jump out of my chair and run from shul to shul, telling everyone how powerful the Amen is! Did you know that even the Holy Arizal used to go from minyan to minyan just in order to answer Amen? The Ashminover Rebbe used to do the same. Why did the Rebbe do this instead of spending his precious time studying Torah? After all, isn’t Torah study supposed to be the greatest use of one’s time? Actually, during these times when he went around answering “Amen”, he was really annulling harsh decrees on the world and instead causing an abundance of blessing to be brought down from Above. In many shuls, people have made it a custom to get the young boys to gather together to answer “Amen, Yehei Shemei Rabba” in order to help them overcome tremendous difficulties. Mrs. Stern provides numerous examples of how people with failing health have miraculously recovered and lived way beyond the doctors’ expectations, just from the merit of instituting this practice in the shuls! Also, people who have been childless have also used this segula in order to be blessed with children! If you are interested in starting this practice in your shul, please don’t forget to bring small treats for the boys! What is so special about the boys participating? As we know, children have a spiritual purity that most adults just don’t have anymore; this makes their prayers and Amens especially powerful. There is no garbage to get in the middle of their innocent souls and pure intentions. Their prayers rise up and split the heavens, reaching all the way to the Throne of Glory!
 
Let’s take a closer look at the Kaddish. What makes it so special? I’m no rabbi, but I can offer a few answers that I have discovered. To begin with, we should know that the Shechina, or the feminine aspect of The Creator, is in exile with us. She suffers from tremendous pain as a result of the pain that we are experiencing. However, the Kaddish prayer transforms that pain felt by the Shechina into joy. We cannot with our limited brains understand this type of pain. But, when we answer “Amen, Yehei Shemei Rabba”, we arouse tremendous compassion on the entire world. “We are also crying out for the suffering of the Shechina,” explains Mrs. Stern.  The more we make an effort to feel the pain of the separation between the Shechina and The Creator, the closer we bring ourselves to the Final Redemption.  The Holy Zohar explains the connection of the Kaddish to the Mashiach: “Above the Heavenly abode of those who answer Amen Yehei Shemei Rabba stands the sanctuary of Mashiach. He ascends due to their merit, and comes to stand among them.” The time right before the Final Redemption is a time of “chevlei Mashiach”, or the birthpangs of the Mashiach. What does this mean?  Just like in labor, the most intense contractions occur just before the mother receives her most precious gift. We are in that time of intense challenges, many of which we feel we can’t overcome. This is the time we need to focus more than ever on bringing blessings and protection for ourselves, our families, and the entire world.
 
There are three major ways we can actively do this: First, we should perform acts of kindness. Second, we should study Torah. Third, we should answer “Amen, Yehei Shemei Rabba”! Not only can this powerful phrase bring us tremendous salvations- it can actually overturn verdicts! The Gemara in Tractate Shabbat states, “R. Yehoshua ben Levi said: ‘Everyone who answers Amen! Yehei Shemei Rabba with all his strength (will merit that) his verdict is annulled- even a decree of seventy years!’” Imagine- even once a verdict has been passed on us from the Heavenly Supreme Court, one “Amen! Yehei Shemei Rabba” can overturn that verdict! Can you imagine such a thing happening in the U.S. Supreme Court, or any other court for that matter? Absolutely not! You’d have to go through an appeals court, maybe get a retrial if it is allowed to go that far. This could cost thousands and thousands of dollars in legal fees, not to mention the extra months or years you might spend trying to overturn that verdict. In the meantime, you’ve got to serve out your sentence! But with one simple phrase said with the proper intention of connecting to G-d, we can instantly overturn a Heavenly decree against us! This is unbelievable mercy! One more word about the Kaddish- a person with deceased parents uses this powerful prayer to elevate their souls. In the spiritual world, one cannot move up on his own; only by the merit of the good deeds their children perform on earth can they be elevated. This is the most powerful way to elevate the souls of those that have moved on.
 
Let’s now take a look at the Shema prayer. How does this connect with the Kaddish? Before Yaakov Avinu passed away, he wanted to share with his sons the secrets of the end of days and the coming of Mashiach. However, G-d took away his divine inspiriation. As a result, Yaakov feared that maybe one of his sons was not worthy. They thus replied, “Shema Yisrael…”, to which he answered, “Baruch Shem Kevod…” Another version of the story is in Targum Yerushalmi, which states that Yaakov responded with “Yehei Shemei Rabba…” So which one is it? Amazingly, these two statements are one and the same! However, “Baruch Shem Kevod” is a prayer that belongs to the angels. They are the only ones who can say this praise out loud. We are supposed to say this quietly because this is their song.  Only on Yom Kippur are we allowed to say it out loud, because on that day we are compared to the angels. In order not to arouse their jealousy, we say the Aramaic translation of this phrase, which is none other than “Yehei Shemei Rabba”! This one phrase is the most elevated of praises we can use to praise G-d.
 
Another powerful aspect of the Amen is the gift we can give our children through this one word. The Ramah says, “A child merits the World to Come the first time he says Amen.” With just one word, we have now given our children the gift of the World to Come! Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe, in his amazing book, “Planting and Building: Raising a Jewish Child”, discusses the secret to helping our children develop emuna from a young age. That secret is in the Amen! When we speak with others, children pay close attention to what we say, how we say it, and the response we get from the other person. But, when a child sees us say a blessing with focus and intention, apparently speaking with no one, this excites their curiosity. Who are we speaking with? Through our concentration on saying our blessings, the child can tell that it’s Someone Important that we’re speaking with, though he’s not sure who it is. Saying a blessing is a cornerstone in emuna, because it attests to our faith in the concept of G-d and our belief that He hears our prayers and is personally involved in our lives.  As the child’s comprehension develops, he will begin to ask questions, such as, “Who made the sun and moon? Where did everything come from?” Now is the perfect to begin a simple explanation of The Creator. By accustoming the child to answer Amen to our blessings, we are not only putting him on the path of a strong connection with G-d, we are also helping him to develop emuna through our example of making a connection with something he can’t see or understand with his five senses. Eventually, children tend to emulate their parents (for better and for worse)- so what a great way to help the child realize that there is a Creator who is beyond the realm of logic and rationale!
 
Dear readers, I hope that this information will inspire you- not just to focus on saying “Amen” more, but to share this vital, life-changing information with others. With this information you have been given the tools to not only overcome tremendous obstacles in your lives; you now have a responsibility to help others do the same. We are all in the same boat- we all want to experience the end of chaos and suffering. We all want to experience the glory of The Holy Temple and a return of the Divine Presence to our midst. So run, don’t walk to your shul, school, or women’s group- make photocopies, pass it out, do anything you can to share this information with Klal Yisrael. Imagine all of the merits and blessings you will be receiving for yourselves and your loved ones just by sharing the power of the Amen! Now that I have handed you the baton, take it and run! May we all play an instrumental part in the bringing the Mashiach speedily and in our days, Amen!


      

[muman613]

Interestingly enough Jeremy Gimpel of Israel National News decided to do an article on why we should say 'Amen'...

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/11079#.TwVSL0RSQYp

Judaism: The Symbolism of the Word "Amen"

The Jewish religion combines faith and action. You can't have one without the other.
Jeremy Gimpel

There are old stereotypes about the Jewish People that say that Judaism is not a spiritual religion, it is one of ritual and action instead. These people say that Jews don't deal with faith, but simply follow the laws of the Torah.

The video below is intended to dispel that misconception.

What is Biblical Faith? How do you know if you really believe? What does the word “faith” really mean?

The Hebrew language unlocks the secrets of the universe. So many people around the world say "Amen". So few people know what it actually means. "Amen" is a Hebrew word and is the root of the Hebrew word "Emunah", which means faith.  

How do the Jewish People express their faith? There are answers to these questions in the ancient faith of Israel and with a deeper understanding of Hebrew and the Torah.



Jeremy Gimpel is the founder of "the land of israel.com", an organization dedicated to strengthening the emotional and spiritual connection of people around the world to the land of Israel. He is the host of “Tuesday Night Live in Jerusalem”, Israel’s only Jewish English television show broadcast internationally. He also hosts the popular radio show “A Light Unto the Nations” on Israel National Radio.

[Ephraim Ben Noach]

How do you pronounce Amen! Yehei Shemei Rabba?

[muman613]

How do you pronounce Amen! Yehei Shemei Rabba?

Like you just typed it... Amen, Yehe Shme Rabba...

This is a response in the Kaddish prayer, which we say in memory of our departed relatives.

I will be saying Kaddish this Tuesday in memory of my father who died on the 22 of Tevet 5770.

The prayer is an exaltation of Hashems glorious name, and the response is full is "Amen Yehe Shme Rabba Mevorach LaOlam Olmay Olmaya" which means "Amen, May his great name be blessed forever and ever"...

[muman613]

MOURNER'S KADDISH
An English Translation


Glorified and sanctified be G-d's great name throughout the world which He has created according to His will. May He establish His kingdom in your lifetime and during your days, and within the life of the entire House of Israel, speedily and soon; and say, Amen.

May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity.

Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored, adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, beyond all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations that are ever spoken in the world; and say, Amen.

May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us
and for all Israel; and say, Amen.

He who creates peace in His celestial heights, may He create peace for us and for all Israel; and say, Amen.

[muman613]

[muman613]

This is a good explanation of why we say Kaddish:

[muman613]

One more video on the Kaddish prayer:

[Ephraim Ben Noach]

Thanks muman! Hope everything gos well tuesday!