Vayelech: Chapter 7

Answering Amen

Synopsis

Rabbi Yehuda says that the person who says the 'Amen' is even greater than the person who makes the blessing, because the 'Amen' draws blessings from the fountain of Binah. There follows a long discussion of the importance of the 'Amen.'

Amen Blessing Samuel Zeir Anpin

36. Rabbi Yehuda said, "And they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed" (I Shmuel 2:30), refers to he who does not know how to glorify his Master and does not concentrate when saying Amen. For we learned that he who answers Amen is more valuable than he who makes the blessings. We have presented it before Rabbi Shimon, WHO SAID THAT HE WHO ANSWERS Amen draws blessings from the spring, WHO IS BINAH, to the King, ZEIR ANPIN, and from the King to the Queen. In the Engraved Letters by Rabbi Elazar HE SAID 'FROM Aleph OF AMEN, WHICH IS BINAH, to Mem OF AMEN, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, and from Mem of Amen to final Nun, WHICH IS MALCHUT.' When the blessings reach final Nun, WHICH IS MALCHUT, blessings come out from there to the upper and lower beings and expand through everything. When the sound comes out, they drink of the blessings so-and-so has brought forth, a servant of the Holy King.

36. א"ר יְהוּדָה, וּבוֹזַי יֵקָלּוּ, מַאן דְּלָא יָדַע לְאוֹקִיר לְמָארֵיהּ, וְלָא אִתְכַּוָּון בְּאָמֵן, דְּתָנֵינָן גָּדוֹל הָעוֹנֶה אָמֵן יוֹתֵר מִן הַמְּבָרֵךְ. וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא קַמֵּיהּ דר"ש, דְּאָמֵן, מָשִׁיךְ בִּרְכָאן מִמַּבּוּעָא לְמַלְכָּא, וּמִמַּלְכָּא לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא. וּבְאַתְוָון גְּלִיפִין דְּרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, מֵאָלֶ"ף לְמֵ"ם, וּמִמֵּ"ם לְנוּ"ן. כֵּיוָן דְּמָטוּ בִּרְכָאן לְנוּן, מִתַּמָּן נַגְדִּין וְנָפְקִין בִּרְכָאן לְעִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי, וּמִתְפַּשְּׁטֵי בְּכֺלָּא. וְקָלָא נָפִיק אִתְשַׁקְיוּ מִשַּׁקִיוּתָא דְּבִרְכָן, דְּאַפִּיק פְּלַנְיָא עַבְדָּא דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא.

Amen Blessing Gates Heart Prayer Righteous World to Come, The

37. When Yisrael below guard themselves to answer Amen and meditate in their heart as needs be, how many openings of blessings are open above, how much goodness is present throughout the worlds, how much joy abounds in everything! What is the reward of Yisrael to have brought this about? Their reward is in this world and in the World to Come. In this world, when they are beset by enemies and they say their prayer before their Master, the sound proclaims throughout the worlds, "Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faithfulness (Heb. emunim) may enter in" (Yeshayah 26:2). Do not pronounce it 'emunim' but 'Amenim (Amen plural),' WHICH MEANS THAT THEY ARE CAREFUL TO ANSWER AMEN. "Open the gates," as Yisrael opened to them the gates of blessings, so now "open the gates" and let their prayer be accepted which is about those who distress them.

37. וְכַד יִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַתָּא, מְשַׁמְּרִין לְאָתָבָא אָמֵן, לְכַוְּונָא לִבַּיְיהוּ כְּמָה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ, כַּמָה פִּתְחִין דְּבִרְכָּאן פְּתִיחָן לֵיהּ לְעֵילָּא, כַּמָה טָבָאן מִשְׁתַּכְּחִין בְּכֻלְּהוּ עָלְמִין, כַּמָה חֵדוּ בְּכֺלָּא. מַאי אֲגָר לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל דְּגַרְמִין הַאי. אֲגָר לְהוּ בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין, וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּעָאקִין לְהוּ, וּמְצַלָּן צְלוֹתָא קַמֵּי מָארֵיהוֹן, קָלָא מַכְרְזָא בְּכֻלְּהוּ עָלְמִין, פִּתְחוּ שְׁעָרִים וְיָבוֹא גּוֹי צַדִּיק שׁוֹמֵר אֱמוּנִים אַל תִּקְרֵי אֱמוּנִים, אֶלָּא אֲמֵנִים. פִּתְחוּ שְׁעָרִים, כְּמָה דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל פַּתְחִין לְהוּ תַּרְעִין דְּבִרְכָּאן, כַּךְ הַשְׁתָּא פִּתְחוּ שְׁעָרִים, וְתִתְקַבֵּל צְלוֹתְהוֹן מֵאִינּוּן דְּעָאקִין לְהוּ.

Amen Blessing Gates Soul, The World to Come, The

38. This is THEIR REWARD in this world. What is their reward in the World to Come? AND HE ANSWERS, It is when a man leaves this world, where he observed answering Amen. By "observed" is meant that he observes the blessing that is said and awaits the man who says it so as to answer Amen AFTER IT, as needs be. Then his soul rises and proclaims before him, "open the gates" before him, as he used to open gates every day, when he observed emunim, THAT IS AMENIM.

38. הַאי בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין, בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי מַאי אַגְרַיְיהוּ. דְּכַד יִפּוּק ב"נ מֵהַאי עָלְמָא, דַּהֲוָה שׁוֹמֵר לְאָתָבָא אָמֵן. מַאי שׁוֹמֵר. כְּלוֹמַר, נָטִיר, הַהִיא בְּרָכָה דְּאָמַר הַהוּא דִּמְבָרֵךְ, וּמְחַכֶּה לֵיהּ לְאָתָבָא אָמֵן, כְּמָה דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ. נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ סַלְּקָא וּמַכְרְזֵי קַמֵּיהּ, פִּתְחוּ שְׁעָרִים קַמֵּיהּ, כְּמָה דְּאִיהוּ הֲוָה פָּתַח תַּרְעִין כָּל יוֹמָא, כַּד הֲוָה שׁוֹמֵר אֱמוּנִים.

Amen Flow Grades Hebrew Letters Rivers

39. Rabbi Yosi said, What is Amen? Rabbi Aba said, Everything has been explained. Amen is called the spring of the flowing river, WHICH IS BINAH, and is called Amen, because it is written, "then I was by him, as a nursling (Heb. amon)" (Mishlei 8:30). Do not pronounce it amon but Amen. The sustenance of all THE GRADES, NAMELY that river that emerges and flows, WHICH IS BINAH, is called Amen. As we have learned, "from everlasting to everlasting (lit. 'world to world')" (Tehilim 106:48), means from the world above, WHICH IS BINAH, to the world below, WHICH IS MALCHUT. Here too, "Amen, and Amen" is Amen of above, WHICH IS BINAH, Amen of below, WHICH IS MALCHUT. Amen MEANS sustenance for everyone. We have already explained Amen according to its letters.

39. א"ר יוֹסֵי א"ר יְהוּדָה, מַאי אָמֵן. א"ר אַבָּא, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ כֺּלָּא, אָמֵן אִקְרֵי מַבּוּעָא דְּהַהוּא נַחֲלָא דְּנָגִיד, אָמֵן אִקְרֵי, דִּכְתִּיב וָאֶהְיֶה אֶצְלוֹ אָמוֹן, אַל תִּקְרֵי אָמוֹן, אֶלָּא אָמֵן. קִיּוּמָא דְּכֻלְּהוּ הַהוּא נַחֲלָא דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק, אָמֵן אִקְרֵי, דְּתַנְיָא מִן הָעוֹלָם וְעַד הָעוֹלָם, עוֹלָם דִּלְעֵילָּא, עוֹלָם דִּלְתַתָּא. אוֹף הָכָא אָמֵן וְאָמֵן, אָמֵן דִּלְעֵילָּא, אָמֵן דִּלְתַּתָּא. אָמֵן קִיוּמָא דְּכֻלְּהוּ, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא אָמֵן בְּאִינּוּן אַתְוָון.

Amen Blessing Flow Rivers Well

40. Rabbi Shimon said, Aleph OF AMEN is the depth of the well, whence all the blessings flow and come out and exist. Open Mem is the river that emerges and flows, WHICH IS YESOD, and is called Mem. This is the meaning of what we learned that open Mem IS YESOD, closed final Mem IS BINAH, as we established BY THE VERSE, "for the increase (Heb. lemarbeh, spelled with final Mem) of the realm" (Yeshayah 9:6).

40. ר"ש אָמַר, אָלֶף עֲמִיקָא דְּבֵירָא דְּכָל בִּרְכָאן מִתַּמָּן נַבְעִין וְנָפְקִין, וּמִשְׁתַּכְחִין. מֵ"ם פְּתוּחָה, נַהֲרָא דְּנָגֵיד וְנָפִיק, וְאִקְרֵי מֵ"ם. וְהוּא רָזָא דְּתָנֵינָן, מֵ"ם פְּתוּחָה, מֵ"ם סְתוּמָה. כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא, לְםַרְבֵּה הַמִּשְׂרָה.

Amen Female Male Mishnah Nukva Zeir Anpin

41. Extended final Nun comprises both Nun's, extended Nun and bent Nun, WHICH MEANS IT INCLUDES IN ITSELF THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN AS WELL CALLED BENT NUN. Extended final Nun comprises the letter Vav, BECAUSE IT INCLUDES WITHIN IT THE MALE AS WELL, WHICH IS THE LETTER VAV, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN. FOR EXTENDED FINAL NUN IS EXPANDED, INCLUDING BOTH MALE AND FEMALE, WHICH ARE ZEIR ANPIN THAT IS VAV AND MALCHUT THAT IS NUN. For that reason everything TOGETHER is called Nun Vav final Nun. We have learned it according to the secret of the Mishnah: Vav is masculine, extended final Nun is both masculine and feminine, bent Nun is comprised in extended final Nun. In the book of Rav Hamnuna Saba, the Mem here IN AMEN is the initial of Melech (Eng. 'king'), namely Amen. Amen is the initials of El Melech Ne'aman (Eng. 'El a faithful King'), which comprises everything. It is good and we have already learned that.

41. נוּן פְּשׁוּטָה, כְּלָלָא דִּתְרֵין נוּנִין, נוּן פְּשׁוּטָה, נוּן כְּפוּפָה. נוּן פְּשׁוּטָה כְּלָלָא דְּאָת וָא"ו, בג"כ כֺּלָּא אִקְרֵי נוּן וָאו נוּן. וּבְרָזָא דְּמַתְנִיתָא הָכִי תָּאנָא, ו' דְּכַר, ן' פְּשׁוּטָה כְּלָלָא דִּדְכַר וְנוּקְבָּא, נוּן כְּפוּפָה, בִּכְלָלָא דִּפְשׁוּטָה הִיא. וּבְסִפְרָא דְּרַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא, מֵם דְּהָכָא, הִיא נוֹטָרִיקוֹן מֶלֶ"ךְ, וְהַיְינוּ אָמֵן, אָמֵ"ן נוֹטָרִיקוֹן, אֵ"ל מֶ"לֶךְ נֶ"אֱמָן. כְּלָלָא דְּכֺלָּא, וְשַׁפִּיר הוּא, וְהָא אִתְּמַר.

Amen Blessing Gates Heart Priests Punishment Soul, The

42. We learned that whoever heard a blessing someone made but did not meditate IN HIS HEART on the Amen, of him it says, "And they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed," as in, "to you, O priests, who despise My name" (Malachi 1:6). What is his punishment? Just as he did not make an opening for blessings above, no blessings are opened for him. Moreover, when he comes out of this world, a proclamation resounds before him, saying, close the gates before so-and-so, so he may not enter. Do not accept him. Woe to him, woe to his soul.

42. תָּאנָא, כָּל מַאן דְּשָׁמַע בְּרָכָה מֵהַהוּא דִּמְבָרֵךְ, וְלָא אִתְכְּוָון בְּאָמֵן, עָלֵיהּ נֶאֱמַר וּבוֹזַי יֵקָלּוּ. כד"א, לָכֶם הַכֺּהֲנִים בּוּזִי שְׁמִי מַאי עוֹנְשֵׁיהּ. כְּמָה דְּלָא פָּתַח בִּרְכָאן לְעֵילָּא, כַּךְ לָא פַּתְחִין לֵיהּ. וְלֺֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא כַּד נָפִיק מֵהַאי עָלְמָא, מַכְרִיזֵי קַמֵּיהּ, וְאַמְרֵי, טְרוּקוּ גַּלֵי קַמֵּיהּ דִּפְלַנְיָיא, וְלָא לִיעוּל, וְלָא תְּקַבְּלוּן לֵיהּ, וַוי לֵיהּ וַוי לְנִשְׁמָתֵיהּ.

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