Walk Through the Parsha by Rabbi David Walk

Amen
Ki Tavo-5767
August 29, 2007
The image of a Christian congregation yelling, "Amen!" to the exhortation of the minister has become a bit of a cliché, but it is a powerful picture. I remember the moving scene in the Sidney Poitier movie Lilies of the Field (1963), for which he won an Academy Award, when he leads the rest of the cast in singing Amen. Only slightly different is the compelling experience of hearing over 1200 students intoning Amen in the study hall of the Ponovitch yeshiva in B'nei Brak. This modest, little word has become the universal expression of resounding affirmation. This concept of publicly responding Amen with conviction comes from this week's Torah reading.

Moshe instructs the Jews (Deuteronomy 27:12f) that when they cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land they must perform a reconfirmation of the covenant with God outside the city of Shechem (aka Nablus). The site was significant because half the tribes would stand on the verdant slopes of Har Grizim while the other half would stand on the bleak, brown landscape of Har Eival. The choice of blessing starkly faced the consequence of curse. The Cohanim would stand in the valley between the hills and announce the content of the covenant, which contained specific curses for the performance of particular heinous acts. After each pronouncement the entire nation was bound to respond Amen. The scene must have been compelling. The first time that the Torah demanded an amen response was in the case of the wife suspected of infidelity (Numbers 5:22), but that was a private pronouncement.

The word itself seems to derive from the Hebrew word for faith or trust. We are exhorted to confirm our belief in positive statements of belief, whenever we hear them. Jewish law (Shulchan Oruch, Orach Chayim, section 124) is quite specific about answering amen to blessings and prayers and refraining from this response to negative or unworthy statements. There are three basic guidelines for uttering amen, which I would like to emphasize. First, the amen must only be responded to a statement which is clearly identifiable to the observer. Don't say amen if you don't know what's being said. Next, the amen must be connected to the statement or blessing, not too early, not too late, just right. Finally, the amen should not be louder than the statement or blessing being responded to. This last rule can be compromised if a parent or teacher is trying to encourage their charges to join in the response.

The Zohar says that one who concentrates on the entire content of a blessing and then responds amen increases holiness on high and causes tremendous abundance to descend to us below. That person is opening up the divine sources of blessing and is comparable to one who opens up a fountain which irrigates great fields. This amen opens the heavenly gates and not only helps the initial blessing to enter, but also allows other prayers to enter as well. The point of this Zohar seems to be that blessings tap into the heavenly sources of God's bounty, and the sincere addition of an amen increases many fold the power of the original blessing.

There are two major sources in our Talmud for the importance of amen. One is in tractate Shabbat (119b), and states that according to Reish Lakish anyone who says amen with all their strength opens the gates of heaven. The other one in tractate Berachot (53b) is even more significant and must be looked at more closely. Our Sages report that the one who answers amen is even greater than the one who makes the blessing. How does that work? The blessing precipitates the amen and should logical, therefore, be more important.

Why should the amen responder be greater than the blessing reciter? There is an interesting approach to this conundrum suggested by the second Gerer Rebbe (Reb Yehuda Aryeh Leib Alter of Gur, 1847-1905) in his great work the S'fat Emet. The Rebbe proposes that the initial statement of the blessing has the character of the written Torah while the response is more comparable to the Oral tradition. The inert word on the page or parchment is lifeless. The spoken discussion of that word is vital and alive. This is why the name given to the major repository for the Oral Torah is called Mishneh. This title, which literally means repetition, has been explained as being a jumbled version of the word neshama, the word for soul. It is the living soul of the Torah.

So, according to the Gerer Rebbe here's what happened on those slopes outside Shechem. The leadership who had experienced the covenant at Sinai was announcing its core components to the new generation preparing for nation building in the new land. The neophytes enthusiastically accepted the contract, by saying amen; we believe and affirm. It was a greater demonstration of faith on the part of the listeners, because they were buying into something outside their personal experience based on the testimony of their elders and the content of the agreement. This is significant and profound. The entire enterprise of Judaism is based on the acquiescence of a new generation to the continuity of the program. This proclamation of 'me too' in the form of amen is what keeps the religion going. This is what every amen represents. The person chanting the prayer has already accepted the premise. What we need is that this acceptance reach a wider audience, and be passed on. This concept even exists in the simple blessings over food. The guy with the apple is declaring that this fruit comes from God. The witness doesn't have an apple, but also affirms faith in the bounty of God.

This is the essence of the religious experience. I affirm my belief and faith in the system we call Judaism. However, I'm not allowed to let it stop there. My responsibility is only beginning when I have declared my loyalty. My commitment demands that I pass it on to the next in line. Only when I receive their confirmation am I allowed to rest. Please, let us all say, "Amen!"