The Impact of Amen on One’s Afterlife Reward and Punishment
Beginning Volume Two
At this point we begin the second (and final) volume of Rav Yehoshua Alter Wildman’s V’Imru Amen. The author explains that there were many important ideas that he was unable to include in the first volume due to the expenses involved with printing. The positive reception to the first volume, however, shows him that this task was Divinely intended for him so that he’s obligated to finish the job that he started. [II, intro]
Amen and the Afterlife
In Ohr Tzaddikim (by Rav Meir Papirash, a student of the Ari), we are told that a person must repent for failing to reply amen even once. This is so even if he heard another recite a bracha over a piece of fruit and it’s all the more so if one neglects saying amen to the repetition of Shemoneh Esrei. And if one neglected to respond amen, yehei shmei rabbah…? That certainly requires rectification!
We are told that if someone doesn’t give proper attention to responding amen, he will be punished in the Next World. This is based on I Samuel 2:30, “Those who dishonor Me will be disgraced.” The nature of this punishment is that when the offender passes away, a proclamation will be made to lock the doors so that he can’t enter paradise. The gates won’t open for such a person just as his mouth didn’t open to honor God. For this reason, a person must be diligent to repent for every amen that he neglected.
But don’t despair because this works both ways! God rewards a person for every amen and amen, yehei shmei rabbah… that he answers in life. When a person says amen, yehei shmei rabbah… in a full voice, God is moved with mercy for him. The Zohar (parshas Noach, 62b) says not only that, when the Jews answer amen, yehei shmei rabbah… out loud, God is moved with mercy for everyone. [II, 1]
Filling With Shame
It’s written in Pri Eitz Chayim (Rav Chaim Vital, 16th-17th century) that if one makes himself mute when he should be answering amen, then Psalms 83:17 applies to him. The verse says, “Fill their faces with shame.” In Hebrew, these words are malei f’neihem kalon, whose final letters spell amen and whose initial word is an anagram for ileim, mute. Since a person declined to bring Divine light to his eyes by answering amen, he deserves for his face to be filled with shame. [II, 2]
Siddur Nehora HaShaleim cites the Arizal that amen is spelled alef, mem, nun. The word alef (spelled out) is an anagram for afeil, darkness. If you spell out the words mem and nun, they have a combined numerical value of 187, which is equal to the value of the word kalon (shame). From this we see that the punishment for neglecting to answer amen is darkness and shame. [II, 3]
A New Abbreviation for Amen
It’s written that one is obligated to answer amen whenever he hears a bracha, even if it’s from a child. This is because amen stands for ani moseir nafshi – “I would sacrifice my life.” Therefore, one must be willing to sacrifice himself if necessary in order to answer amen.
And Another
Rav Yehoshua Rokeiach of Belz (19th century) had another abbreviation for amen. The gemara in Shabbos (119b) tells us that the gates of paradise will open wide for one who answers amen. Rav Yehoshua views amen as an abbreviation of achilah, mammon, nashim – food, money and women, the three things for which men traditionally lust. He also relates the word ha’oneh (“one who answers”) for the cognate word m’aneh, meaning to deprive oneself. Accordingly, the gates of Heaven open wide for a person who is able to control his lusts and not overindulge in the things that a person craves. [II, 4]
Answering Amen Even Releases Souls From Gehinnom
The author now cites a work called Osiyos d’Rabbi Akiva, which appears in chapter 20 of Tanna d’BeiEliyahu Zuta. There it cites Isaiah 26:2, “Open the gates so that the righteous nation that keeps the faith may enter.” As we have noted previously, the words “shomer emunim” (that keeps the faith) are understood “she’omeir amenim” – that says amens faithfully. Even the evil will be rescued from their torments because of the amens that they say in the afterlife, as follows:
God will lecture on the Torah to the righteous in Paradise, all the angels to His right and the celestial spheres to His left. When He concludes with aggadah, Zerubavel will arise to recite Kaddish, his voice reaching from one end of the world to the other, and all humanity will respond amen. Even those being punished in the afterlife will answer amen, shaking the world. When God hears the sound of their voices, He will immediately have mercy on them. He will give the keys to Gehinnom to the angels Michael and Gabriel, along with instructions to escort these souls into Gan Eden as per the aforementioned verse, “Open the gates so that the righteous nation that answers amen may enter.” [II, 5]
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