Powerful Praise - Praying with Fireprayingwithfire.org/images/Newsletter176.pdf · Rav Simcha...
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GIVING MORE MEANING TO OUR TEFILLAH - ONE WEEK AT A TIME ISSUE NO. 176 V’Ani Tefillah Foundation, 1616 E. 29 th St., Brooklyn, NY 11229 | 201-837-0354 | info@prayingwithfire.org H ow powerful is …אמן יהא שמה רבה? It is strong enough to change a person’s mazal. Chazal (Shabbos 119b; see Mishneh Berurah 56:1) teach, ‘’When a person answers אמן יהא. שמה רבה...with all his might, even a decree of seventy years is torn up.’’ us, even if a person’s sins are preventing Hashem’s blessings from coming to him, he is able to change a decree that determines whether or not he will have, for example, wealth, intelligence, tranquility and long life. at is because when a Jew says .... אמן יהא שמה רבהwith sincere kavannah, G-d’s Name is sanctified beyond imagination. e Zohar (Terumah) teaches that . אמן יהא שמה רבה...has enormous spiritual power, far beyond that of any other acknowledgment of G-d’s holiness. By exalting G-d in Aramaic, a language that lacks the holiness of Hebrew, we bring holiness to the dark corners of the earth. Morever, when we respond in a loud voice אמן.יהא שמה רבה..., we bring Hashem’s mercy upon all of Klal Yisrael (Zohar, Parashas Noach). Rav Simcha Zissel of Kelm teaches that each Jew is so important that it would be worthwhile for G-d to create the whole world for 6000 years (see Sanhedrin 97a) to have just one Jew answering “baruch Hu u’varuch Shemo” once in his lifetime. One אמן, says Rav Simcha Zissel, is ‘worth’ one thousand “baruch Hu u’varuch Shemo’s”. One . אמן יהא שמה רבה...is “equal” to answering אמןa thousand times. THEME: An essential concept of the prayer A Chance to Make a Difference INSIGHT: Deeper meanings of the theme e Power to Change Everything Saying יהא שמה רבאwith sincere kavanah has a great impact on a person and brings blessing to Klal Yisrael because it is a powerful sanctification of Hashem’s Name. WORD TO THE WISE: Meaning within the word Praying With Passion is a free weekly e-mail newsletter by the author of Praying With Fire (Vols 1 & 2), Yearning With Fire and The Power of Teshuvah. To sponsor an issue of Praying With Passion, please call: 201.837.0354 or email info@prayingwithfire.org Potential for Yeshuah e “Insight” section cited Chazal’s teaching that, ‘’When a person answers . אמן יהא שמה רבה...with all his might, even a decree of seventy years is torn up.’’ “All his might” means all his kavannah, with heart and soul. erefore, a person should be sure to focus his mind on the words his lips are pronouncing (Mishneh Berurah 56:1). He should also respond in a loud voice (Siman 56:1). e Chofetz Chaim wrote: “…It is impossible to fathom the number of salvations that could be brought about for Klal Yisrael if the inhabitants of each city were indeed to assemble in the Shul and daven together, and respond . אמן יהא שמה רבה...in unison every day. In this way, thousands of people could be saved from death (Michtavei Chofetz Chaim, pp. 167). ? Did You Know T here they were again, as always. e loyal subjects of the most benevolent, powerful king anywhere. ree times a day, they gathered outside the palace –thousands of citizens – and shouted with all their heart, “e king is great! Long live the king!” And every time the king saw the throngs and heard their words of love and praise pouring forth, his heart opened wider to them. ere was nothing he would not do for those who undertook this daily commitment to proclaim the king’s name. Not only did they show their own loyalty through this act, but they enhanced the king’s power and position throughout the kingdom, for everyone who saw or heard about their declaration came to realize that a king who engenders such vigorous, consistent praise must indeed be greater than any other ruler. Likewise, Hashem ‘delights’ in the Jewish people’s declaration of His greatness and power. is is not because He needs our affirmation for any reason, but solely because it represents our desire to strengthen within ourselves and spread throughout the world our knowledge of His presence and His glory bringing blessing to the world. When we do this with all our focus and energy, we are doing what we were put on earth to do. en, the difficulties Hashem sends our way to wake us up and cause us to acknowledge Him are no longer necessary. When we sincerely sanctify His name, we are fulfilling our highest purpose. VISUALIZE: Images that bring the prayer to life Long Live the King! מברך רבא שמה יהא לעלם ולעלמי עלמיאis Aramaic for “May His Great Name be blessed always and forever and ever.” Obviously, such an important sanctification of Hashem’s Name should be said in the proper way. e congregants should pause a little in between the word אמןand the words יהא שמה רבא. Bais Yosef (cited in Mishneh Berurah 56:2) explains that this is because the word אמןserves as a response to what the prayer leader has said, whereas the words יהא שמה רבאare an independent statement. Congregants should not make a silent interruption between the words יהא שמהand the word רבא(Mishneh Berurah, ibid:4) nor between the words יהא שמה רבאand the word מברך(Rama, Siman 56:1). However, one is not required to say the words together in one breath (Mishneh Berurah, ibid:3). Finally, the prayer leader must also say quietly .יהא שמה רבה.... He should not repeat the word אמן, but should just begin .יהא שמה רבה.... Aſter that he should begin saying יתברךand continue the rest of Kaddish aloud (ibid, 56:2). Tefillah Focus Of e Week: קדיש יתוםPowerful Praise Imagine that when you are hearing Kaddish said, you are standing outside Hashem’s “palace window,” knowing that because He hears you respond to Kaddish with אמן יהא שמה רבהin the proper way, He will help you with whatever you need. T r y T h i s ! Amen, May His great Name be blessed forever and ever. Blessed, praised, glorified... MEANING: The simple translation of the prayer אמן. יהא שמה רבא מברך לעלם ולעלמי עלמיא. יתברך וישתבח ויתפאר... בס”ד
Transcript of Powerful Praise - Praying with Fireprayingwithfire.org/images/Newsletter176.pdf · Rav Simcha...
GIVING MORE MEANING TO OUR TEFILLAH - ONE WEEK AT A TIMEISSUE NO. 176
V’Ani Tefillah Foundation, 1616 E. 29th St., Brooklyn, NY 11229 | 201-837-0354 | [email protected]
How powerful is …רבה שמה יהא It ?אמן is strong enough to change a person’s
mazal. Chazal (Shabbos 119b; see Mishneh Berurah
56:1) teach, ‘’When a person answers יהא אמן
with all his might, even a decree of שמה רבה....seventy years is torn up.’’ Thus, even if a person’s sins are preventing Hashem’s blessings from coming to him, he is able to change a decree that determines whether or not he will have, for example, wealth, intelligence, tranquility and long life. That is because when a Jew says with sincere kavannah, G-d’s אמן יהא שמה רבה.... Name is sanctified beyond imagination. The Zohar (Terumah) teaches that ....רבה שמה יהא אמן
has enormous spiritual power, far beyond that of any other acknowledgment of G-d’s
holiness. By exalting G-d in Aramaic, a language that lacks the holiness of Hebrew, we bring holiness to the dark corners of the earth. Morever, when we respond in a loud voice אמן
we bring Hashem’s mercy upon ,יהא שמה רבה....all of Klal Yisrael (Zohar, Parashas Noach).
Rav Simcha Zissel of Kelm teaches that each Jew is so important that it would be worthwhile for G-d to create the whole world for 6000 years (see Sanhedrin 97a) to have just one Jew answering “baruch Hu u’varuch Shemo” once in his lifetime. One אמן, says Rav Simcha Zissel, is ‘worth’ one thousand “baruch Hu u’varuch Shemo’s”. One a אמן is “equal” to answering אמן יהא שמה רבה.... thousand times.
THEME: An essential concept of the prayer
A Chance to Make a Difference
INSIGHT:Deeper meanings of the theme
The Power to Change Everything
Saying יהא שמה רבא with sincere kavanah has a great impact on a person and brings blessing to Klal Yisrael because it is a powerful sanctification of Hashem’s Name.
WORD TO THE WISE: Meaning within the word
Praying With Passion is a free weekly e-mail newsletter by the author of Praying With Fire (Vols 1 & 2), Yearning With Fire and The Power of Teshuvah.
To sponsor an issue of Praying With Passion, please call: 201.837.0354 or email [email protected]
Potential for YeshuahThe “Insight” section cited Chazal’s teaching that, ‘’When a person answers ....אמן יהא שמה רבה with all his might, even a decree of seventy years is torn up.’’ “All his might” means all his kavannah, with heart and soul. Therefore, a person should be sure to focus his mind on the words
his lips are pronouncing (Mishneh Berurah 56:1). He should also respond in a loud voice (Siman 56:1).
The Chofetz Chaim wrote: “…It is impossible to fathom the number of salvations that could be brought about for Klal Yisrael if the inhabitants of each city were indeed to assemble in the Shul and daven together, and respond ....אמן יהא שמה רבה in unison every day. In this way, thousands of people could be saved from death (Michtavei Chofetz Chaim, pp. 167).
?Did YouKnow
There they were again, as always. The loyal subjects
of the most benevolent, powerful king anywhere. Three times a day, they gathered outside the palace –thousands of citizens – and shouted with all their heart, “The king is great! Long live the king!” And every time the king saw the throngs and heard their words of love and praise pouring forth, his heart opened wider to them. There was nothing he would not do for those who undertook this daily commitment to proclaim the
king’s name. Not only did they show their own loyalty through this act, but they enhanced the king’s power and position throughout the kingdom, for everyone who saw or heard about their declaration came to realize that a king who engenders such vigorous, consistent praise must indeed be greater than any other ruler.
Likewise, Hashem ‘delights’ in the Jewish people’s declaration of His greatness
and power. This is not because He needs our affirmation for any reason, but solely because it represents our desire to strengthen within ourselves and spread throughout the world our knowledge of His presence and His glory bringing blessing to the world. When we do this with all our focus and energy, we are doing what we were put on earth to do. Then, the difficulties Hashem sends our way to wake us up and cause us to acknowledge Him are no longer necessary. When we sincerely sanctify His name, we are fulfilling our highest purpose.
VISUALIZE:Images that bring the prayer to life
Long Live the King!
מברך רבא שמה יהא עלמיא ולעלמי is לעלם
Aramaic for “May His Great Name be blessed
always and forever and ever.” Obviously, such an important sanctification of Hashem’s Name should be said in the proper way.
The congregants should pause a little in between the word אמן and the words רבא Bais .יהא שמה Yosef (cited in Mishneh Berurah 56:2) explains that this is because the word אמן serves as a response to what the prayer leader has said, whereas the words
.are an independent statement יהא שמה רבא
Congregants should not make a silent interruption between the words יהא שמה and the word רבא (Mishneh Berurah, ibid:4) nor between the words יהא שמה רבא and the word מברך (Rama, Siman
56:1). However, one is not required to say the words together in one breath (Mishneh Berurah, ibid:3).
Finally, the prayer leader must also say quietly
He should not repeat the word .יהא שמה רבה.... After .יהא שמה רבה.... but should just begin ,אמןthat he should begin saying יתברך and continue the rest of Kaddish aloud (ibid, 56:2).
Tefillah Focus Of The Week:
קדיש יתוםPowerful Praise
Imagine that when you are hearing Kaddish said, you are standing outside Hashem’s “palace window,” knowing that because He hears you respond to Kaddish with אמן יהא שמה רבה in the proper way, He
will help you with whatever you need.
Try This!
Amen, May His great Name be blessed forever and ever. Blessed, praised, glorified...
MEANING: The simple translation of the prayer אמן. יהא שמה רבא מברך לעלם
ולעלמי עלמיא. יתברך וישתבח ויתפאר...
בס”ד
