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An answer to another question says that, when a particular modern-day Torah scholar heard someone recite the blessing of "SheHalak" (recited in the presence of only the most eminent scholars of Torah in the world) in the presence of Rav 'Ovadiyah Yosef, he nodded and appeared to possibly also answer Amen.

Just assuming for a moment that, perhaps, invoking this Berachah was inappropriate (perhaps because our entire generation is not worthy to have such a sage as is intended in this blessing), is there any good reason why someone might not say Amen when an inappropriate-to-the-situation, but not false, Berachah is made with Shem UMalchuth?

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  • Isn't this what's called a Bracha sheEinah Tzericha? Like saying Borei Peri haEitz before each bite of an apple. The statements are true but are inappropriate. – Double AA May 02 '13 at 14:40
  • (FTR re "perhaps...": That's not a very easy position to defend, IMO, particularly regarding ROY.) – Double AA May 02 '13 at 14:41
  • @DoubleAA, dunno. Does this fall under that category? – Seth J May 02 '13 at 15:01
  • Honestly I don't understand your case. If the bracha is inappropriate, that means he does not have a qualified rabbi in front of him, then why is the bracha not false? – Double AA May 02 '13 at 15:05
  • @DoubleAA, it's true: God did divvy his wisdom to his reverers. Whether that should be mentioned with shem umalchus at that juncture is a different question. – msh210 May 02 '13 at 15:41
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    @msh210 So it's the same as saying borei peri haetz right now (i have no fruit in front of me)? Aren't all brachot 'true' in that sense? Asher kiddishanu bemitzvotav vetzivanu al pidyon peter chamor. That's true. So isn't this what regular bracha levatalla is? – Double AA May 02 '13 at 15:43
  • @DoubleAA, I think that was SethJ's point, yes, though he can confirm or deny it. – msh210 May 02 '13 at 15:44
  • @msh210 Seems like a really complicated way of saying it... – Double AA May 02 '13 at 15:45
  • @msh210, and DoubleAA, yes, I meant in the sense of the statement being true, but slightly different from the sense of saying Borei Peri Ha'Eitz without fruit. More like making the "wrong" Berachah on a natural phenomenon, like 'Oseh Ma'aseh Bereishith on the ocean or She'asah Eth HaYam HaGadol on seeing Lake Michigan (you cannot see across). – Seth J May 02 '13 at 17:45
  • (And I freely admit that I don't know which category those errors fall under.) – Seth J May 02 '13 at 17:48
  • (@SethJ FWIW the Aruch haShulchan suggests that Oseh Maaseh Vereishit on the ocean would be Yotzei bedieved.) – Double AA May 02 '13 at 18:43
  • Hacham Yishak Shalit"a himself clearyl writes that you musn't answer Amen to a flase Beracha (for example, making a Beracha on Halel on Rosh Hodesh [even for Ashkenazim]). – Hacham Gabriel May 03 '13 at 20:00
  • @HachamGabriel, that's awesome information. Thank you! – Seth J May 03 '13 at 20:42
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    @HachamGabriel, some consider it a Safek Berachah, and they therefore Davkah say Amen to the Ba'al Tefillah's Berachah. – Seth J May 03 '13 at 20:43

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Aruch Hashulchan Says quoting others that one doesnt say amen after certain people like a child who doesnt understand what he is talking about (or not yet reached chinuch MB 215:16)or even a grown up who has changed the brochos (or a brocho unnecessarily MB 215:11) one does not answer amen. The language the MB uses is ossur. There is an issur to say omen where its not warranted.

  • So even though the Berachah itself praises HaShem (not the person), and it is properly formulated, and was said by an adult with Kavanah, you don't answer Amen if it isn't warranted? What about where the listener doesn't hold it is warranted but the person saying the Berachah does, like reciting Hallel on Rosh Hodesh (or Yom Ha'Atzmaut), or a woman performing a Mitzvath 'Aseh SheHaZman Geramah? – Seth J May 02 '13 at 12:53
  • The wording is brocho lvatolo. I dont think the cases you mention can be classifed as such. Your examples rosh chodesh is a machlokes haposkim and a woman is allowed to say brochos. Just because he holds like other poskim may not classify it lvatolo. Whereas the other cases you mention are not machlokes haposkim at all. At least earlier ones and todays ones dont count for this. –  May 02 '13 at 13:33
  • Candy men who offer sweets to very young kids for saying the brocho and afterward say omen are not doing the right thing –  May 02 '13 at 15:38
  • related: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/18350/should-one-say-amen-to-an-unnecessary-bracha-made-by-a-child-on-the-autism-spect?rq=1 – Charles Koppelman May 02 '13 at 16:20