[Avodah] Amein and Amein Yesomah

[Micha Berger]

On Fri, Dec 30, 2011 at 01:57:12AM +0000, kennethgmiller at juno.com wrote:
: For many decades, I wrestled with a problem which seems similar. Namely,
: what is so terrible about a beracha l'vatala? For example, if I would
: thank Hashem for giving us the mitzva of eating matza, and I would use
: the full and proper text of Al Achilas Matza to do so, what would be
: so terrible?
...
: It is only in the past year or so that I've come to understand that a
: bracha is not just another sort of tefilah, like a bakasha or hodaah. For
: reasons which I don't really understand (but I do accept), a bracha is
: considered to be a sort of oath.

In http://www.aishdas.org/asp/2005/12/what-is-berakhah.shtml I explored
the question of what is a berakhah. About half the post revolves around
the problem that /b-r-kh/ is a root meaning increase, Chazal say so,
so what could "Berukh Atah H'" possibly mean?

Here's snippets of the answers (taxonomy mine, shitos presented with
ellided sources):

> 1- A Statement of Fact

> 1a- A statement of fact. "You are maximally increased"....

> 1b- There are two versions of the text of the Avudraham. In one, he
> translates "barukh" as "You are the Source of increase." The role of
> making a blessing is to acknowledge and thereby thank and appreciate
> (the Hebrew word is "hakaras hatov", recognizing the good of...) Him.

> 2- A Request

> 2a- Rabbeinu Bachya ... understands barukh as a request, give us increase;
> Atah Hashem -- for You are the Source of increase.

> 2b- The Rashba ... and the other version of the Avudraham hold that
> "barukh" is a request for an increase of the revelation of Hashem's
> Presence. So we are asking for an increase, but of G-dliness in the world,
> not G-d Himself.

...

> 3- A Declaration of Intent

> 3a- "May Your presence in this world be increased" -- through my efforts
> (R' SR Hirsch). A declaration of commitment. Since HQBH restrains Himself
> (so-to-speak) to allow for free will, by choosing to act according to
> His Will, we can increase His influence.
...

> 3b- Nefesh haChaim (sec II) gives a synthesis of the last two of the
> above approaches. "May Your presence in this world be increased through
> my very realization that You are the Source of increase."

Notice that according to RSRH (3a), a berakhah takes on an oath-like
tinge.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Life isn't about finding yourself
micha at aishdas.org        Life is about creating yourself.
http://www.aishdas.org                - Bernard Shaw
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