To Berich or not to Berich
Rabbi Kaganoff
Proper Prayer Rejoinders
or
To Berich or not to Berich
By Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff
Yaakov, a relative newcomer to Yiddishkeit, visited a new community and davened each prayer at a different shul. He noticed that in each shul, the responses to Kaddish were different, which he found surprising. His rabbi explained to him the background.
When hearing Kaddish, we say “Amen” at several places, in addition to saying the very important “Amen, ye’hei shemei rabba mevorach le’olam ul’almei almaya.” (The poskim dispute whether one should also add “yisbarach” to this sentence, the Shulchan Aruch [Orach Chayim 56:3] ruling that one should, and the Gr”a ruling that one should not.) In addition, Ashkenazim respond to the words, shemei dekudsha berich hu, His holy name, blessed is He, by repeating the Chazan’s words berich hu. (Nusach Sefard and Sefardim say Amen at this point.) However, most people do not realize how late this response of berich hu came into practice. People are also not familiar with the halachos regarding this response; depending on where one is up to in davening it may be forbidden to recite this response as it constitutes an interruption. The goal of this article is to explain both the historical background of berich hu, and when we should and should not recite it. We will also discuss when one is allowed to recite other responses of the Kaddish.
The Gemara (Berachos 3a; Sotah 49a) mentions Kaddish and lays special emphasis on responding Amen, ye’hei shmei rabba mevorach le’olam ule’almei almaya with fervent feeling. The poskim accentuate the importance of not talking while Kaddish is recited. One should pay careful attention to the recital of the Kaddish and know to which praise of Hashem one is responding (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 56:1).
CHRONICLE OF A RESPONSE
What exactly is berich hu?
The words berich hu, are Aramaic for “blessed be He,” and are a repetition of two of the words of the Kaddish just said by the chazzan at that point: veyis’halal shemei dekudsha berich hu le’eila min kal birchasa ve’shirasa…, exalted be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He Who shall be praised beyond all blessing and song.
When did responding berich hu become a standard part of davening? Surprising as this may seem, no early poskim mention a custom of responding with just these two words. The custom started about four hundred years ago when it was not unusual to find people responding at this point of Kaddish with a refrain similar to the one we recite. The Taz (Orach Chayim 56:3) reports a practice to accentuate the praise of Hashem by joining the chazzan at the point when he reaches the words shmei dekudsha, His holy name, by accompanying him when he recites the three words berich hu le’eila, which means that the congregation recited words that translate as Blessed is He above. The Taz condemns this practice harshly since these three words may imply an unintended blasphemous statement -- that Hashem is blessed only above, but not below. Therefore, the Taz rules that one should continue by reciting the subsequent three words, thus resulting in the following praise, berich hu le’eila min kal birchasa, which translates as Blessed is He above all blessing. This clarifies one’s intent and removes any concern about blasphemy. However, contemporary Ashkenazic practice does not recite this elongated response, but instead reduces the response to the two words, berich hu, blessed be He, which also accomplishes praising Hashem with no hint of blasphemy. Some Hassidic circles indeed follow the advice of the Taz and recite berich hu le’eila min kal birchasa.
This explains the origin of the custom to recite berich hu to Kaddish. What we still do not know is when we may not recite it. Explaining these halachos requires some introduction.
BARUCH HU UVARUCH SHEMO
The response berich hu is similar to our response Baruch Hu uvaruch shemo, blessed is He and blessed is His name, which we recite upon hearing Hashem’s name articulated as part of a beracha. The first halachic authority to mention this practice is the Rosh, about 800 years ago. The Tur (Orach Chayim 124) states, “I heard from my father [the Rosh] that every time he heard a beracha he would say Baruch Hu uvaruch shemo. He based this practice on the pasuk that states, “When I call Hashem’s name, bring forth greatness to our G-d” (Devorim 32:3); thus, upon hearing Hashem’s name, one should add a praise of one’s own. The Rosh added another halachic source for this practice based on the following translation of the pasuk, “Remember a tzadik for blessing” (Mishlei 10:7). This verse teaches that even when mentioning the name of a righteous human being one should bless him; if so, one should certainly bless Hashem when mentioning His name.
Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim 124:5) rules that one should respond Baruch Hu uvaruch shemo whenever one hears a beracha. Nevertheless, one may not answer this refrain during birchos keri’as shema or during Pesukei Dezimra (Magen Avraham 124:9; Mishnah Berurah 124:21). Why not?
WHAT RESPONSES ARE PERMITTED WHILE RECITING THE BIRCHOS KERI’AS SHEMA?
The part of davening following Borchu until the Shemoneh esrei is called the birchos keri’as shema, because it consists of the berachos established by the Anshei Keneses HaGedolah (the leaders of the Jewish people in the era of Ezra, Mordechai and Esther, during the period prior to and the beginning of the second Beis HaMikdash) before and after reciting Shema. The Mishnah (Berachos 13a) teaches that although usually one may not interrupt these berachos, there are some exceptional circumstances.
However, there is one place during this part of the davening that is so important that one should not interrupt unless it is a life-threatening emergency. This is while saying the pesukim of Shema Yisroel and Baruch shem kovod malchuso le’olam va’ed (Shulchan Aruch 66:1).
It is not clear cut what the halacha is regarding communal responses while one is davening. The Rishonim dispute whether one may respond to Borchu, to Kedusha, and Amen yehei shemei rabba during birchos keri’as shema. Those who prohibited this practice contended that one may not interrupt the berachos of keri’as shema for the sake of a different praise, such as responding to Kaddish or Kedusha. The Rosh (Berachos 2:5) disputes the opinion of his rebbe, the Maharam Rotenberg, who prohibited this practice. The Rosh holds that responding appropriately to Hashem’s praises is no worse than responding to the greeting of a person, which is permitted under certain circumstances, as mentioned above.
The poskim conclude that one may answer the following responses while reciting the birchos keri’as shema:
A. “Amen, ye’hei shmei rabba mevorach le’olam ule’almei almaya” in Kaddish.
B. “Amen” to the chazzan’s da’amiran be’alma in Kaddish, but not to other places in Kaddish (Chayei Odom 20:4).
C. “Boruch Hashem hamevorach la’olam va’ed” to Borchu, whether the Borchu before birchos keri’as shema or the one that precedes an aliyah (Magen Avraham 66:6).
D. “Kodosh kodosh…” and “Boruch kevod Hashem mimkomo” in Kedusha. However one should not respond to the other parts of Kedusha we traditionally say, even the sentence beginning Yimloch (Ateres Zekeinim).
E. “Amen” to the berachos of Ha’Keil Hakadosh and to Shema Koleinu (Rama 66:3).
F. The words “Modim anachnu Loch” recited in response to the chazzan’s saying Modim in the repetition of Shemoneh Esrei (Rabbeinu Yonah, Berachos 7b; Mishnah Berurah 66:20).
HALLEL AND MEGILLAH
The Gemara (Berachos 14a) discusses whether the same rules that apply to interrupting the birchos keri’as shema also apply to the full Hallel and to the recital of the Megillah. The Gemara questions why the rules governing the birchos keri’as shema should be stricter than those for Hallel and Megillah, since the requirement to recite keri’as shema is min haTorah, whereas the mitzvos of Hallel and Megillah are only rabbinic in origin. Alternatively, the Gemara suggests that since both Hallel and Megillah publicize miraculous events, perhaps the rules of interrupting them should be stricter. The Gemara concludes that we should treat the rules of birchos keri’as shema, Hallel and Megillah the same. Thus, all the responses listed above are recited when one is in the middle of birchos keri’as shema, Hallel, or hearing the Megillah.
AN ALIYAH
The poskim debate whether someone in the middle of the birchos keri’as shema may respond Amen when he hears someone recite the berachos before or after an aliyah. The Magen Avraham (66:6) rules that one should recite Amen to these berachos, whereas the Pri Megadim questions this practice. The Mishnah Berurah (66:18) concludes that he may recite Amen if he is between two of the berachos, such as he has just completed “Yotzeir HaMeoros” or “HaMaariv Aravim.”
This dispute is based on an interesting story. Someone was once delayed in davening, and was in the middle of the birchos keri’as shema when he was called up to the Torah for an aliyah. May he recite the berachos on the Torah even though it is an interruption in the middle of birchos keri’as shema?
The Sefer HaManhig ruled that he should accept the aliyah and recite the berachos (Tur 66). Not accepting an aliyah when one is called to the Torah is an insult to Hashem’s honor, and certainly Hashem deserves at least as much honor as the individual discussed earlier. Therefore reciting the berachos has the same status as greeting a person and may be recited during the birchos keri’as shema. The Magen Avraham apparently holds that answering Amen to the berachos of an aliyah has the same halachic status as the Sefer HaManhig’s aliyah case and therefore one should recite this Amen even in the middle of birchos keri’as shema. The Pri Megadim disputes the Magen Avraham’s view, suggestingh that this Amen is no different from Amen to any other beracha.
However, the Rashba (Shu”t HaRashba 1:185) disagrees with the Sefer HaManhig’s conclusion, ruling that someone in the middle of this part of davening who is called to the Torah should not go up, but someone else should take his aliyah instead (Beis Yosef, Orach Chayim 66). The Shulchan Aruch (66:4) follows the latter opinion, whereas most other opinions rule that he should take the aliyah and recite the berachos, but be careful not to interrupt in any other way (Magen Avraham 66:8).
The poskim dispute whether one may recite Amen to a any other beracha that one hears when he is between two berachos of birchos keri’as shema. Some contend that he may recite Amen after hearing any beracha, since he is currently between berachos (Pri Megadim, Eishel Avraham 66:7). Others contend that he may recite Amen only to the beracha that he just recited, such as he heard the end of the beracha from the chazzan or from a different individual (Chayei Odom 20:4).
A THUNDERING BERACHA
The poskim also dispute whether one may recite the beracha on thunder while in the middle of birchos keri’as shema. Magen Avraham 66:5 rules that he should, whereas the Bechor Shor (Berachos 13a) disagrees, contending that one should not interrupt one praise of Hashem, the Shema, with another, the beracha on thunder. The Chayei Odom reaches a compromise, ruling that one should recite the beracha if he is between the berachos of keri’as shema, but not in the middle of a beracha. This last dispute remains unresolved (Mishnah Berurah 66:19). Thus, if someone hears thunder while reciting Hallel or the birchos keri’as shema, or reading or hearing the Megillah, it is his choice whether to recite the beracha or not.
ASHER YATZAR
Although usually one should recite the beracha Asher Yatzar immediately after washing one’s hands when leaving the lavatory (see Shulchan Aruch 165:1), one should not recite it during birchos keri’as shema but should postpone its recital until after Shemoneh Esrei (Mishnah Berurah 66:23). The same policy should be followed during Hallel or Megillah: he should wait to recite Asher Yatzar until after Hallel and Megillah and their concluding berachos are completed.
TALIS AND TEFILLIN
What if someone did not have talis and tefillin available before davening, and they became available during birchos keri’as shema? May he recite a beracha prior to donning them or does the beracha constitute a hefsek during the berachos?
The Rishonim debate this issue. Rashi’s rebbi, Rabbi Yitzchak the son of Rabbi Yehudah, indeed recited the beracha before donning both his talis and his tefillin, and brought proof to his actions from the Gemara (Berachos 14b):
The great Amora Rav once began reciting keri’as shema and its berachos without having tefillin. Right after he completed Shema, his messenger brought him tefillin, so Rav immediately donned the tefillin prior to reciting Shemoneh Esrei,. Rabbi Yitzchak, Rashi’s rebbi, presumes that Rav recited the beracha before putting on the tefillin even though he was in the middle of the birchos keri’as shema.
Similarly, Rabbi Yitzchak the son of Rabbi Yehudah reasoned that in a similar situation when one first receives his talis immediately before Shemoneh Esrei, he should recite the beracha before donning either one. Tosafos (ad loc.), however, disagrees with Rabbi Yitzchak the son of Rabbi Yehudah, reasoning that one is required to wear tefillin while davening and therefore donning them is a requirement of the tefillah. As such the beracha on the tefillin also is not an interruption. However, one is not required to wear a talis during davening, and therefore the beracha before donning it should not preempt the laws of hefsek.
How do we conclude?
The Shulchan Aruch (66:2) rules like Rabbi Yitzchak the son of Rabbi Yehudah that he should recite both the beracha on the talis and the beracha on the tefillin; this is the practice of the Sefardim. The Rema rules like Tosafos that he should only recite the beracha on the tefillin but not on the talis.
WHAT RESPONSES ARE PERMITTED DURING PESUKEI DEZIMRA?
The Anshei Keneses HaGedolah established that one should recite daily, at the beginning of davening, praises written by Dovid HaMelech (Zohar, Parshas Terumah). We introduce these passages of praise, Pesukei Dezimra, with the beracha of Baruch She’amar and conclude them with the beracha of Yishtabach. The beracha of Yishtabach does not begin with a beracha because it is linked directly to the beracha of Baruch She’amar. Since these two berachos are linked, one may not interrupt between them for anything that is not part of the davening. For this reason, it is strictly forbidden to talk during Pesukei Dezimra (Tosafos, Berachos 46a s.v. kol; Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim 51:4). Similarly, it is forbidden to answer Baruch Hu uvaruch shemo during this part of davening (Magen Avraham 124:9; Mishnah Berurah 124:21). Although it is appropriate to praise Hashem this way when His name is mentioned, one does not interrupt when one is praising Him already in order to do so.
Some poskim contend that interrupting Pesukei Dezimra is halachically equivalent to interrupting the birchos keri’as shema. According to this opinion, one may not answer Amen to a beracha that one hears during Pesukei Dezimra (Shu”t Mishkenos Yaakov, Orach Chayim #68). Other poskim contend that one may answer Amen to any beracha while in the middle of Pesukei Dezimra, and even while in the middle of the beracha of Baruch She’amar (Magen Avraham 51:3). The consensus is that, although it is clearly forbidden to talk during the Pesukei Dezimra, answering Amen to any beracha is permitted. Furthermore, someone who needs to recite Asher Yatzar, or to recite the beracha on thunder or lightning, may do so during Pesukei Dezimra. One may certainly answer during this part of davening the responses listed above of Kaddish, Borchu and Kedusha (Mishnah Berurah 51:8. The Chayei Odom [20:3] rules that one should not recite Asher Yatzar until after Shemoneh Esrei.) However, reciting berich hu during Pesukei Dezimra is similar to reciting Baruch Hu uvaruch shemo and constitutes an interruption during Pesukei Dezimra. Thus, although many people are unaware of this halacha, someone in the middle of Pesukei Dezimra when the chazzan begins reciting the Kaddish before Borchu may not answer berich hu to the Kaddish. On the other hand, he should answer Amen, ye’hei shmei rabba mevorach le’olam ule’almei almaya and the Amen at da’amiran be’alma. He may also answer Amen to the beracha of Yishtabach. However, since the Amen after “Yisgadal veyiskadash shmei rabba” (and in Nusach Sfard after “meshichei”) is only custom, he should not recite these either while in the middle of Pesukei Dezimra and certainly not while in the middle of birchos keri’as shema.
AFTER YISHTABACH
One may not interrupt between completing Yishtabach and beginning the next part of the tefillah (Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim 51:4), although if one needs to recite a beracha it is better to do so after completing Yishtabach before answering (or saying) Borchu than during the Pesukei Dezimra. For this reason, if someone did not have tzitzis or tefillin available before davening, and they become available during davening (or if he must begin davening when it is too early to recite a beracha on them) he should put them on immediately after Yishtabach and then recite the berachos on them. Better to recite these berachos between Yishtabach and Borchu than to do so afterwards.
APPRECIATING KADDISH
For the many years Reb Zalman Estolin spent as a slave laborer in Soviet Siberia, he obviously had no minyan, nor any opportunity to answer Amen, ye’hei shmei rabba. Upon his redemption from the Soviet Union, he moved to Eretz Yisroel as an old, ill man. The very first morning in Eretz Yisroel, he arose early to walk to shul on his crutches, full with the excitement that he would be davening with a minyan for the first time in decades!
Two hours after davening should have been over, Reb Zalman had not yet returned to his host’s home. The concerned family sent someone to look for the old man, and discovered him sitting in the shul. When asked why he was still there, Reb Zalman answered, “When my minyan ended, another began. And then another. I just could not bear to miss the opportunity to recite Amen, ye’hei shmei rabba one more time” (Just One Word by Esther Stern).
We should always be zocheh to recite Amen, ye’hei shmei rabba with this type of enthusiasm!