DailyHalacha.com for Mobile Devices Now Available

Click Here to Sponsor Daily Halacha
"Delivered to Over 6000 Registered Recipients Each Day"

      
(File size: 2.29 MB)
Does One Answer “Amen” if He Did Not Hear the Beracha, or to a Beracha He Heard Via Broadcast?

Even if one did not hear a Beracha recited in its entirety, and heard only the end of the Beracha, he nevertheless recites "Amen." Thus, for example, if somebody is reciting "Asher Yasar," and another person comes along and hears him conclude, "U’mafli La’asot," he answers "Amen."

Hacham Ovadia Yosef adds that even if a person did not hear the Beracha at all, but he saw a person reciting a Beracha and he knows with certainty which Beracha is recited, then he answers "Amen." For example, if a person saw somebody leave the restroom and mutter to himself, it is clear that this individual recites "Asher Yasar," and so once he finishes, the other person answers "Amen," even though he did not hear the Beracha at all. Similarly, if a person sees somebody holding a fruit, mutter some words, and then bring the fruit to his mouth, he knows for certain that this individual just recited "Boreh Peri Ha’etz," and so he recites "Amen."

Hacham Ovadia ruled that one answers "Amen" to a Beracha which he heard over a live broadcast. Although one does not answer "Amen" after hearing the recording of a Beracha, he does answer "Amen" if he hears the Beracha live, either on the radio, by phone, or through other technological devices.

Summary: One answers "Amen" even if he heard only the end of a Beracha, and even if he did not hear the Beracha at all, but he saw somebody recite a Beracha and he knows which Beracha was recited (such as if he saw the person reciting a Beracha over an apple, or after leaving the restroom). One does not answer "Amen" after hearing the recording of a Beracha, but he does answer "Amen" to a Beracha he hears over a live broadcast.


 


Recent Daily Halachot...
Pesah – The Time for Bedikat Hames
Pesah- The Procedure for Bedikat Hamez
Pesah – Must One Search for Hames in the Areas Containing the Hames That He Sells?
The Special Reading on the First Thirteen Days of Nissan
Pesah – Is it Permissible to Eat Egg Masa on Pesah
Passover- Ve'higadeta Le'bincha - Sitting Next To One's Father-Son During The Hagaddah
Must One Perform Bedikat Hametz if He Goes Away for Pesah?
Pesah – Reciting Me’en Sheba on Pesah Night When it Falls on Shabbat
The Reasons for the Custom of Ta'anit Bechorim
Passover- Avoiding The Problem of A Drop of Hametz In Kosher for Pesach Food
Shabbat Hagadol
Pesah – Selling Hametz in a Case Where One Spends Pesah in a Different Time Zone
Pesah – The Second of the Four Cups of Wine
Laws and Customs of Ereb Pesah
Kimha De’pischa – Donating Charity to the Poor Before Pesah
Page of 239
3585 Halachot found