Thursday, July 03, 2008

Boruch Sheim

Whenever a brocha was recited in the Beis Hamikdosh, the people would respond with the prayer of Boruch sheim etc. Would this response be required to be in a quiet tone like we say it in kerias shema or perhaps it can be answered loudly?

There are two reasons as to why we recite Boruch sheim quietly. The Gemora in Pesachim relates that the Tribes said Shema Yisroel and Yaakov responded with Boruch sheim. The Chachamim had a dilema as to how we should recite shema. Perhaps we should not say Boruch sheim for it is not in the Torah, however it is not proper to refrain from saying it for Yaakov did recite it. They resolved this by ruling that it should be recited quietly.

There is a Midrash that relates what transpired when Moshe went up to Heaven. He heard the angels praising the Holy One, Blessed be He, with Boruch sheim. He was greatly impressed with this and brought it down for Klal Yisroel to say as well. The Midrash brings a parable and concludes that it would not be proper to recite this tefillah out loud for it is considered stolen from the angels, however on Yom Kippur, when we are compared to the angels, it can be said out loud.

2 comments:

Avromi said...

Reb Ben commented:
Someone in shiur asked me why we Kohanim say livareich es amo Yisroel beahavah so I answered that Rabbeinu Bachye writes that we say liyachedcha beahavah and ahavah means Shechinah. We cans suggest that the Shechinah rested on the fingers of the Kohanim when they duchaned, so it is for this reason that they recite the word beahavah.

Some say that "b'ahavah" is based upon the Chazal that that b"K should be said slowly and with kavanah.

M"B paskens based upon M"A and Zohar that if a Kohen hates someone or someone hates him, he cannot duchen.

Anonymous said...

yasher koach for the answers.

Funny that during the shiur today I said, hesitantly, baruch shem out loud :)