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Thought for the Day: אמן, יהא שמיה רבא Should Be Said Out Loud and With Intense כוונה/Intention

I saw this story some time ago, and just "happened" to run across it again this morning. While I usually shun סגולות, this story struck me; obviously because it involves Rav Hutner, but also because the Mishna Brura stresses the importance of saying אמן, יהא שמיה רבא out loud and with intense כוונה/intention.

There are סגולות and there are סגולות. When a סגולה is also a הלכה, I'm all in.

I would like to add another small story that I also find inspiring:
Rav Shach was walking with a talmid one Shabbos on the border of Bnei Brak. Rav Shach asked the talmid if he knew why people were driving across the street (just outside of Bnei Brak). "Because they are not religious?", asked the talmid, taken aback by the question. "No," answered Rav Shach, "it is because our shmiras shabbos is lacking."

No matter where we are holding; we can always make just a little more effort...

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Text (lightly edited) from Revach l'Neshama, A different kind of news: Rav Hutner the Shadchan
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Yaakov was the top bochur in his yeshivah. He was known not only for his intellectual capabilities, but for his yiras Shamayim and refined middos as well. Therefore, it was quite a surprise to everybody that Yaakov was having problems with shidduchim. It wasn’t for lack of opportunities, since he had gone out on countless dates, but nothing ever seemed to materialize. Yaakov was already in his late twenties, and he was beginning to despair. A veil of sadness could be discerned beneath his normally happy disposition.

Despite his personal problems, Yaakov continued to learn with hasmada and was mapkid on his sedarim. However, one day he made an exception to his normally tight schedule to attend the bris of his chavrusa’s son in the Beis Medrash of the Gaon, HaRav Yitzchak Hutner, z’tl. It was the first time since he had arrived at the yeshivah that he didn’t go directly to the yeshivah’s Beis Medrash after davening.

After the bris, the attendants crowded around Rav Hutner to greet him and receive a bracha. Rav Hutner nodded to each person in greeting. When Rav Hutner spotted Yaakov, he stared at him with his piercing gaze and whispered to him that Yaakov should meet him in his private office as he wished to speak with him. Apparently, Rav Hutner was able to discern Yaakov’s unspoken distress.

Yaakov stood by the door of Rav Hutner’s office, wondering what Rav Hutner could possibly wish to speak to him about. A few minutes passed and Rav Hutner appeared, and ushered Yaakov inside his office. The door closed, and Yaakov suddenly broke down. His emotions from years of internalizing his sorrow and loneliness were released. There was no need to explain – Rav Hutner understood everything.

Rav Hutner spoke, “I have a סגולה, a mesorah from my rabannim: answering Amen Yehah Shemah Rabbah with intense conviction. Why is it so important? Answering אמן, יהא שמיה רבא is a tefillah for the magnification of the Glory of Heaven, and through it, one fulfills the mitzvah of giving Glory to HaShem. It is possible that once in your life you defamed (in some seemingly small way) the glory and reputation of the Creator and due to this, the gates of Shamayim have been closed to you. When you answer אמן, יהא שמיה רבא loudly and with kavanah, you sanctify the Reputation and Glory of HaShem. This is a tested segulah - if you persist in following it, you’ll soon merit to stand at the chuppa, and if you’ll continue afterwards, you’ll also merit a bris.”

Yaakov thanked Rav Hutner, left the office and returned to yeshivah. On the way, he thought to himself that the advice of a Gadol Hador is not only a segula, but also a הוראה/halachic directive, and a הוראה one must fulfill forever. When Mincha arrived, Yaakov already began to say Amen, Yehay Shemah Rabba loudly and with kavanah. A few short weeks later, Yaakov became a chassan and a year later, he was zoche to a son. Rav Hutner was honored with sandakus. (Shiru Lamelech)

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