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The Shulchan Aruch · Orach Chayim

אורח חיים רט״וOrach Chayim 215

Siman 215 of 697 in Orach Chayim — 4 se'ifim

הלכות שאר ברכותLaws of Other Blessings· siman 215

Se’if 1א׳

אֵין עוֹנֶה אָמֵן אַחַר בִּרְכוֹתָיו, אֶלָּא אַחַר שְׁתֵּי בְּרָכוֹת אוֹ יוֹתֵר שֶׁהֵם סוֹף בְּרָכוֹת; וְנָהֲגוּ לַעֲנוֹת אָמֵן אַחַר יְהַלְּלוּךָ וְאַחַר יִשְׁתַּבַּח. הַגָּה: וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁאֵין עוֹנִין אָמֵן רַק אַחַר בִּרְכַּת בּוֹנֵה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם בְּבִרְכַּת הַמָּזוֹן, וְכֵן הַמִּנְהָג פָּשׁוּט בִּמְדִינוֹת אֵלּוּ וְאֵין לְשַׁנּוֹת; (תּוֹסָפוֹת וּמָרְדְּכַי ר"פ שְׁלֹשָה שֶׁאָכְלוּ וּמַהֲרִי"ק שֹׁרֶשׁ מ"ב) וּבִמְקוֹמוֹת שֶׁנָּהֲגוּ לַעֲנוֹת אָמֵן אַחַר יְהַלְּלוּךְ וְיִשְׁתַּבַּח, יַעֲנֶה גַּם כֵּן אַחַר בִּרְכַּת שׁוֹמֵר עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל לָעַד.

Responding "Amen" after blessings. Contains 4 paragraphs: One does not respond "Amen" after his own blessings, except after two or more blessings that conclude a series of blessings. It is customary to respond "Amen" after "Yehallelucha" and after "Yishtabach." Rema: There are those who say that one should respond "Amen" only after the blessing "Boneh Yerushalayim" in Birkat HaMazon, and this is the widespread custom in these countries, and it should not be changed (Tosafot and Mordechai, beginning of the chapter Three Who Ate; Maharik, Root 72). In places where they are accustomed to respond "Amen" after "Yehallelucha" and "Yishtabach", one should also respond after the blessing "Shomer Amo Yisrael La'ad."

Se’if 2ב׳

הַשּׁוֹמֵעַ אֶחָד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל מְבָרֵךְ אַחַת מִכָּל הַבְּרָכוֹת, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא שָׁמַע כֻּלָּהּ מִתְּחִלָּתָהּ וְעַד סוֹפָהּ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ חַיָּב בְּאוֹתָהּ בְּרָכָה, חַיָּב לַעֲנוֹת אַחֲרָיו אָמֵן; אֲבָל אִם הָיָה הַמְבָרֵךְ אֶפִּיקוֹרוֹס אוֹ כּוּתִי אוֹ תִּינוֹק, אוֹ הָיָה גָּדוֹל וְשִׁנָּה מִמַּטְבֵּעַ הַבְּרָכוֹת, אֵין עוֹנִין אַחֲרָיו אָמֵן. הַגָּה: וְעוֹנִין אָמֵן אַחַר עַכּוּ"ם, אִם שָׁמַע כָּל הַבְּרָכָה מִפִּיו (הר"י פֶּרֶק אֵלּוּ דְּבָרִים).

If one hears a fellow Jew reciting one of the blessings — even if he did not hear the entire blessing from beginning to end, and even if he himself is not obligated in that blessing — he is required to respond "Amen" after it. However, if the one reciting the blessing was a heretic, or a Samaritan, or a young child, or an adult who altered the established wording of the blessings, one does not respond "Amen" after him. Rema: One may respond "Amen" after a non-Jew if he heard the entire blessing from his mouth (Rabbenu Yitzchak, chapter Eilu Devarim).

Se’if 3ג׳

וְהָא דְּאֵין עוֹנִין אָמֵן אַחַר תִּינוֹק, דַּוְקָא בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁלּוֹמֵד הַבְּרָכוֹת לִפְנֵי רַבּוֹ, שֶׁמֻּתָּר לְלַמֵּד לְתִינוֹקוֹת הַבְּרָכוֹת כְּתִקְנָן, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵם מְבָרְכִין לְבַטָּלָה בִּשְׁעַת הַלִּמּוּד; אֲבָל בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהֵם מְבָרְכִין לִפְטֹר אֶת עַצְמָן, כֵּיוָן דִּבְנֵי חִנּוּךְ הֵם עוֹנִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם אָמֵן; וְכֵן בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאוֹמְרִים הַהַפְטָרָה בְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת.

The rule that one does not respond "Amen" after a child applies specifically when the child is learning the blessings from his teacher, for it is permitted to teach children the blessings in their proper form even though, during the learning, they are reciting the blessings in vain. However, when the children are reciting the blessings to fulfill their own obligation — since they are of an age of education (bnei chinuch) — one does respond "Amen" after them. The same applies when they recite the haftarah in the synagogue.

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Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim — Torat Emet 363 edition, via Sefaria — public domain

English: Sefaria Community Translation — CC0