Sukkah 51b Part 2/5

AI summary (may contain mistakes)

How could a whole hall in Alexandria answer amen to a bracha nobody could hear? The Gemara describes the huge basilica, its 71 golden chairs and the handkerchief waved from the bima, and how its people were killed by Alexander. The commentary on the page answers that it was not a bracha they needed to be yotzei with, or that they knew which bracha was said. From there come practical lessons about really hearing a bracha before answering amen.

Key points

• The Gemara's 71 golden chairs matched the 71 members of the Sanhedrin.
• From a wooden bima, a chazon waved a handkerchief so everyone knew when to answer amen.
• Rav Chaim Kanievsky has one being yotzei with kriyas haTorah brachos skip baruch hu u'varuch shemo.
• Ignoring the Navi's warning, on top of going down to Mitzrayim, is what got them killed.
• The commentary answers either that no bracha needed hearing there, or that they knew which bracha it was.

In this shiur

1. 0:00The basilica of Alexandria
2. 3:27The bima and the handkerchief
3. 5:16Amen yesoma and chazaras hashatz
4. 8:39Tradesmen at separate tables
5. 10:03Why they were all killed
6. 13:06Alexander and the pasuk of the eagle
7. 17:46The commentary on amen yesoma
8. 23:44Brachos over Zoom and microphone

Topics

• Amen Yesoma
• Chazaras HaShatz
• Returning to Mitzrayim
• Hearing a Bracha