Amen Over The Phone?

The Daily Halacha Moment - Amen Over The Phone 🤳

״כל השונה הלכות בכל יום - מובטח לו שהוא בן העולם הבא״ (נידה עג ע״א, מגילה כח:)

“Anyone who studies Halachot every day is guaranteed that he is destined for the world-to-come” (Megilla 28b, Niddah 73a)

Question:

Is one allowed to answer Amen to a Beracha over the phone/videocall?

Answer:

A wonderful new initiative has recently been launched—a WhatsApp group where individuals can call in, recite a berachah, and have others answer "Amen" in real-time. This initiative fosters a greater awareness of berachot, encourages mindfulness in reciting blessings, and provides an opportunity for people to fulfill the beautiful mitzvah of answering "Amen" throughout the day.

With this in mind, an important halachic question arises: Is one allowed to answer "Amen" to a berachah heard over the phone or video call? Does hearing a blessing electronically hold the same status as hearing it in person? And does it allow one to fulfill obligations such as Havdalah or Megillah reading?

Halachic Discussion: Answering "Amen" Over the Phone or Video Call

According to many poskim (halachic authorities), if a berachah is heard in real-time (i.e., a live phone or video call), one may answer "Amen." This is based on the ruling that even when a berachah is not heard directly but through a transmitted medium, one can still respond appropriately.

However, while answering "Amen" is permitted, this does not mean one fulfills their obligation for certain mitzvot when heard over the phone or live stream. For example, one does not fulfill their obligation for:

1) Havdalah heard over the phone or live stream

2) Megillat Esther heard via phone or live stream

3) Any other mitzvah that requires direct auditory reception

This is because, in halacha, mitzvot such as Havdalah and Megillah reading require hearing a berachah from a direct human voice rather than through an electronic transmission.

Sources and Opinions:

Rav Moshe Feinstein (Igrot Moshe, Orach Chaim 4:91:4) rules that one may answer "Amen" when hearing a berachah over the phone, provided it is live.

Maran Chacham Ovadia Yosef (Yechaveh Da’at 2:68; 3:54) supports this ruling, citing the Gemara in Sukkah 51b. In that case, congregants in the large synagogue of Alexandria would answer "Amen" to berachot by watching for raised flags, even if they could not hear the berachot directly. This indicates that the ability to respond does not require direct auditory reception.

However, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Minchat Shlomo 1:9) raises a concern. He differentiates between the case of Alexandria and modern electronic transmission. In Alexandria, the people were physically present in the same space as the one reciting the berachah, even if they could not hear it. In contrast, a phone call or live stream allows one to hear a berachah from across the world, with no physical connection between the participants. He, therefore, concludes that one should not answer "Amen" to a berachah heard over the phone.

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