Birkat Hamazon
Birkat Hamazon, known in English as the Grace After Meals, is a set of Hebrew blessings that Jewish law prescribes following a meal that includes at least a kezayit piece of bread. It is understood as a mitzvah based on Deuteronomy 8:10.
Birkat Hamazon is recited after a meal containing bread or similar foods that is made from the five grains, with the exception of bread that comes as a dessert and food that does not possess the form or appearance of bread, in which case a blessing that summarizes the first three blessings is recited instead. It is a matter of rabbinic dispute whether Birkat Hamazon must be said after eating certain other bread-like foods such as pizza.
Except in teaching situations, Birkat Hamazon is typically read individually after ordinary meals. The blessing can be found in almost all siddurs and is often printed in a variety of artistic styles in a small booklet called a birchon in Hebrew or bencher in Yiddish. The length of the different brakhot hamazon can vary considerably, from bentsching in under half a minute to more than five minutes.
Preliminary psalms
- On weekdays, some recite Psalm 137, Al Naharot Bavel before Birkat Hamazon. This psalm describes the reactions of the Jews in exile as would have been expressed during the Babylonian captivity.
- Psalm 126 Shir Hama'alot, which expresses the Jewish hope of return to Zion following their final redemption, is widely recited by Ashkenazi Jews before Birkat Hamazon on Shabbat, Jewish holidays, and certain other days or special occasions. Some follow this by two or four additional verses from Psalms ; this addition is known as Tehillat Hashem after its first words, and is based on teachings by the Arizal. Some Spanish and Portuguese Jews precede Birkat Hamazon with "Ein Keloheinu" on Shabbat and holidays.
- In the Italian rite, Shir shel yom of that day is recited, followed by Psalm 67 prior to Birkat Hamazon.
- Tzur Mishelo Achalnu is sung in some communities as "an introduction to the Grace after Meals in all joyous occasions." Whereas it is commonly found among the songs printed for singing Friday night, among those who use it for zimun it is never sung in the middle of a meal, since it would signal the meal's end.
Shabbat and Holidays
- On Shabbat the retzei paragraph is recited, just before the end of the third blessing. In some rite, one must repeat the entire Birkat Hamazon. At later meals, or on Rosh Chodesh or Chol Hamoed, nothing need be done.
Sheva Brachot
When birkat hamazon takes place at the Sheva Brachot following a traditional Jewish marriage, in Ashkenazic communities special opening lines reflecting the joy of the occasion are added to the zimmun beginning with Devai Haser; in all communities Sheha-Simchah bi-m'ono is added. At the conclusion of birkat hamazon, a further seven special blessings are recited. While the seven blessings can only be recited with Panim Chadashot and in the presence of a minyan, Devai Haser can be recited even without these requirements as long as there is a Zimmun. Furthermore, according to Talmudic law, Sheha-Simchah bi-m'ono can be recited for up to thirty days, or even a year if the meal was made specifically in honor of the couple; nevertheless, this is not practiced today.Brit milah
At birkat hamazon concluding the celebratory meal of a brit milah, in the Eastern Ashkenazic rite, additional introductory lines, known as Nodeh Leshimcha, are added at the beginning and special ha-Rachaman prayers are inserted. In the Western Ashkenazic rite, the Zimmun is recited as normal without any additions, but a long piyyut from Ephraim of Bonn is inserted in the middle of the second blessing; special ha-Rachaman prayers are added, but they are different from those of the Eastern Ashkenazic rite.House of Mourning
According to Isaac ben Dorbolo, a mourner is not counted for zimmun or minyan on the first day of mourning. When birkat hamazon takes place in a shiva house, the ordinary call to prayer is replaced with "Let us bless the Comforter of Mourners, of whose food we have eaten," and congregants respond with "Blessed be the Comforter of Mourners, of whose food we have eaten, and by whose produce do we live. According to Isaac ben Darbolo, an additional prayer should be added after the Rachem blessing: "Comfort, O God, the mourners of Zion and the mourners of Jerusalem, and all those who are comforting themselves because of this loss. Comfort away their mourning, and cheer them from their sadness. As it is said, "Just as a man is comforted by his mother, so I will comfort you, and in Jerusalem you will be comforted." Darbolo, among others, also writes that the Boneh blessing should be altered to conclude, "Blessed are you, O Lord, Comforter of Mourners and Builder of Jerusalem", but other authorities disagree. Darbolo also adds a Harachaman for mourners: "The Merciful One is a true God and an honest judge, He deals fairly and He takes fairly, and He has absolute power in His world to do as He wills, for all of His ways are just. And we are His people and His servants. We are always obligated to praise Him and to bless Him. End this evil and our mourning. The mender of Israel's breaches will mend this breach of ours for life and peace."Abbreviated text
An abbreviated text is sometime used when time is lacking. It contains the four essential blessings in a somewhat shortened form, with fewer preliminaries and additions. In liberal branches of Judaism, there is no standard text to be recited and customs vary accordingly. Many Sephardi Jews, especially Spanish and Portuguese Jews often sing a hymn in Spanish, called Bendigamos, before or after birkat hamazon. An additional abbreviated form of birkat hamazon in Ladino, called Ya Comimos, may also be said.Zimmun
According to Halakha when a minimum of three adult Jewish males eat bread as part of a meal together they are obligated to form a mezuman with the addition of a few extra opening words whereby one man "invites" the others to join him in birkat hamazon.. When those present at the meal form a minyan there are further additions to the invitation. A Zimmun of 10 is called a Zimmun B'Shem.Women
The Talmud states that women are obligated to say birkat hamazon and that accordingly, three women can constitute a zimmun and lead it. Accordingly, the Shulchan Aruch rules that three women may choose to make a zimmun among themselves, but are not required to do so. However, ten women cannot make the Zimmun B'Shem, and men and women cannot combine to form the three members of an ordinary zimmun. If three men and three women are present, the three men make the zimmun, and the women are required to answer to it.Large gatherings
According to the one opinion in the Talmud, there are special versions of the zimmun if birkat hamazon is said by at least 100, 1000 or 10000 seated at one meal. When 100 are present, the leader says "Blessed is HaShem our God, of Whose we have eaten and of Whose goodness we have lived", and the group responds "Blessed is HaShem our God, of Whose we have eaten, and of Whose goodness we have lived." When 1000 are present, the leader of the Zimmun says "Let us bless HaShem our God, the God of Israel, of Whose we have eaten, and of Whose goodness we have lived", and the crowd responds, "Blessed is HaShem our God, the God of Israel, of Whose we have eaten, and of Whose goodness we have lived." When at least 10000 are present, the leader of the zimmun says "Let us bless Hashem our God, the God of Israel, who dwells among the cherubim, of Whose we have eaten, and of Whose goodness we have lived," and the multitude responds, "Blessed is Hashem our God, the God of Israel, who dwells among the cherubim, of Whose we have eaten, and of Whose goodness we have lived." However, the Shulchan Aruch rules like the other opinion in the Talmud and we do not use any of these variations.Cup of Blessing
The practice of a cup of blessing is mentioned in the Talmud, and technically it can be done anytime Birkat Hamazon is recited, even by an individual. However, common practice is to use a cup only when there is a zimmun, in which case the person leading the zimmun recites the blessings over the cup of wine called the kos shel beracha. It is more commonly done on Shabbat and Jewish Holidays, and almost universally done at meals celebrating special events. At a Passover Seder, the cup of blessing is drunk by everyone present, and functions as the "Third Cup".Dvar Torah
Many have the custom - especially after a Shabbat meal - of sharing a Dvar Torah, before the invitation.This is based on Pirkei Avot : "If three have eaten at one table, and have spoken there words of Torah, as if they had eaten at the table of the All-Present, blessed be He..."