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In Judaism, a berakhah, bracha, brokho, brokhe (; pl. בְּרָכוֹת, berakhot, brokhoys; "benediction," "blessing") is a formula of blessing or thanksgiving, recited in public or private, usually before the performance of a Mitzvah, or the enjoyment of food or fragrance, and in praise on various occasions.
The function of a berakhah is to acknowledge God as the source of all blessing.Sefer Hachinuch Chap. 430 It can be both a declaration of dependence and an expression of gratitude for God and his gifts. Berakhot also have an educational function to transform a variety of everyday actions and occurrences into religious experiences designed to increase awareness of God at all times. For this purpose, the Chazal Rabbi Meir declared that it was the duty of every Jew to recite one hundred berakhot every day.Menachot 43b
The Mishnah of tractate Berakhot, and the gemara in both Talmuds, contain detailed rabbinical discussions of berakhot, upon which the laws and practice of reciting blessings are founded.
Berakhot typically start with the words "Blessed are You, Lord our God..."
One who hears another recite a berakhah answers with amen; but one who is engaged in prayer may at certain points be forbidden from other speech, including responding amen. With few exceptions, one does not respond amen to his or her own berakha, although other prayers—such as the kaddish—include "amen" in their text.
Blessings over food are intended to sanctify the physical act of taking nourishment, those recited before performing a commandment serve to prevent the performance of the activity in an unthinking, rote way, and the blessings of praise serve to remind people of the presence of God in all situations.
There are six types of blessings said before eating different foods: Ha-Motzi/Hamoytsi Mezonot/Mezoynes Ha-gefen/Hagofen Ha-`etz/ho-eytz Ha-’adama/Ho-adomo and She-ha-kol.Mishna Berakhot 6:1
Additionally, there are 5 blessings said after eating different foods: Birkat Hamazon, Al Hamihya, Al Hagefen, Al Ha’etz and Borei Nefashot. These blessings, however, are only required if a certain
predefined amount (Ke'zayit for a solid food, and Revi'it for a liquid) is consumed within a predefined time period (different for solids and liquids).
The blessing over fulfilling the commandment is sometimes followed by another blessing (for example, when lighting the Chanukkah candles, the additional berakhah "...who performed miracles for our ancestors long ago at this season" is recited). When a mitzvah is performed for the first time in the year, the She'hecheyanu blessing ("...who has kept us alive and preserved us and enabled us to reach this season") is also added.
Contrary to the usual pattern of making a blessing before the commandment, the blessing for relieving one's bodily needs and the blessing for ritually rinsing the hands are both recited afterwards. In the former case, it is forbidden to recite any blessing while one feels one's need, and so the blessing is postponed. In the latter case, one may also not recite the blessing beforehand since clean hands are a prerequisite for reciting the blessing. Even if one is certain that one's hands are clean (for example, at the Rabbinically instituted rinsing before breaking bread), one still recites the blessing afterwards to avoid confusion.
Also contrary to the usual pattern, blessings are said after certain public readings from the Tanakh as well as before it. Examples include the public Torah reading, the readings from the prophets called the Haftarah, and the recitation of Psalms of Praise, and the Psalms of the Hallel.
David Abudarham wrote that there is more than one reason why these commandments do not have blessings. Abudarham and Shlomo ibn Aderet Shut haRashba 1:254 suggested a blessing is not recited for tzedakah because the recipient may refuse the gift, and blessings are not recited when it is uncertain whether the mitzvah will be performed.
Baruch Epstein suggested that a blessing is not recited on interpersonal mitzvot because the standard blessing text refers to Jews being distinguished from other nations who do not perform the mitzvah; however, non-Jews do perform interpersonal good deeds.Torah Temimah on Exodus 24:12; a similar reason appears in Shut Ateret Paz, part 1 volume 2, Yoreh Deah, section 10 note 4.
Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg suggested that interpersonal mitzvot are done best out of love and care for the recipient, not out of commandment or coercion, so a blessing which refers to the commandment is not recited. Sridei Esh 1:61 page 172
These blessings are said on various occasions, including upon hearing good and bad news; on witnessing awesome natural phenomena such as thunder and lightning, high mountains or the ocean,Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, Travel Guide: Blessings for Special Sights on Arutz Sheva. or a rainbow;Zochayr HaBrit upon visiting a place where miracles have been performed in the past, especially in the Land of Israel, and the Birkat ha-Gomel, upon being saved from danger.
The blessing Ha-tov ve-ha-metiv ("Blessed is He Who is good and does good") is recited by a person when they hear good news that will also benefit others, such as news that one has received an inheritance or when rain begins to fall after a drought. It is also said upon the drinking of additional wine that is different from that drunk previously at the meal.
There are three types of formulas for benedictions:
This mandate refers to the mention of the Tetragrammaton, which was only pronounced at certain specific times within the confines of the Temple in Jerusalem. Whoever heard this special name of God mentioned was obliged to respond with Barukh shem kvod malkhuto l'olam va'ed (ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד, "Blessed be the Name of His glorious kingdom for all eternity").Deuteronomy 32:3 and associated commentary of Rashi and super commentaries Elijah Mizrachi and Gur Aryeh With the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, however, pronouncing the Tetragrammaton was prohibited,Chayei Adam 5:27 and was replaced with the pronunciation Adonai. Although this term bears significant holiness (and is in fact one of the seven names of God) and may not be pronounced without purpose, it may be pronounced when appropriate in prayer and blessings. The aforementioned response for the Tetragrammaton, however, is not warranted when one hears Adonai pronounced.
The Chazal (Talmudic sages) therefore mandated that one must answer amen at the completion of a blessing outside of the Temple, comparable to the barukh shem that was used in the Holy Temple.See Tractate Brachot 63a and associated commentary of Rashi, which state that barukh shem was used not only as a response to the recital of the Tetragrammaton, but also whenever one heard a blessing within the Temple. However, while " barukh shem is an expression of praise and honour, amen is an affirmation of belief."Forst, Binyomin. The Laws of B'rachos, Artscroll 1990, page 86-87. The Talmud teaches that the word Amen is an acronym for אל מלך נאמן ( ’El melekh ne’eman, "God, trustworthy King.")Tractate Shabbat 119b and Tractate Sanhedrin 111a The word amen itself is etymology related to the Hebrew word emunah (אמונה, "faith") asserting that one is affirming the fundamental beliefs of Judaism.Jonathan Rietti. The Greatest Promise Ever Made: The Eternity of The Jewish People (audio)
Although amen, in Judaism, is most commonly stated as a response to a blessing that incorporates God's name, amen is more generally an affirmation of any declaration. Accordingly, it is customary in some communities to respond amen after each harachaman in Birkat Hamazon Avraham Gombiner 215:3, citing the Midrash and after a mi'shebeirach. When reciting amen, it is important that the response is not louder than the blessing itself.Orach Chaim 124:12 When trying to encourage others to respond amen, however, one may raise ones voice to stir others to respond in kind.Mishnah Berurah 124:47
Since answering "amen" indicates approval of the content of the blessing, it is appropriate to answer "amen" to another's blessing even if one could not halachically recite the blessing oneself. For example, when the kohanim recite the blessing, "...Who has sanctified us with the holiness of Aaron, and commanded us to bless His people Israel with love," the congregation responds "amen," even though they are not descendants of Aaron the High Priest. Likewise, a Gentile may respond "amen" to a Jew's blessing, even when the blessing contains the text, "...Who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to...," since by answering "amen," the Gentile is agreeing that the Jew was sanctified with the commandment about to be performed. So too with blessings on foods and smells; one is not required to likewise partake in order to answer "amen."
When one person recites a blessing for another, and the second says " amen", it is considered as if the second person recited the blessing by proxy. In this manner, a person can fulfill their obligation to recite kiddush, or recite a blessing before eating, without saying the actual blessing but rather the one word " amen".
One may not respond amen to a beracha le-vatala (ברכה לבטלה, "blessing made for nought").Orach Chaim 215:4 Thus, one should not respond amen to a blessing made by someone who is merely reciting the blessing for educational purposes (i.e. to learn how to recite it).Orach Chaim 215:3 However, one is encouraged to respond amen to children's blessings, even though they are not obligated in the recitation of blessings.
Because one cannot attest to one's own blessing any more than he or she already has by reciting it, responding amen to one's own blessing is redundant and one may not do so.Orach Chaim 215:1 If the blessing is being recited on food, one who responds amen to one's own blessing will either cause a hefseik (הפסק, "prohibited interruption")Mishnah Brurah 215:1 or likely pronounce an amen yetoma, depending on whether one responds immediately or waits until after one swallows some food or drink, respectively.
An exception to this rule is a situation in which an individual is reciting a series of blessings; in such a case, some authorities permit the individual to respond amen to the last blessing in order to signal the ending of the series. While there are many examples of series of blessings within the Jewish prayer services, Ashkenazi Jews tradition dictates that amen is not recited at the conclusion of a series of blessings. The one exception to this is in Birkat Hamazon after the third blessing of Boneh Yerushalayim; in order to signify that the first three blessings are biblically mandated, as opposed to the fourth rabbinically mandated blessing, the TalmudTractate Berachot 45b mandates that one recite amen at its closing.Mishnah Brurah 215:4
By listening intently and responding amen to each blessing of the kiddush prayer, all those present can effectively fulfill their obligation to recite kiddush, even though only one person is actually reciting it, via the principle of shomea k'oneh (שומע כעונה, "One who hears is the equivalent of one who recites").
While men either recite the sheheheyanu blessing in kiddush or dispense their obligation by listening to someone else recite it, women generally recite their sheheheyanu during Shabbat candles. Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank notes that anyone who lit candles should refrain from responding amen to the sheheheyanu blessing during kiddush because it would effectively be an interruption in their fulfillment of reciting kiddush, as they have already recited their sheheheyanu blessing.
Categories of blessings
There are three major categories of berakhah:
Before enjoyment
Based on a sugya of the Talmud ( Berkahot 35a), Judaism teaches that food ultimately belongs to the one great Provider, God, and that to partake of it legitimately one must express gratitude to God by reciting the appropriate blessing beforehand.Bavli Berakhot 35a
When performing a mitzvah
Blessings recited before the observance of a mitzvah (commandment) begin with the formula "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us through his commandments and commanded us to..." and mention the specific mitzvah about to be performed.
Mitzvot for which a blessing is not recited
No blessing is recited for the performance of certain commandments. Some commentators have suggested that the reason is that no blessing is said before fulfilling commandments which do not involve any action (for example, leaving the corner of the field for the poor), or the observance of which is possible only in undesirable circumstances (for example, granting a divorce, or the return of stolen goods). In the case of other commandments (for example, tzedakah "charity"), commentators say it is because there is no fixed amount or limit to the observance of the commandment; however, there is no general agreement regarding the underlying principles.
Praise on various occasions
The main purpose of this category of blessings, often called "blessings of praise," is to help remind people of the Creator at all times.
Structure of blessings
Most blessings begin with the words Barukh Attah Adonai ("Blessed are You, Lord"). When the blessing occurs at the beginning of a prayer, the words Eloheinu Melekh ha-Olam ("our God, King of the Universe") are added.
Safek berakhah
In certain cases it is doubtful whether a blessing should be said. For example, when someone doesn't remember whether he has already recited the proper blessing or not. One cannot argue to recite the blessing "just to be sure", because it is forbidden to say a "berakhah levatalah" (an unnecessary blessing) so as not to transgress the grave prohibition of taking God's name in vain. The psak in such cases is to say the blessing in a D'Oraita case, and to not say it in a D'Rabbanan case.
Reciting amen
The most common context in which an amen is required by halakha is after one hears a berakah recited.Orach Chaim 124:6 In fact, it is prohibited to willfully refrain from responding amen when it is indicated.Chayei Adam 6:1 The source of this requirement is the verse in Deuteronomy 32:3: "When I proclaim the name of Hashem, give glory to our God."
Proper articulation when answering amen
When responding amen, it must be pronounced in a proper manner, consistent with its significance in halakha. There are a number of ways to respond amen that are discouraged as being either disrespectful or careless. The articulation of the alef (, first letter of amen in Hebrew) and its proper vowelization must be clear. If the kametz vowel is rushed and mispronounced as the vowelization of a shva, the amen is termed an amen chatufa, as chatufa is synonym for the shva.Orach Chaim 124:8 Another type of amen chatufa is one that is recited prior to the completion of the blessing it is being recited to follow; this comes from the Hebrew word chatuf (, "snatched").Orach Chaim 124:8 The impatient rush to respond amen before the blessing has even been completed is prohibited.Mishnah Berurah 124:30 If insufficient stress is placed on the nun (, the last letter of amen in Hebrew) and the mem (, the middle letter) drowns it out, this is termed an amen ketufa (אמן קטופה, "a cut amen").Tractate Brachot 47a One must also not recite amen too quickly; one should allocate enough time for the amen as necessary to say ’El melekh ne’eman. Saying an amen ketzara (אמן קצרה, "short amen") recited too quickly shows a lack of patience.
Situations in which one may not recite amen
Although it is not prohibited to say the word amen in vain, the Chazal indicated particular circumstances in which it is improper to answer amen. Chava'at Da'at Yoreh De'ah 110 ( Dinei s'feik s'feika, Shach note 20) An amen yetoma (אמן יתומה "orphaned amen") is one such example of an improperly recited amen. There is a dispute among the posek as to exactly what constitutes an orphaned amen.
When responding amen will constitute a prohibited interruption
When responding amen will constitute a hefseik (הפסק, "prohibited interruption"), one should not respond amen. An example of this type of situation would be within the evening kiddush on Jewish holidays, when the blessing of sheheheyanu is added within the kiddush prayer.
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