Questions tagged [blessing]
Questions about short prayers called b'rachos ("benedictions" or "blessings"), generally said to thank God for specific events.
1,106 questions
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What is the source for the bracha “enwrap ourselves”? [duplicate]
Where are we commanded to enwarp ourselves in a tallis (לְהִתְעַטֵּף בַּצִּיצִית)?
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'Tadir' and Brachos
There is a rule 'תדיר ושאינו תדיר, תדיר קודם'. Loosely translated: When faced with two mitzvos, one must first perform the one which occurs more frequently.
Q: When it comes to bracha achrona, we ...
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Are there any brachos for “touching” something?
4 of the 5 senses explicitly have berachos:
Taste- Shehakol food, blessings on fruits & vegetables etc (see: OC 202-207)
Smell- Pleasant fragrances (OC 216)
Hearing- Thunder (MB 227:5)
Seeing-...
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How long does the bracha “lashev b'sukka” last?
On Succos, how many times a day does one say "lashev b'sukka"?
- Once a day at the onset of daylight?
- Once at day and once at night"?
- Every time one enters the succa to eat?
- Other?
And why?
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What is the logic behind the Maharil's explanation of why we don't say שעשה ניסים on Pesach?
My Haggadah cites the Maharil in Minhagim, Hilchos Hahagadah as having asked why we don't say שעשה ניסים on Pesach. He rejects the explanation brought by others that it's because we say לפיכך חייבים ...
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Why is the beracha of Shehechiyanu phrased in the plural?
The Bracha of Shehechiyanu reads as follows:
ברוך...שהחיינו וקיימנו והגיענו לזמן הזה
...that He kept us alive and sustained us and brought us to this time.
Why is Shehechiyanu phrased in the ...
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Birkas haTorah: Can you read any piece of Torah?
When we make birkas haTorah in the morning, we follow it up with Bemidbar 6:24-26 (יברכך...), followed by the beginning of Peah in the Mishna and Tosefta. Do those sections need to be read? If I ...
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Who decides whether it's normal to eat something in a certain fashion?
The Shulchan Aruch in several places writes that if something is eaten in an abnormal fashion, it gets a Shehakol rather than its usual bracha.1
What defines whether something is a "normal" way of ...
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What berachos should be made when Moshiach comes?
I supose shehecheyanu or hatov vehameitiv, but I'm not sure about this. Are there something more specific than that? What are the mekorot dealing with berachos to be made when Moshiach comes?
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Can one smell orla tree blossoms?
Follow-up to Can I make a bracha on smelling roses that may be orla?
As per SA YD 294:1, orla only applies to trees which were planted for eating.
Can one smell the blossoms of a tree planted for ...
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B’racha achrona on sunflower seeds?
If one eats a k’zayit of sunflower seeds including the flavored shell, which he spits out, but less than a k’zayit of the seeds themselves, which he swallows, does he need to say an after b’racha?
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Can I make a bracha on smelling roses that may be orla?
Roses are considered "Atzei Besamim" so does orla apply to them and if so do I make a bracha on smelling orla roses?
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Do i make bracha on smelling vapor from herbs?
There some vapors in electronic cigarettes made with natural herbs like chamomile (and other). So do i do brachot when smelling them?
Is there a common practice to smell natural things, is this kind ...
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Why does Hallel at the Seder not get a Bracha, according to the second opinion cited by the Tur?
The Tur (OC 473) cites two approaches regarding making a blessing on Hallel at the Seder:
בענין ברכת ההלל איכא פלוגתא דרבוותא ריצב"א היה מברך עליו ב"פ אחת קודם אכילה ואחת אחר אכילה וכן היה נוהג ה"ר ...
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If a person forgot whether they have already recited krias shema al hamita are they permited to say hamapil and should they do so?
based on the idea of sufek derabanan lekula (a doubt in regards to a rabbinical ruling results in a leniency) and sufek d'orysa lechumra (a doubt on a Torah ruling results in a stringency) being that ...
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She'asa Nissim Lavoseinu | שעשה נסים לאבותינו - what did they say back then?
What was the second blessing mentioned by the Jews right after the miracle of Purim took place? If the second blessing on reading the Megillah mentions:
"בימים ההם בזמן הזה"
"... in those days at ...
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Shehechyanu levatala on Purim
Before the morning reading of Megillat Esther, the reader says 3 brachot including Shehechyanu (according to Ashkenazic practice). This applies, to some degree, and in some way to that morning's ...
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Meaning of Zekher Livracha (ז"ל - Of blessed memory)
The literal translation of ז"ל is "of blessed memory"
What does it mean to bless memory? How does it help the soul?
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We need ten consolers; why not ten mourners?
The mishna, M'gila 23 amud 2 as described by Rashi, says we don't say the mourners' outdoor blessing without the presence of ten people, and the mourners themselves don't count toward the requisite ...
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Netilat Yadayim - Ritual hand washing in the morning
A question about netilat yadayim (ritual hand washing) upon waking up in the morning. Where does the custom with the bowl and cup by one's bed come from?
In modern homes with clear running water, is ...
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Can a gentile pronounce a blessing for a Jew? Are there songs I can sing that will bring peace?
As a chaplain I sing Christian hymns for those who are dying and for the family after death, while still present with the one who died. There is also a final blessing. It brings a deep peace for the ...
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Why not say סברי before the blessing on wine at a wedding ceremony?
The Rema in O Ch 174(8) says
ויאמר סברי רבותי ר"ל סוברים אתם לצאת בברכה זו ולא יאמר ברשות רבותי
(מו) וכן כל מקום שמברכין על היין משום ברכת היין שבתוך הסעודה אין
אומרים ברשות אלא סברי מטעם ...
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Blessing Over Kiddush Covering Future Drinks
This past Shabbat, my Rabbi's father-in-law was over and they disagreed over whether or not to say a blessing.
After Shacharit, my Rabbi said kiddush over wine, ate mezonot, and then (as always) ...
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Ramifications of eating (or forcing to eat) food one doesn’t like
Avos D’Rebbi Nassan 26:5 says (translation is from Artscroll, and brackets are from their footnotes):
הוא היה אומר האוכל אוכלין שאינם עולים על גופו עובר משום ג' לאוין שביזה את עצמו וביזה את האוכלין ...
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At what point should one recite Bracha asher yatzar
Having washed one's hands after excusing oneself, Does one say the bracha asher yatzar after drying our hands or before? Some guy taught that we're to say the bracha before drying the hands.
I ...
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Why is א-להי נשמה not א-להי הנשמה?
In the morning blessing of א-להי נשמה the first few words read א-להי ,נשמה שנתת בי.
To me this literally translates as 'My G-d, soul that you put in me...'
It sounds strange.
Why not say, א-להי ,...
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bracha on unflavoured seltzer if one's not thirsty
It's well known that a bracha isn't made on plain, unflavoured water if one isn't [that] thirsty, the question is: what about plain seltzer (e.g. refreshe from Vons)?
Is the addition of the bubbley ...
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What's the difference between making a blessing in vain and wearing a four-cornered garment without tzitzit vis-a-vis checking the tzitzit in advance?
R. Joseph Karo (Shulchan Aruch O.C. 8:9) codifies the following law:
קודם שיברך יעיין בחוטי הציצית אם הם כשרים כדי שלא יברך לבטלה
Prior to making the blessing [on the tzitzit] he should look ...
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Three faceted blessing after public kiddush on Friday night
Fortunately I had the honour on multiple occasions to do public kiddush on Friday nights in different synagogues. A few of them were keen on asking me to recite the three faceted blessing after it, ...
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Blessing children via a shaliach
Can blessing the children friday night be done via a shaliach if a child is away from home for Shabbat?
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What is the blessing on cricket bread?
This recent article speaks of commercially available bread made from ground crickets. To clarify, crickets are ground into flour and used in some combination with wheat flour.
Now, to the best of my ...
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Birkas Hamitzvah on food which is normally assur, but allowed due to pikuach nefesh
From Making a bracha on food which is normally assur, but allowed due to pikuach nefesh, if you eat normally forbidden foods because of pikuach nefesh, you make a bracha on them.
Does the same apply ...
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Blessing one's spouse on Shabbas
Every Shabbas I bless my 3 children but I feel like it's incomplete. What about a blessing on for my wife?
I suppose many sing Eshet Chayil but I feel it is more directed to the Shabbas rather than ...
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For how long has the Bracha on nerot Shabbat been around?
When did the Bracha on nerot Shabbat come into play? I know that the Mishna mentions generally the mitzva mid'rabanan to light a light on Shabbos. But when did klal yisrael begin saying the Bracha?
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For situations where the halacha is based on one's personal preferences, should one adapt his preference to be more “choshuv”
My specific example is with ice cream sandwiches.
According to the common holding that one says shehakol if the ice cream is the ikkur but mezonot if the biscuit is the ikkur, should one make an ...
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Reward for saying Asher Yatzar
Is saying Asher Yatzar, the blessing after using the bathroom, something that one will get rewarded for? Will one get rewarded for each time he said Asher Yatzar?
Please cite sources.
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Blessing on orange juice after eating an orange
Say someone ate an orange and now wants to drink orange juice. The regular blessing on orange juice is sheakol (see e.g., here) although there is some opinion it might be haeitz if the oranges were ...
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Shiur Brocha Achrona 2 different foods
If I eat less than a k’zayis of cake; and less than a k’zayis of grapes; do I make a brocha Achrona? And if I do; is it Borei Nefushois, or Ahl Hamichya V’ahl hu’aitz?
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How sick does one have to be to qualify for a “Mi Shebberach”? [duplicate]
Are there guidelines about how sick you have to be to be included in the mi shebberach list read during the torah service? A cold? Bronchitis? The flu? Pneumonia? I'm not asking about private ...
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Discrimination in Yakov's blessings to his sons
Yaakov had learned "the hard way" what his discrimination of his sons leads to.
The Gemmorah (Shabbos 10b) rules that:
"... אמר רב לעולם אל ישנה אדם בנו בין הבנים שבשביל משקל שני סלעים מילת שנתן ...
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When was Birkat haTorah composed and added to the liturgy?
Do we know when Birkat haTorah was composed and added as an obligatory blessing to be said before learning Torah? Is it just something done by Anshei Knesset haGedolah or do we have any other ...
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Halachic status of ישמך אלקים כאפרים וכמנשה
Yaakov blessed Ephraim and Menashe by stating that future generations would bless their children by saying "ישמך אלקים כאפרים וכמנשה" - "God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh" (Gen. 48:20). Was this ...
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Where is “Hefsek” defined first?
I am looking for the initial mention of the word "Hefsek" where it refers to a gap or interruption between saying a blessing and carrying it out. Shulchan Aruch, Orech Chaim, 167:6 discusses how ...
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What blessing does one make on non-kosher food? [duplicate]
Is a blessing made on non-kosher food that one is normally forbidden (אסור) to eat when one is in an exceptional circumstance? (like for example, starving and without other food) The food becomes ...
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If one makes a bracha on something not Kosher should he eat it to avoid saying G-d's name in vain or not?
If one makes a bracha on something not Kosher (meat and milk,chicken and milk, pork…) should he eat it to avoid saying G-d's name in vain or not?
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Why don't we add special Holiday sections to Al Hamichya on Purim or Chanukah? [duplicate]
Much like Birkat Hamazon, there are special Holiday sections added to Al Hamichya on all of the Yom Tov days that do not involve fasting. Unlike Birkhat Hamazon, however, Purim and Chanukah are not ...
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What bracha should be made when smelling soap?
I'm assuming that when one showers / bathes and uses a bar of soap but isn't concentrating on the smell, he would not need to make a bracha. (There is a similar M.Y. question about needing to make a ...
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Bracha after consuming food
If one eats pizza and is 100% certain he did not say the bracha for it, may he still say it? Explanation: Eating a piece of pizza, realizing you didn’t say the bracha, and saying the bracha before ...
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Can one use a clove-studded etrog for havdallah?
I have seen a few people encrust their "used" etrog with cloves and smell this during the havdallah service. Is this permissible?
The reason I think this is a problem:
The bracha on smelling the ...
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2answers
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Sources for receiving blessing through Mitzvot
I am searching for sources for the concept that a Jew keeping the Mitzvot will ultimately bring blessing to / not keeping the Mitzvot will bring destruction to:
A) himself/herself
B) the Jewish ...
