Questions tagged [blessing]
Questions about short prayers called b'rachos ("benedictions" or "blessings"), generally said to praise/thank God for specific events.
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Three-fold repetitions
What’s the deal with Judaism and saying things 3 times in a row? Like in the end of Tefilat Haderech we repeat a pasuk 3 times, by Kiddish Levanah we repeat a lot of things 3 times (like “shalom ...
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Beracha of Knowledge
We say in the 4th beracha of shemoneh esrei that G-d gave us knowledge and we thank him for this. Yes, obviously everything comes from G-d, but in the beginning of humankind we had no knowledge, and ...
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Wasn't Yaakov afraid to create envy between Ephraim and Menashe?
When Yosef took his sons to receive a bracha from his father, Yaakov switched his hands to put his right hand over Ephraim, the youngest brother. When Yosef questioned him about that, Yaakov said that ...
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Is a Shehakol blessing required when drinking water in order to not become thirsty?
The Sulchan Aruch in Orach Chayim 204:7 rules:
השותה מים לצמאו מברך שהכל ולאחריו בנ"ר אבל אם חנקתיה אומצא ושותה מים להעביר האומצא אינו מברך לא לפניו ולא לאחריו:
Whomever drinks water to quench ...
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Where does it say that one who already said the morning blessings can go and repeat them as prayer leader?
I was told that someone who had already said the morning blessings can go and repeat them as prayer leader. This was said even though it seems to me that no-one relies on the prayer leader to acquit ...
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Prayer leader does not mention מלך in blessing - should I not say אמן
Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 214 says
כל ברכה שאין בה הזכרת שם ומלכות אינה ברכה
Any blessing which does not mention Hashem's name and Kingship is not
a blessing.
If a prayer leader in a blessing ...
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A bracha on a tallit gadol and not kosher T"Katan
Does partially intentionally wrong kavanah make a bracha a bracha levatalah?
If I put on my tzitzit and notice that a string is missing (or something else which would invalidate it as proper tzitzit) ...
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Bracha of לשמוע קול שופר if you don't know musaf
On Rosh Hashanah, the common practice (as far as I know) is to blow shofar before musaf and during musaf; before the first set, we say the bracha לשמוע קול שופר, and this bracha covers all the shofar ...
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Why are there different נוסחאות when making a bracha over a mitzvah? [duplicate]
How come some of the berachos we say over mitzvah have the נוסח of :
אשר קדשנו במצוותיו וציוונו על אכילת מצה,על נתילת ידים, etc.
While over other mitzvahs we say
אשר קדשנו במצוותיו וציוונו לקבוע מזוזה,...
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Why are blessings preceded by suffering?
In Torah there are about 6 or 7 people/groups I can think of whose suffering preceded some blessing. The first is Abraham’s prolonged childlessness and his subsequent test to sacrifice his son. The ...
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How do berry plants "die in the winter" compared to Ha'etz trees?
In Rema OC 203:2 one of the reasons given why we don't make Ha'etz on berries is because its shoots die during the winter and a new set of shoots and buds grow out from its roots during the summer, ...
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why don't we say a brocho on the Hagadah?
B"H
the rule is is that we usually say brochos over Mitvos that we do.
Since it's a Mitzvah to tell over the story of going out of Egypt on the first night of Pesach [as it even says in the ...
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At a seder, If each kos has its own pri hagafen bracha, why does the afikoman not have its own al achilat matza bracha? [duplicate]
At an Ashkenazi seder, If each kos has its own pri hagafen bracha, why does the afikoman not have its own al achilat matza bracha?
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Why is there no birkas hamitzva on kiddush?
There's a general rule that there's a birkas hamitzva before performing a mitzva. How come no blessing is recited before the mitzva of kiddush?
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Why is Maatanos Levyonim not mentioned in regards to the bracha of שהחיינו?
The Mechaber (692:1) writes that one makes a שהחיינו on the megillah . The Mishna Brurah notes that one should have in mind the mitzvah of Mishloach Manos and Seudas purim when the bracha of שהחיינו ...
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Amen on a bracha levatala/sheino tzricha
May a person respond amen to a bracha levatala or a bracha sheino tzaroch as the words of the bracha in and of themselves are true or is this improper?
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Why is a beracha levatala considered saying G-d's name in vain?
If for example one was holding a piece of pineapple and with concentration made the bracha of HaEtz, with the intention to praise G-d for creating fruit, and then afterwards realizes that he made the ...
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Loss of not making a bracha on a mitzva
Berachot 35b:
Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa said: Anyone who derives benefit from this world without a blessing, it is as if he stole from God and the community of Israel
This is commonly applied to the ...
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Question about shacharit/ma'ariv at home (ashkenazi) [closed]
I'm somewhat new to practicing Judaism in my daily life, and don't live anywhere near a minyan that I could daven shacharit and ma'ariv with (outside of shabbat). I know that a lot of people cut ...
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Is it appropriate to say Baruch Dayan Ha'emes for someone who commits suicide?
Baruch Dayan Ha'emes is the brachah associated with bad news. More specifically, it has become known as the brachah to say when hearing of the news of someone's passing.
Is it appropriate to say ...
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Chart for wrong Bracha Rishona?
I found this neat chart for what to do when you have said a wrong Bracha Achrona, and whether or not it was effective after the fact. I am curious, does anyone have a similar chart which will tell me ...
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What bracha to say first, cooked wheat (mezonos) or olives?
According to this ordering
"A land of wheat, barley, grapes, figs and pomegranates,
a land of olives which produce oil, dates which produce honey." (Deuteronomy 8:8)
It is undecided as to ...
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A barmitzvah boy saying shehechiyanu on new tefillin when wearing them prior to barmitzvah
Following on from this question and assuming that you make the bracha of shehechiyanu on new tefillin...
If a barmitzvah boy has the custom to start wearing his tefillin early. So for example, in ...
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Did Yisasschar have a choice not to accept his blessing?
The passuk right after Yaakov blessed Yissaschar "יששכר חמור גרם" (ויחי פ' מט יד)" which Rashi explains to mean that he'll be strong like a donkey donkey to hold the "עול התורה&...
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Is there a formal Jewish way of wishing someone a safe journey?
Before someone you know goes on a trip, such as a flight, it is polite to wish them a safe journey. In English, one might use some variation of "safe travels" or "have a safe trip"....
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What prayers should one recite in times of great fear?
During situations of great fear, we tend to look to God for comfort and guidance to free us from those fears. I was curious if there was a specific prayer related to fear and being freed from fear ...
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When visiting the cemetery do we say משיב הרוח ומוריד הגשם in the blessing of אֲשֶׁר יָצַר אֶתְכֶם בַּדִּין?
When visiting the cemetery after a break of 30 days, it is customary to say Nusach Ashkenaz
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר יָצַר אֶתְכֶם
בַּדִּין וְזָן וְכִלְכֵּל אֶתְכֶם ...
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Why does Borei Nefashot not have the Shem HaShem at the end?
In general, long Brachot start with “Baruch Ata HaShem” and the last sentence also begins with “Baruch Ata HaShem”. This is true for every Bracha Rishona on food as well, save for Borei Nefashot, ...
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Hilchos Barech Aleinu in the Summer
Where does the Shulchan Aruch discuss if someone mistakenly asked for rain in in Barech Aleinu instead of saying "Vesein Beracha" and what is his ruling?
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Signing off the bracha of 'magen Avraham' with just Avraham
In Parshas Lech Lecha 12:2, the pasuk famously reads:
וְאֶֽעֶשְׂךָ֙ לְג֣וֹי גָּד֔וֹל וַאֲבָ֣רֶכְךָ֔ וַאֲגַדְּלָ֖ה שְׁמֶ֑ךָ וֶהְיֵ֖ה בְּרָכָֽה׃
I will make of you a great nation, And I will bless you; ...
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Is a bracha me’akev to the mitzvah?
Many mitzvahs require a bracha beforehand. If one were to not make the bracha, is the mitzvah valid bedi’eved or does the fact that the bracha wasn’t made means the mitzvah wasn’t done?
For example:
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Blessing Shehechyanu long before eating in second evening of Rosh Hashana
Usually, we bless Shehechyanu very close to eating a new fruit. As far as I remember, there are 2 opinions: one to bless before the blessing on the fruit itself, while the other opinion claims that ...
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Drinking pomegranate juice before Rosh Hashana, does it cancel pomegranate's Shehechayanu blessing?
If I drink pomegranate juice before Rosh Hashana, does it cancel my whole pomegranate's Shehechayanu blessing? Do I have to bless Shehechayanu before drinking pomegranate juice?
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Prayer before a general anaesthetic
Every night, prior to bed, people recite the Shema. Affixed to that recitation is a variety of psukim and brokhes, requesting of Hashem that He ensure that we will sleep well, without any disturbance, ...
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Nothing missing in the world?
The Shulchan Aruch OC (226:1) writes that
בא"י אמ"ה שלא חיסר בעולמו כלום וברא בו בריות טובות ואילנות טובות
ליהנות בהם בני אדם - "Blessed Are you....who has not left anything
lacking ...
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In what time period must Pas Habaa Bikisnin be eaten?
If enough Pas Habaa Bikisnin (e.g. cake or crackers) is eaten at once (according to some opinions as little as four beitzim Mishna Berura 168:24) then the blessing is Hamotzi instead of mezonot.
In ...
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Why does the bracha-maker eat a piece of challah first?
I'm wondering if anyone knows the origins of why the one who makes the bracha on challah on Shabbat takes a piece for himself first. I'm most curious if this actually shows up in sources, or if it's a ...
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Is there an old text of Mein Shalosh?
I’ve seen essentially three different versions of Mein Shalosh, or more specifically, the Al Hamichya.
Some versions add “v’al HaKalkalah” as the final words , some add it as both the final words and ...
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Beracha on Partial Rainbow
The Biur Halacha (229:1) writes
הרואה הקשת וכו' - לא נתבאר אם בעינן דוקא שיראהו בתמונת קשת דהוא כחצי
גורן עגולה או אפילו מקצת ממנו די - It's not explained whether you need
to specifically see the ...
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May one answer Amen before washing their hands?
If one woke up and heard a Bracha, and has yet to wash their hands, may one answer amen to the bracha?
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What bracha to make if ate mezonos and grapes but only bentched for mezonos?
Do we say Al Hamichiya again for the grapes or because sofek bracha lehakel, we omit the one for the grapes?
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Is it forbidden to speak between the Bracha (NOT Hamotzi) and eating?
If one speaks between making a blessing on food–other than Hamotzi–must he/she repeat the blessing? By way of example, one says the haeitz blessing but then someone comes asking for tzedaka or a child ...
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What bracha should be made on a smoothie with oats?
I know that typically on a smoothie one makes a shehakol, as in most beverages, however since oats are one of the 5 species of grain that are considered primary, and therefore in most cases are ...
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Why do we not say a bracha before sex? [duplicate]
There is a mitzvah to populate the world, pru urvu. For most mitzvot, there is a bracha we say before we do it. So why do we not say a bracha before sex? Also, whenever one benefits from anything, he ...
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Should one say a bracha upon seeing a person with albinism?
Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 60:13-14 states that one should say the bracha of Mishaneh Habrios when seeing, among other things, an exceptionally dark-skinned or light-skinned person. The notes in the ...
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Bracha for "Zero Net Carb" Bread
A company called "Thin Slim Foods" makes a product called "Zero Net Carb Bread" under the Kosher Miami hechsher. It has the form and texture of bread and is made from ingredients ...
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Conditions for reciting על מקרא מגילה and שהחיינו on non-Esther megillot
Many today have the practice (usually following the Gra — see Maaseh Rav 175) of blessing על מקרא מגילה when reading Shir HaShirim, Ruth, Eicha, and Ḳohelet from a kosher scroll on Pesaḥ, Shavuot, ...
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What has 7 Brachos before the act [closed]
What has 7 Brachos before the act? Examples I can think of are; Matza, Nesuin... Is there anything else that we make 7 Brachos on before we do it?
Ps: This question will help me resolve a Mahril ...
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Why the change in phrase with the morning blessings?
In the morning blessings, there is a small but seemingly important variation in word usage across three blessings.
In the blessing about the distinction between day and night, G-d is described by the ...
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What is the source of this text?
At the end of Elokai Nitzor we say:
"עֲשֵׂה לְמַֽעַן שְׁמֶֽךָ עֲשֵׂה לְמַֽעַן יְמִינֶֽךָ עֲשֵׂה לְמַֽעַן קְדֻשָּׁתֶֽךָ עֲשֵׂה לְמַֽעַן תּוֹרָתֶֽךָ"
Is there a source for these sentences? The ...
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