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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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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Saying brocho in modern restroom [duplicate]
I've been going through the Mishna Berura on saying shma in restrooms (מ״ב סימנים פ״א-פ״ז so far) and I'm rather curious what the halacha is relating to modern restrooms. (This question only discussed ...
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Can “asher yotzar” be called part of Birkas HaTorah?
My chavrusa suggested that the blessings of “al netilas yodoyim” and “asher yotzar” are part of Birkas HaTorah. Is there any evidence for this please? The implication would be that even if a person ...
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How ancient is the origin of the liturgical phrase "Baruch atah ... melech ha-olam"?
I'm interested in who introduced (and/or when) the standard liturgical formula for bruchas, that is, that they start with
(a) 'ברוך אתא ה
(b) that, followed by אלוקנו מלך העלום
(c) in the case of ...
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How can we make berachos after drinking during the Pesach Seder?
The Shulchan Aruch OC (99:1) writes
שתה יין כדי רביעית אל יתפלל עד שיסיר יינו ואם שתה יותר אם הוא יכול
לדבר לפני המלך אם התפלל תפלתו תפלה ואם אינו יכול לדבר לפני המלך אם
התפלל תפלתו תועבה וצריך לחזור ...
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Why don't we make a bracha on bentching?
Bircas Hamazon is a mitzva from the Torah, so why don't we make a bracha on this mitzva?
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If I make a bracha on food and it falls out of my hand, do I need a new bracha on the rest of the food?
Let's say I am planning on eating some nuts. I hold one in my hand and make the bracha. Then, before I can eat it, it falls out of my hand and gets ruined.
If I right away take another nut from the ...
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Why two kzaysim of matza?
I saw that one eats a kzayis from the whole matza, and a kzayis from the broken matza. One reason given is because one is supposed to eat from the matza that hamotzi was said on and also eat from the ...
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Non Kohen Blessing a Kohen
Is it permissible for a non Kohen such as an Israelite or a Levi to give any type of blessing to a Kohen?
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Why say bircat hamazon instead of plainly thanking HaShem for the food?
A niece asked me why do we need to say bircat hamazon which is lengthy and with words we don’t understand instead of just saying in English something along the long the lines of “thank you HaShem for ...
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Do we withdraw our hands from bread?
The Shulchan Aruch 177:2 rules that one who removes the bread from the table must make a new beracha on whatever he eats for the rest of the meal:
ודברים הבאים לאחר סעודה קודם ברכת המזון שהיה מנהג ...
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Continuing a meal once chametz is prohibited
One starts a bread meal on the morning of erev pesach. One finishes eating all of the bread (and removes all crumbs etc.) before the end of the day's fourth hour, but wants to continue the meal by ...
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Where are the sources for 2 different ends for Al Hamichya?
Sometimes the bracha of Al Hamichya ends with the words "v'al hakalkalah", like it is shown here.
Sometimes those two words are left out, like shown here.
What are the reasons for this ...
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How frequently does one need to recite Shehakol when drinking? [duplicate]
It was widely reported in yesterday's news that one of President Trump's impeachment lawyers covered his head with his hand and recited a bracha every time he took a sip from his water bottle. It has ...
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Chuppah, Kiddushin in ברכת אירוסין
Why do we say על ידי חופה וקידושין, mentioning chuppah first when kiddushin takes place before chuppah (nisuin)?
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What bracha for a mixture of apple and grape juice?
If one is drinking a mixture of apple and grape juice, what bracha does one recite -- shehakol or hagafen? If it matters, I am interested in all three of the following situations:
Mostly apple juice ...
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When to say shehecheyanu on a new fruit?
Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 225:3 records that the custom is to recite the shehecheyanu blessing on a new fruit when one eats it.
At what point precisely does one say shehecheyanu? Before reciting ...
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Why do we recite Zimmun after Al Naharos Bavel; Shir Hamaalos?
Zimmun is the introduction to Birkas Hamazon. We invite those present to join in the bentching (ex. “Rabosai mir velen bentchen”). Why do we do this after we have already begun the recitation of ...
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