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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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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What blessings would one say upon receiving the COVID19 vaccine?
I have some gaps in my Jewish knowledge, but it seems prudent to recite Shehechiyanu upon receiving the first shot, as it is a momentous occasion. Not just momentous for your own health, but the ...
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A beracha on the "Great conjunction"?
Tonight (or earlier tonight in Israel) the planets Jupiter and Saturn come so close that one might think that they are a single star. Is this occasion to say the beracha of עושה מעשה בראשית? It is not ...
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If one forgot that they already said a bracha and then said it again does it count as a bracha levatala?
A person was eating dates and said borei pri hoaytz before starting, ate a few dates, said borei pri hoaytz again and then continued to eat.
Does the second borei pri hoaytz count as a bracha levatala?...
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A deaf person and taking terumah
In Mishna 2 of Perek 1 of Terumah, it is stated that a deaf person who can speak but not hear should not separate Terumah, but if he does the Terumah is valid. The commentators state that this is ...
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Is the bracha for wild and cultivated blueberries both Haetz? [duplicate]
I found out through work that wild blueberries grow on very low bushes and was curious if it impacts the bracha. Do they still qualify for haetz blessing?
Their height, "The two primary species ...
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Ideal moment for saying Asher Yatzar
We have seen that even today, despite modern water closets, we should avoid saying the blessing Asher Yatzar in the bathroom after relieving ourselves. We have also seen that we may have some ...
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Why won't a wrongful blessing be void?
In Parashat Toldot, Isaac wrongfully blesses Yaakov instead of Esav. In the Halachah IIRC, most things made wrongfully are illegal and are void, like monetary contracts or marriages.
I don't really ...
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Wheat crackers that are ha'adama
Paskesz (a brand that makes lots of kosher Jewish food in the USA), makes wheat crackers. The crackers are 99% wheat (per the ingredients label). While most wheat crackers require the blessing of ...
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Did Abraham and Sarah say a blessing on hearing a good news about their future heir?
IIRC, one says a Brachah of "Hatov veha-Meitiv" on hearing good news (source needed).
When the angels came to inform Abraham and Sara of giving birth to Isaac in exactly one year, did they ...
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What to do if you said the morning Brachot out of order?
Halachipedia here states that the Shulchan Orach and Mishneh Berurah write that if one accidentally says Zokef Kefufim before Matir Assurim, it might not be best to go back and say Matir Assurim. ...
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Non-Jews pronouncing shemot kodashim defined by chumra?
I recently made a brachah on a mandarin. An acquaintance, who's not Jewish, responded enthusiastically to hearing the name of G-d that begins with "Ad...", and proceeded to wax poetic on it, ...
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Why can't you give a bracha to yourself?
I didn't find anywhere people giving brachas to oneself. We find in Tanach people giving brachas to others. It seems one can't give a bracha to oneself. Why not?
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Birchos Hashachar (Morning Brachos) - 'Who spreads the earth above the waters' - why the strange expression?
The Gemoro in Brachos 60b writes that it used to be the practise that as a person woke up, at each stage of him getting ready for the day, he said the relevant bracho.
Upon hearing the sound of the ...
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Why did Rav Chiya bar Ashi recite Birchat haTorah before learning?
Here, on Brachot 11b, , the Gemara says that Rav Chiya bar Ashi said Birchat HaTorah prior to learning Sifrei, in an effort to demonstrate that one should recite the blessings before learning Talmud. ...
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Why don't we say blessings for solar eclipses [duplicate]
Why don't we say blessings for solar eclipses? After all, we gladly say blessings for other natural occurrences. For example, we say blessings when we see a tree, animal, lightning, earthquakes, the ...
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Do we mention the holiday in the three faceted blessing during chol hamoed?
The three faceted blessing (ברכת מעין שלוש) has an addition for various occasions including Succos and Pesach. Are the additions added as well on Chol Hamoed or just Yom Tov? The reason for the ...
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Why is height the determining factor for the the blessing on the Lulav?
The Gemara Sukkah (37b) writes
ואמר רבה לולב בימין ואתרוג בשמאל מ"ט הני תלתא מצות והאי חדא מצוה א"ל
ר' ירמיה לר' זריקא מאי טעם לא מברכינן אלא על נטילת לולב הואיל וגבוה
מכולן ולגבהיה לאתרוג ...
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Non-Jews being Yotzi on each other's brachot
We know that Jews are able to say brachot on behalf of each other due to the concept of "Kol Bnei Yisrael Aravim Ze-Le-Ze", or "All Jews are guarantors on behalf of one another", ...
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Chazon Ish understanding of "Baruch"
A recorded shiur from a Rav reported that the Chazon Ish held the kavana of the word "baruch" is "to praise" Hashem. After searching throughout the writings of the Chazon Ish on ...
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If you take a COVID "smell test" every day, do you say a blessing on the scent?
Background
Some experts recommend that everyone test their own sense of smell once daily. This can help to screen for the novel coronavirus disease. This is because COVID often (but not always) ...
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Are there any drinks which a person would make the blessing of HaAdamah?
Are there any drinks which upon consumption a person would make the blessing of boreh pri HaAdamah?
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Is a man allowed to say a bracha for a woman if it is a mitzvat aseh shehazman grama and he has already fulfilled his mitzvah?
The Rama in Orach Chaim 589:6 states that a man may not say a bracha on the shofar for women who have not yet heard it, if he has already fulfilled his obligation. Why wouldn't the concept of arvut ...
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Blessings ברכות [duplicate]
I understand asking God for blessings. I understand blessing someone else or asking for a blessing for someone else. I do not understand why we bless God. Why would God need our blessing? This makes ...
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Should Baruch Hu Uvaruch Shemo ONLY be recited during blessings?
If one hears their friend reciting Torah verses, and says Hashem's name, should one recite BHUVS? Does this response only apply to brachot?
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Sit for blessings after food?
Someone told me to sit for grace after meals (the series of benedictions recited after eating a bread meal). Is that true? I mean, is there such an halachic obligation? or is it, at least, a nice ...
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Should One say Shehechyanu on world events?
The bracha of Shehechyanu (according to here) was instituted to be said "for uncommon or periodical occurrences and experiences, such as holidays and their mitzvot, fruits in their new season, ...
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After-beracha for yogurt and raisins
Let's say the yogurt is the majority, yet there is a kazayit of raisins. Lav dafka raisins.
Does the yogurt act as ikkar with regards to the after-beracha as well (as stated here and here)? Is the ...
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Why do we change the order?
In the brochos before the Shema we have the in הַמֵּאִיר לָאָרֶץ the phrase וּבְטוּבו מְחַדֵּשׁ בְּכָל יום תָּמִיד מַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית with the word וּבְטוּבו the first word in that phrase. We then ...
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Asher Yatzar - Bircas HaShevach vs Bircas Hane'enin?
How do we define the bracha of Asher Yatzar?
Is it to be viewed as a bircas hashevach as the whole blessing praises Hashem's creation of the human body and the capacity to relieve oneself
Or, is it ...
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Why Isn't There a Tefila for Fertility?
Within Shmoneh Esrai we daven for everyone of these items below, except for childbirth. Why?
R' Yochanan said: Three keys the Holy One blessed be He has retained in His own hands and not entrusted ...
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What is the Beracha on Goji Berries?
What is the beracha on goji berries? I tried looking at websites online but I could not find it anywhere online.
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According to the Rishonim who hold a Bracha Levatala is forbidden Min Hatorah, why do we need a category of Safek Brachot Lehakel?
If a Bracha Levatala (blessing in vain) is forbidden from Torah Law, why do we need a special category of Safek Brachot Lehakel?
Almost all Brachot are Derabanan, and how could we do a safek mitzvah ...
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Food brachot before and after eating
Does a bracha said after eating a specific food rely on the food being eaten or on the bracha (and its intention) made at the beginning?
If, hypothetically, I make a shehakol at the beginning and then ...
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Bracha on tzitzis
Why do we make a bracha on tzitzis that do not have techaylas? Since without techaylas we may not be properly fulfilling the mitzvah according to the Torah, then the rule should be "sofek ...
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Gendered text for Gomel
related to Bentching Ha-Gommel after a Birth
Do women bentch gomel less often?
According to some opinions, a woman can say the thanksgiving blessing ("bentch gomel")
The text that one says ...
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Should one recite a bracha for non-kosher meals? [duplicate]
If a Jew who doesn’t keep kosher eats a meal (like non-kosher beef), is it permissible, forbidden or necessary to say some sort of brachot before and after eating?
My initial guess would be no since ...
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New Beracha on Tzizit [duplicate]
If I already made a beracha on a talit katan but then I shower and then put on a new talit katan, do I make a new beracha?
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Aninut and food
After the death of a close relative and before the burial (or the cessation of involvement with the body) one is in a stage of Aninut. During that time, one is exempted (or even forbidden) from many ...
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Why does Asher Yatzar close with a different idea?
The bracha of Asher Yatzar acknowledges the creation of man and his inner workings. It begins by blessing Hashem as the one who formed man and put in him all the things that allow man to operate. It ...
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שהחיינו on baby girl vs הטוב והמטיב for a boy?
The Shulchan Arach (OC 223:1) writes:
ילדה אשתו זכר מברך הטוב והמטיב
So when you have a boy you make the brocho of הטוב והמטיב.
Yet, with the birth of a girl the Mishna Berurah tells us that we ...
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Eating bread with jam, then eats only jam, would he recite a shehakol?
If one is spreading jam on bread and eating it, and then eats only jam, without bread, would he make a shehakol on the jam, or would this be covered by the hamotzi?
user22123
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Very Complicated Taz about Bracha on a Safek
I may be reading the Taz wrong in סימן סז, in אורח חיים, but it seems very perplexing to me.
He writes: "לפי שכל דבר שהוא ספק של תורה מברכין עליו כמו בהפרשת דמאי."
I thought that everyone agrees ...
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Bracha b'mitzvat tefillin on tefilla shel rosh
The bracha that appears in all modern siddurim that I'm aware of for the tefilla shel rosh (whether normally or in case of interruption between the two tefillin) ends with the phrase al mitsvat ...
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What bracha does one make on injera?
Injera is a fermented flatbread usually made out teff, a grass. It takes the place of bread at a meal and has the shape of bread (תוריתא דנהמא). Would one still make ha'adama on it?
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Must a kazayit be eaten immediately?
In order to recite an after-beracha —- take bread, for example —- must the full kazayit be eaten right after making the opening-beracha, or could one taste the bread and wait a period of time before ...
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Include "al hagefen" if just had a sip of grape juice when anyways saying me'ein shalosh
Sorry I don't have all the sources in front of me. The basic rule of blessings is that wine/grape juice, fruits from the seven species, and the five grain products get a special after blessing known ...
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Why do we have an explicit rule of Safek Brachos Lehakel if we already have a greater encompassing rule of Safek D'Rabanan L'kulah?
I understand that Safek brachos lehakel might simply be a corollary of Safek D'rabana L'kulah, however I assume there is some nafka minah between the two. The only reason we would have safek brachos ...
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Should one who has become Bar Mitzvah during Sefirah count with a bracha? [duplicate]
My younger brother is turning 13 during Sefirah. I am going to ask my Rabbi, but I am curious about the various opinions of our Gedolim.
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