Birkat Hamazon
(ברכת המזון), known in English as the Grace
After Meals (lit. "Blessing on Nourishment"
(or as Bentschn, בענטשן, in Yiddish, "to
bench", "benching" in Yinglish), is a set of
Hebrew blessings that according to Halakha
are recited after eating a meal that
includes bread (whether (leavened or
unleavened) made from one or all of wheat,
barley, rye, oats, spelt. It is a matter of
rabbinic dispute whether Birkat Hamazon must
be said after eating certain other
bread-like foods such as pizza.
Though technically a series of blessings,
Birkat Hamazon takes on the form of prayers
which are typically read silently for
ordinary meals, and often sung or chanted
for special meals such as the Shabbat,
festivals and special occasions.
The scriptural
source for the requirement to say Birkat
Hamazon is Deuteronomy 8:10 "When you have
eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless
HaShem, your God for the good land which he
gave you".
What blessing
do I say before I eat?
Over
water, meat and fish, milk, eggs and
cheese, truffle, mushroom and the
like, as
well as over liquids except wine:
Blessed are
You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, by
whose word all things came to be.
Blessed are
You, Lord, our God, King of the universe,
who creates the fruit of the vine.
Baruch atoh adonoy elohaynu melech ho-olam,
boray p'ree hagofen.
