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		Chabad.org » Jewish Practice » Kosher » Food Blessings » Brachot Handbook » Blessings before Eating

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Blessings before Eating

Before partaking of any food, a brachah rishonah (preceding blessing), is said. There are six different blessings, each beginnning with the same words, BA-RUCH A-TAH A-DO-NOI ELO-HAI-NU ME-LECH HA-O-LAM, Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the Universe, and concluding with a few words related to the type of food eaten. Following are the food groups with examples for each group and a transliteration and translation of the Hebrew blessing for each.

1. On bread, bagels, challah, matzah, pita and rolls made from any of these five grains: wheat, barley, rye, oat or spelt1:

BA-RUCH A-TAH A-DO-NOI
ELO-HAI-NU ME-LECH HA-O-LAM
HA-MO-TZI LE-CHEM MIN HA-A-RETZ.
Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the
Universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth.

2. On cakes, cereals, cookies, cupcakes, doughnuts, and pasta - if made of one or more of the five grains listed under the first blessing:

BA-RUCH A-TAH A-DO-NOI
ELO-HAI-NU ME-LECH HA-O-LAM
BO-RAI MI-NAI ME-ZO-NOT.
Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the
Universe, Who creates various kinds of sustenance.

3. On wine and grape juice:

BA-RUCH A-TAH A-DO-NOI
ELO-HAI-NU ME-LECH HA-O-LAM
BO-RAI PRI HA-GA-FEN.
Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the
Universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine.

4. For all fruits from permanent trees, such as apples, oranges, and peaches, even if these fruits are dried; also grapes, raisins, and all nuts (except peanuts, which are a legume):

BA-RUCH A-TAH A-DO-NOI
ELO-HAI-NU ME-LECH HA-O-LAM
BO-RAI PRI HA-AITZ.
Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the
Universe, Who creates the fruit of the tree.

5. For all vegetables and greens from the ground, peanuts, legumes, and some fruits such as bananas, melons, and pineapples:

BA-RUCH A-TAH A-DO-NOI
ELO-HAI-NU ME-LECH HA-O-LAM
BO-RAI PRI HA-A-DA-MAH.
Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the
Universe, Who creates the fruit of the earth.

6. For candy, dairy, eggs, fish, liquids, meat, mushrooms and everything else not included in the first five blessings above:

BA-RUCH A-TAH A-DO-NOI
ELO-HAI-NU ME-LECH HA-O-LAM
SHE-HA-KOL NI-H'YAH BI-D'VA-RO.
Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the
Universe, by Whose word all things came to be.

NOTE: The above blessings apply to foods in their basic form; however, the blessings may vary when the form is changed through processing, or when foods are combined. See Combined Foods

7 Comments Posted

FOOTNOTES
1.	Many of these foods, especially bagels, pita and rolls, may require a blessing of mezonot. When the proportion of combined liquids (including eggs, oil, margarine, jiuce, honey, etc.) is greater than the amount of water, the blessing mezonot is said.

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Reader Comments
Latest Comments:

Posted: Oct 5, 2008

RE: silence before eating

We do not interrupt between reciting a blessing and the execution of the act upon which we're making the blessing. Thus, after you recite the blessing over food, you should not speak until you have swallowed the food. If you're hearing the blessing from someone else, you must not speak from when that person begins to recite the blessing until you swallow the food.

But what if you goofed?
If before putting the food in your mouth you spoke about something not relevant to the food, then you must recite a new blessing. If you spoke while chewing the food, you should not make a new blessing. (Seder Birchat Hanehenin 9:1)

Concerning washing our hands before eating bread:
You should not speak from when you begin washing your hands until after you swallow some bread. Many people believe that one may talk until one recites the blessing for washing one's hands. This is an erroneous conception. (See Shulchan Aruch Harav 165:1.)

Posted By Eliezer Posner, Chabad.org

Posted: Oct 1, 2008

Silence before eating

Shalom,
Please explain the custom of remaining silent at the table during the blessings and until the first swallow of food. When does the silence begin and when does it end?

Posted By Yvette Goorevitch, New Rochelle, ny

Posted: Mar 10, 2008

Blessings before Eating

I have practiced these blessings when I attend a Chabad Synagoguue, it is nice to print a list out and place it in my kitchen. Thnak you for posting this as well as all the thousands of other wonderful materials, that your organization offers!!!

Posted By Pam Frischer, Indio, CA/USA
via jewishto.org

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