Shulchan Aruch: Chapter 187 - Laws Concerning Wording of Grace after Meals

SECTION 187 Laws Concerning the Wording of Grace after Meals. (1–9)

1 The order of [the blessings of] Grace [is as follows]: The first blessing is Hazan, the second, the blessing for the land [of Eretz Yisrael], the third, Boneh Yerushalayim.1 All three are Scriptural obligations, as [indicated by the verse:2 “When you have eaten and are satiated, you shall bless [G‑d, your L‑rd for the good land that He gave you.”] “When you have eaten and are satiated, you shall bless” refers to the blessing Hazan,which is recited in appreciation of the food and satiation [we have been granted]. “For the… land,” connotes the blessing for Eretz Yisrael. [Describing it as] “good” refers to Jerusalem, as [alluded to by the phrase:]3 “This good mountain and the Levanon.”

2 According to Scriptural Law, one may recite these blessings using any wording he desires, each person [blessing G‑d] according to his understanding and his eloquence. Moshe, Yehoshua, David, and Shlomoh, each in his time, arose and ordained standardized versions for each of these blessings, [highlighting] the additional goodness granted to the Jewish people [during their particular era].

3 What is implied? Moshe ordained the wording of the blessing Hazan at the time the manna descended for Israel. Yehoshua ordained the wording of the blessing for the landwhen [the Jews] entered Eretz Yisrael; before the conquest of Eretz Yisrael, they would recite this blessing using different wording.

David and Shlomoh ordained the wording of the blessing Boneh Yerushalayim. David ordained [the recitation of] the phrase al Yisrael amecha ve’al Yerushalayim irecha (“upon Israel Your people and upon Jerusalem Your city”). (Before then, [the blessing was of] a general [nature], asking [for mercy for] “the place that G‑d will choose to cause His name to rest there.”)4 Shlomoh ordained [the addition of] the phrase al habayis hagadol vehakadosh shenikra shimcha alav (“upon the great and holy House upon which Your name was called”).

We do not recite the blessings for the landand Boneh Yerushalayim using the exact same wording as they did. For they would request that He perpetuate the tranquility of the land, the royal house, and the Beis [HaMikdash], while we are petitioning that they be restored to us in the near future.

4 Anyone who deviates from the wording ordained by the Sages does not fulfill his obligation.5 He is required to recite [the entire blessing] again.6

The fundamental wording that is a prerequisite for the blessing Hazan consists only of the opening and concluding phrases. In the blessing for the land, one must make thankful acknowledgement7 at the beginning and the end [of the blessing], and make mention of the covenant [of circumcision] and of the Torah in the middle [of the blessing].8 [The inclusion of these matters is intrinsically associated with this blessing,] because it was in the merit of circumcision that the land was given to Avraham. [Thus,] the passage concerning circumcision [includes the promise]:9 “I will give the land of your sojourns to you and your descendants after you.” Similarly, it is through the merit of the Torah and its mitzvos that [the Jewish people] took possession of the land, as it is written:10 “[Take heed to perform the entire commandment…] so that you will live and increase and enter and possess the land.” And it is written:11 “He gave them the lands of nations… so that they will keep His statutes and teachings.”

One who mentions thankful acknowledgement fewer times should at least mention it once. Anyone who makes less than one acknowledgement is disgraceful.12 [In this blessing,] one must [also] mention the praise of Eretz Yisrael, that it is “a cherished, good, and spacious land,” for Scripture praises it using these terms, as it is written:13 “to a good and spacious land.” And it is written:14 “I gave you a cherished land.” [In the blessing] Boneh Yerushalayim, one must mention the sovereignty of the House of David, for Jerusalem became sanctified through David[‘s efforts].

If one failed to mention one of the following, e.g., he did not say “a cherished, good, and spacious land,” did not mention the covenant [of circumcision] and the Torah in the blessing for the land,or [failed to recall] the sovereignty of the House of David in [the blessing] Boneh Yerushalayim, he does not fulfill his obligation and must recite Grace again from the beginning, as stated in sec. 188[:9].15 ([His recitation of the blessing is disqualified,] because he deviated from the wording ordained by the prophets.16 Mentioning thankful acknowledgement at the beginning and the end of [the blessing for the land], by contrast, is not an absolute prerequisite, since one concludes [the blessing]: “Blessed are You, G‑d, for the land….”)17

Regarding the blessing Hazan, even if one says: B’rich Rachmana Malka Marei d’hai pita. B’rich Rachmana de’zan kolah (“Blessed is the Merciful One, King, Master of this bread. Blessed is the Merciful One Who sustains everyone”),18 he fulfills his obligation.19 As explained in sec. 66[:12] and sec. 68[:1], since he began and concluded [the blessing as ordained,] even if he skipped all the rest [of the blessing], he is not considered as having deviated from the format ordained by our Sages, provided [he mentioned] the specific terms singled out by our Sages as, i.e., those mentioned above.

Nevertheless, as an initial preference, one must recite the entire wording as ordained. [An exception may be made] for minors younger than eight,20 at which age they should be trained in [the recitation of] Grace, bit by bit ([reciting portions] from every blessing, until they know how to recite all the blessings as ordained). Similarly, [leniency was granted] in a pressing situation, when one is rushed and he would not be able to recite Grace with concentrated intent were he to be required to recite each of the long blessings as ordained. He may shorten them, skipping the portions in the blessings for the landand Boneh Yerushalayim that are not [fundamental] themes in these blessings. Needless to say, [this applies] with regard to the fourth blessing, where the addition to it21 is merely a custom, but not part of the [original] text of the blessing. One should not skip [portions] of the blessing Hazan, by contrast, (for every part of it [is integral to] expressing the theme of the blessing).

5 There are those who are accustomed to [introducing Grace by] saying: “Blessed be He Who satiates the hungry. Blessed are You, G‑d our L‑rd, King of the universe, Who sustains….” This [introduction] should not be recited, because it is not part of the text of the blessing [ordained by our Sages], and one who adds this is, in fact, detracting.22

One should not say: “for His kindness to us is everlasting,” for His kindnesses extend [not only to us, but] to all living beings.23

6 In the blessing for the land, one should not say, “for giving to our fathers as a heritage a cherished, good, and spacious land, the covenant, and the Torah.” For, [shortly thereafter,] he will say: “for Your covenant that You sealed in our flesh and for Your Torah that You taught us.” One [mention of these concepts] is sufficient. [Our Sages’] statement that one must recall the covenant [of circumcision] and Torah24 does not mean [that he must state] the exact words [“circumcision” “and Torah”], but the concepts.

7 There are authorities who maintain that women should not say “for Your covenant that You sealed in our flesh.”25 [Also,] women and bondmen should not say “for Your Torah that You taught us,” because they are not commanded to study the Torah.26 [Nevertheless,] at present, the custom is [for them] to recite the entire text of the blessing. [The rationale:] A man is not called a man unless he has a wife, as [indicated by] the verse:27 “He created them, male and female, and called their name ‘man.’” Thus a male and a female are one body. Therefore [women] may say concerning the covenant [of circumcision performed on their] male [counterpart]: “that You sealed in our flesh.”

Similarly, they say “for Your Torah that You taught us,” for [the Torah] studied by the males. Also, women must study the mitzvos they [are obligated to observe] in order to know how to perform them and how to eschew all the prohibitive commandments in the Torah, for they are obligated in their observance [equally] as men, as explained in sec. 47[:10].28

8 On Chanukah and Purim, the passage Al hanissim should be recited in the blessing for the land.29If one did not recite it, he is not required to repeat Grace, as will be explained in sec. 683 and sec. 695.30 Nevertheless, he can [remedy this omission and] recite [this passage] among those beginning HaRachaman,31i.e., he should say: “May the Merciful One perform miracles and wonders32 on our behalf as He did for our fathers in those days, in this season…” [and then continue Bi’ymei Matisyahu or Bi’ymei Mordechai v’Esther]. This practice should be followed.

9 There are those who follow the custom of saying lo chisar lanu v’al yechaseir lanu (“He did not cause us to lack [food] and He shall never cause us to lack [food]”). Others follow the custom of saying lo chasar lanu v’al yechsar (“we have not lacked [food] and may we never lack [food]”).33

[One should say] befi kol chai (“in the mouths of all living beings”) and not befeh (in the mouth), because it is adjacent to the words kol chai (“all living beings”).34