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^{[citation needed]}. Halakha (Hebrew: הלכה; also transliterated as Halakhah, Halacha, Halachah) is the collective corpus of Jewish rabbinic law, custom and tradition. ... Posek (Hebrew פוסק, IPA: , pl. ... Mitzvah (Hebrew: מצווה, commandment; plural, mitzvot; from צוה, tzavah, command) is a word is used in Judaism to refer to (a) the commandments, of which there are believed to be 613, given in the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) or (b) any Jewish law at all. ... Rabbinic literature, in the broadest sense, can mean the entire spectrum of Judaisms rabbinic writing/s throughout history. ... Minhag is a word for custom. ... Torah () is a Hebrew word meaning teaching, instruction, or law. ... 11th century Targum Tanakh [תנ״ך] (also Tanach or Tenach) is an acronym that identifies the Hebrew Bible. ... The Talmud (תלמוד) is a record of rabbinic discussions on Jewish law, Jewish ethics, customs, legends and stories, which Jewish tradition considers authoritative. ... The Mishneh Torah or Yad ha-Chazaka is a code of Jewish law by one of the most important Jewish authorities, Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, better known as Maimonides or by the Hebrew abbreviation RaMBaM (usually written Rambam in English). ... The Shulkhan Arukh (Hebrew: Prepared Table), by Rabbi Yosef Karo is considered the most authoritative compilation of Jewish law since the Talmud. ... Orach Chayim is a section of Rabbi Jacob ben Ashers compilation of Jewish Law, Arbaah Turim, that treats all aspects of Jewish Law primarily pertinent to the Jewish calendar (whether the daily, weekly, monthly, or annual calendar). ... Yiddish (Yid. ... The term Yinglish describes the distinctive way certain Orthodox Jews in English-speaking countries, principally America, but also the United Kingdom, speak English among themselves. ... Hebrew (עִבְרִית ‘Ivrit) is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by more than seven million people in Israel, the West Bank, the United States, and by Jewish communities around the world. ... Halakha (Hebrew: הלכה; also transliterated as Halakhah, Halacha, Halachah) is the collective corpus of Jewish rabbinic law, custom and tradition. ... European sweetbread (strucla) Four loaves French bread has a somewhat rigid crust Breads and Bread Rolls at a bakery Continental Italian Bread Tin Vienna Bread Bread in a traditional oven, in Portugal, with hot coal in front For other uses, see Bread (disambiguation). ... Chametz (חמץ) is the Hebrew term for leavened bread. The word is used generally in regard to the Jewish holiday of Passover. ... Matza (also Matzoh, Matzah, Matzo, Hebrew מַצָּה maṣṣā), an unleavened bread, is the official food of Passover. ... Species T. boeoticum T. compactum T. dicoccoides T. dicoccon T. durum T. monococcum T. spelta T. sphaerococcum References:   ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 Wheat (Triticum spp. ... Binomial name Hordeum vulgare L. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is a major food and animal feed crop, a member of the grass family Poaceae. ... Binomial name Secale cereale M.Bieb. ... Binomial name Avena sativa Carolus Linnaeus (1753) The Oat (Avena sativa) is a species of cereal grain, and the seeds of this plant. ... Binomial name Triticum aestivum spelta L. Spelt (Triticum aestivum spelta) is a subspecies of common wheat. ... A Pizza Margherita made in Naples (Napoli), Italy. ...

Though technically a series of blessings, Birkat Hamazon takes on the form of sung or chanted prayers. Listed below are some Hebrew prayers and blessings that are part of Judaism that are recited by many Jews. ...

Birkat Hamazon can be found in almost all Siddurim ("prayerbooks") and is often printed in a variety of artistic styles in a small booklet called a birkon or bentcher. The siddur (plural siddurim) is the prayerbook used by Jews over the world, containing a set order of daily prayers. ...

According to Halakha when a minimum of three men eat bread as part of a meal together they are obligated to form a mezuman (a "prepared gathering") with the addition of a few extra opening words whereby one man "invites" the others to join him in birkat hamazon. (This invitation is called a zimmun). When those present at the meal form a minyan (a quorum of ten adult Jews - men in Orthodox circles, men and women elsewhere), there are further additions to the invitation. Halakha (Hebrew: הלכה; also transliterated as Halakhah, Halacha, Halachah) is the collective corpus of Jewish rabbinic law, custom and tradition. ... For the coarsely ground flour, see flour. ... Minyan (Hebrew: plural minyanim) is traditionally a quorum of ten or more adult (over the age of Bar Mitzvah) male Jews for the purpose of communal prayer; a minyan is often held within a synagogue, but may be (and often is) held elsewhere. ...

On Jewish holidays, the extra paragraph of Ya'aleh VeYavo is added and on Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) there is an extra paragraph added known as Retzei. On Chanukah and Purim, the extra paragraph Al HaNissim ("for the miracles...") is added. A Jewish holiday or Jewish Festival is a day or series of days observed by Jews as holy or secular commemorations of important events in Jewish history. ... Shabbat (שבת shabbāt, rest Hebrew, or Shabbos in Ashkenazic pronunciation), is the weekly day of rest in Judaism. ... Chanukah (חנכה ḥănukkāh, or חנוכה ḥănūkkāh) is a Jewish holiday, also known as the Festival of lights. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Source and text

The scriptural source for the requirement to say Birkat Hamazon is Deuteronomy 8:10 "And you shall eat, and you shall be satisfied, and you shall bless Hashem, your God for the good land which he gave you". Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible. ...

Birkat Hamazon is made up of four blessings:

1. The first blessing, which is a blessing of thanks for the food was, according to tradition, composed by Moses in gratitude for the manna which the Jews ate in the wilderness during the Exodus from Egypt.
2. The second blessing, which is a blessing of thanks for the Land of Israel, was, according to tradition, written by Joshua after he led the Jewish people into Israel.
3. The third blessing, which concerns Jerusalem, tradition ascribes to David (who established the capital to Jerusalem) and Solomon (who built the Temple in Jerusalem). These three blessings are required by scripture.
4. The fourth blessing, a blessing of thanks for God's goodness, was written by Rabban Gamliel in Yavneh.

After these four blessings, are a series of short prayers, each beginning with the word Harachaman ("The merciful one...") which ask for God's compassion. Moses or Móshe (מֹשֶׁה, Standard Hebrew Móše, Tiberian Hebrew Mōšeh, Arabic موسى Musa, Spanish Moisés, Ethiopic ሙሴ Musse) was a son of Amram and his wife, Jochebed, a Levite. ... Manna (sometimes or archaically spelled mana) is the name of the food miraculously produced for the Israelites in the desert in the book of Exodus. ... Exodus is the second book of the Torah (the Pentateuch) and also the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible), and the Christian Old Testament. ... This article concerns the concept of The Land of Israel (Hebrew: ארץ ישראל Eretz Yisrael) in Jewish and Christian thought throughout the history from its Biblical sources to the present day. ... Joshua or Yehoshúa (יְהוֹשֻׁעַ The LORD of/is help/court, Standard Hebrew Yəhošúaʿ, Tiberian Hebrew Yəhôšuªʿ) is a Biblical character, much of whose life is described in the Book of Joshua. ... Jerusalem (31°46′N 35°14′E; Hebrew: (help· info) Yerushalayim; Arabic: (help· info) al-Quds), Greek Ιεροσόλυμα, is an ancient Middle Eastern city on the watershed between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea at an elevation of 650-840 meters. ... King David (Standard Hebrew דָּוִד, Davíd, Beloved, Tiberian Hebrew Dāwíð; Arabic داؤد, Dāūd, Beloved), was the second king of the united kingdom of Israel (c. ... It has been suggested that Sulayman be merged into this article or section. ... Solomons Temple (Hebrew: בית המקדש, transliterated Beit HaMikdash), also known as the First Temple, was, according to the Bible, the first Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. ... Gamliel I, also known as Rabban Gamliel or Rabban Gamliel the Elder, was the first ancient rabbi to be given the title Rabban. ...

There are several known texts for Birkat Hamazon. The most widely available is the Ashkenazic. There is also a Sephardic version, and a Yemenite version. All of these texts follow the same structure described above, but the wording varies widely. Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim (אַשְׁכֲּנָזִי אַשְׁכֲּנָזִים Standard Hebrew, AÅ¡kanazi, AÅ¡kanazim, Tiberian Hebrew, ʾAÅ¡kănāzî, ʾAÅ¡kănāzîm, pronounced sing. ... In the strictest sense, a Sephardi (ספרדי, Standard Hebrew Səfardi, Tiberian Hebrew Səp̄ardî; plural Sephardim: ספרדים, Standard Hebrew Səfardim, Tiberian Hebrew Səp̄ardîm) is a Jew original to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal: ספרד, Standard Hebrew Səfárad, Tiberian Hebrew Səp̄áraḏ / Səp̄āraḏ), or whose ancestors were among the Jews expelled from... Yemenite Jews (תֵּימָנִי, Standard Hebrew Temani, Tiberian Hebrew Têmānî; plural תֵּימָנִים, Standard Hebrew Temanim, Tiberian Hebrew Têmānîm) are those Jews who live, or whose recent ancestors lived, in Yemen (תֵּימָן far south, Standard Hebrew Teman, Tiberian Hebrew Têmān), on the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula. ...

Preliminary psalms

Widely practiced when Birkat Hamazon is recited on Shabbat and Jewish holidays, is the custom to first sing or recite as an introduction Psalm 126: Shir Hama'alot ("Song of Degrees") which expresses the hopes for the Jews' return to Zion following their final redemption. This is then requently followed by reciting four additional single lines from four other Psalms (145:21; 115:18; 118:1; 106:2), known as Tehillat Hashem ("Praise of God"). Shabbat (שבת shabbāt, rest Hebrew, or Shabbos in Ashkenazic pronunciation), is the weekly day of rest in Judaism. ... A Jewish holiday or Jewish Festival is a day or series of days observed by Jews as holy or secular commemorations of important events in Jewish history. ... Psalms (Tehilim תהילים, in Hebrew) is a book of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, and of the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. ... This article concerns the concept of The Land of Israel (Hebrew: ארץ ישראל Eretz Yisrael) in Jewish and Christian thought throughout the history from its Biblical sources to the present day. ...

Less common is the recitation on weekdays of Psalm 137 Al Naharot Bavel ("By the rivers of Babylon) which describes the reactions of the Jews in exile as would have been expressed during the Babylonian captivity. For other uses, see Babylon (disambiguation). ... The Jewish diaspora (Hebrew: Tefutzah, scattered, or Galut, exile) is the dispersion of the Jewish people throughout the world. ... Babylonian captivity also refers to the permanence of the Avignon Papacy. ...

On special events

At Sheva Brachot

Main article: Sheva Brachot

When Birkat Hamazon takes place at the Sheva Brachot ("Seven Blessings") following a traditional Jewish marriage, the standard introductory words recited by the one leading the blessings that precede the full blessings get an added line and a small change in the other opening lines reflecting the joy of the occasion. The inserted introductory words begin with Devai Haser. Sheva Brachot (Hebrew: שבע ברכות ) literaly the seven blessings also known as brichot Nesuin (Hebrew: ברכות נישואים ), the wedding blessings in halacha (Jewish religious law) are blessings that are recited for the bride and the groom in a Jewish Wedding ceremony under the chupah. ... Sheva Brachot (Hebrew: שבע ברכות ) literaly the seven blessings also known as brichot Nesuin (Hebrew: ברכות נישואים ), the wedding blessings in halacha (Jewish religious law) are blessings that are recited for the bride and the groom in a Jewish Wedding ceremony under the chupah. ... Judaism considers marriage to be the ideal state of existence; a man without a wife, or a woman without a husband, are considered incomplete. ...

Once the Birkat Hamazon has been concluded then the seven special blessings (i.e. the Sheva Brachot) are recited.

At Brit milah

Main article: Brit milah

At Birkat Hamazon concluding the celebratory meal of a Brit milah ("ritual cirmucision" of a male Jewish baby boy at eight days old) there are additional lines that are added to the introductory words that precede the Birkat Hamazon knwonas Nodeh Leshimcha ("We give thanks to Your Name"). These lines praise God and "request the permission" to proceed with the Birkat Hamazon of: Brit milah (Hebrew: ברית מילה literally: covenant [of] circumcision), also bris milah (Ashkenazi pronunciation) is a religious ceremony within Judaism that welcomes infant Jewish boys into a covenant between God and the Children of Israel through ritual circumcision performed by a mohel (circumcisor) in the presence of family and friends, followed by... A seudat mitzvah (obligatory meal) in Judaism is a celebratory meal served on a special occasion, such as a bar mitzvah, a wedding reception, or the completion of a Tractate of the Talmud (see siyum). ... Brit milah (Hebrew: ברית מילה literally: covenant [of] circumcision), also bris milah (Ashkenazi pronunciation) is a religious ceremony within Judaism that welcomes infant Jewish boys into a covenant between God and the Children of Israel through ritual circumcision performed by a mohel (circumcisor) in the presence of family and friends, followed by... At the bottom of the hands, the two letters on each hand combine to form יהוה (YHVH), the name of God. ...

• The Almighty.
• The Torah.
• The Kohanim ("[Jewish] Priests").
• Distinguished people present.

When the four main blessings (see above) are concluded, special Harachaman ("The Mercifull One") prayers are then recited which prayerfully request that God: Torah () is a Hebrew word meaning teaching, instruction, or law. ... The position of a Kohens hands when he raises them to bless a Jewish congregation A Kohen (or Cohen, Hebrew priest, pl. ...

• Bless the parents of the baby, and help them raise him wisely.
• The Sandak, (the one who held the baby during the ceremony) usually a well-respected member of the family or a noted rabbi or Talmudic scholar, whose deed deserves to be rewarded..
• Bless the baby boy to have strength and grow up to trust in God and perceive Him three times a year.
• Bless the Mohel (the "Ritual cirmucisor", usually a rabbi qualified to do so) for unhesitatingly performing: 1) Milah ("Circumcision") cutting away the foreskin; 2) Periah, "pulling down" the remaining skin on the foreskin completely; 3) Metzitzah, "sucking" out blood from the cut area.
• Send the Jewish Messiah speedily in the merit of this mitzvah of cirmucision.
• Send Elijah the prophet, known "The Righteous Kohen", to that God's covenant can be fulfilled with the re-eastblishment of the throne of King David.

The Talmud (תלמוד) is a record of rabbinic discussions on Jewish law, Jewish ethics, customs, legends and stories, which Jewish tradition considers authoritative. ... The Three Pilgrim Festivals, known as the Shalosh Regalim in Hebrew, are three major festivals in Judaism when the Children of Israel living in ancient Israel and Judea, and later the Jews, were commanded by the Torah to make an actual physical pilgrimage to Jerusalem and participate in the festivities... A mohel (or moel) is a Jewish ritual circumcisor who performs a brit milah ritual circumcision on the penis of a male who is to enter the Jewish covenant. ... Rabbi (Classical Hebrew רִבִּי ribbī;; modern Ashkenazi and Israeli רַבִּי rabbī) in Judaism, means teacher, or more literally great one. The word Rabbi is derived from the Hebrew root-word RaV, which in biblical Hebrew means great or distinguished, (in knowledge). In the ancient Judean schools the sages were addressed as רִבִּי (Ribbi... The Jewish Messiah, (משיח) or Mashiach, or Moshiach, has traditionally referred to a future Jewish king from the Davidic line who will be anointed (in Hebrew, mashiach -- משיח (messiah) means anointed with holy olive oil) and inducted to rule the Jewish people. ... Mitzvah (Hebrew: מצווה, commandment; plural, mitzvot; from צוה, tzavah, command) is a word is used in Judaism to refer to (a) the commandments, of which there are believed to be 613, given in the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) or (b) any Jewish law at all. ... Elijah (אֱלִיָּהוּ Whose/my God is the Lord, Standard Hebrew Eliyyáhu, Tiberian Hebrew ʾĔliyyāhû), also Elias (NT Greek Ἠλίας), is a prophet of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. ... King David (Standard Hebrew דָּוִד, Davíd, Beloved, Tiberian Hebrew Dāwíð; Arabic داؤد, Dāūd, Beloved), was the second king of the united kingdom of Israel (c. ...

External links

• Grace After Meals (PDF)
• Grace After Meals
• Grace After Meals from the Jewish Knowledge Base on Chabad.org
• Composition of Birkat Hamazon
• How to for Birkat Hamazon. Transliteration and instructions
• Birkat Hamazon sound files
• Grace after Meals - Birkat Hamazon in English, Transliterated and in Hebrew on Chabad.org

See also

• List of Jewish prayers and blessings
• Siddur

Listed below are some Hebrew prayers and blessings that are part of Judaism that are recited by many Jews. ... The siddur (plural siddurim) is the prayerbook used by Jews over the world, containing a set order of daily prayers. ...