The Siddur Project

Content of the Grace After Meals

By Aaron Eby  | Comments (5) | Posted on August 28, 2007

The traditional Jewish prayer of thanks after eating covers much more than food. Learn why! Also, see the end of this post for a new resource coming soon from FFOZ: a foretaste of the FFOZ Siddur!

After one eats bread, Jewish teaching instructs that an extensive blessing must be recited, known as the Birkat Hamazon (Blessing of the Nourishment) or commonly in English, Grace After Meals. The exact contents of the blessing were probably fixed around the first few centuries C.E., although several components are probably much older.

It is interesting that not only does this blessing give thanks for the food itself, but for numerous other things, including land of Israel, the Abrahamic covenant, the Torah and its commandments. Petition is also made on behalf of Jerusalem, the ingathering of the Jewish people into the land of Israel, the Davidic monarchy, and the Temple. After the blessing is technically complete, there is also further petition on behalf of everyone present.

Lengthy Prayers

One might wonder why all of this is necessary at every meal. It seems self evident why one would give thanks for the food itself, but the land, the covenant, the Torah, the commandments, Jerusalem, the ingathering, the Davidic monarchy and the Temple? Is this simply the result of a pre-disposition of Jewish people to lengthy prayers (as some Christians might see it), or is there a good reason for it?

First of all, we should remind ourselves that there is nothing inherently wrong with long prayers. Our Master Yeshua Himself was known for spending extended hours in prayer, and most of us would admit that we do not spend as much time in prayer as we should. So it would be hypocritical of us to criticize the Grace After Meals merely for its length. (If it were ostentatious or meaningless, criticism would be warranted; however, it would not be fair to characterize the Grace After Meals as such.)

Secondly, although it may feel long to those unaccustomed to it, and although it might be longer than the average Christian meal prayers, it is not really that much time to spend praying. Five to ten minutes is all it takes to go through the entire thing.

Shorter Alternatives

Nonetheless, if it still feels overwhelming, you may have alternatives. Some people pray only the first blessing, which usually takes less than a minute. We also have the Apostolic version found in the Didache. Reform and Conservative branches of Judaism produced condensed versions that they typically use, and even the Sages of the Talmud discuss the shortest valid forms of the blessing. The most notable was coined by Benjamin the Shepherd, who simply stated “Blessed is the Compassionate One [our God, King of the Universe], the Master of this bread.” (b. Berachot 40b) This version is often taught to children. (See footnote for original Aramaic, although it may be said in any language.)

Why the Land?

Our first question is why thank God for the Land of Israel in connection with the food? The answer to this is relatively straightforward. The commandment to give thanks after the meal comes from Deuteronomy 8:10, which states:

When you have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. (Deuteronomy 8:10 NASB)

In fact, a literal reading of this commandment does not even instruct us to give thanks for food at all, only the Land. Nonetheless, the Talmudic sages reasoned that the reason we are to give thanks for the Land is obviously because of the food that it produced.

We can see that giving thanks for the land is clearly warranted. The traditional practice of elaborating on the Land’s goodness is derived from this verse as well, interpreting that not only are we to give thanks for the Land, but for the fact that it is “good.”

This explains the Land, but what about the Abrahamic covenant, the Torah, commandments, ingathering, Jerusalem, the Temple and the Davidic monarchy? Stay tuned! I will explain this further in a later post.

New Resource Coming

I am very excited to announce to you a brand new resource coming soon from FFOZ: a guide to the Birkat Hamazon, the Grace After Meals. This booklet, traditionally known as a bentscher or birchon will be a foretaste of the upcoming FFOZ Siddur. In this new resource you will find:

• The traditional Birkat Hamazon text, both in Hebrew and a brand new English translation
• The short blessings traditionally recited before eating
• The traditional blessings after eating different types of snacks
• Special insertions for occasions such as a wedding or circumcision party
• The meal blessings from the Didache in English as well as a reconstructed Hebrew translation
• Extensive insightful commentary and essays from a Messianic Jewish perspective
• Audio CD with melodies
• Simple guidelines from a traditional perspective to help you decide which is the proper blessing for different types of foods
• Transliteration (rendering of the Hebrew in English letters), to assist in easy and accurate Hebrew pronunciation
• Portable pocket bentschers for the road

This is a much needed resource, since traditional birchonim do not adequately meet the needs of communities and individuals that include both Jewish and non-Jewish people who follow Yeshua the Messiah. Keep following these posts to learn more about this exciting news.

Aaron Eby
14 Elul 5767

* The short Aramaic blessing after eating is:
בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא, אֱלָהָנָא, מַלְכָּא דְעָלְמָא, מָרָא דְהַאי פִּיתָּא.
Berich rachamana, elahana, malka de’alema, mara dehai pitta.

About the Author: Aaron Eby writes for messiah magazine and other FFOZ publications. He is also the author of the forthcoming siddur project, as well as the forthcoming Hebrew lesson DVD.

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