On days when Tachnun is recited, the following is said before washing the fingers:
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and also wept as we remembered Zion. There, upon the willows we hung our harps. For there our captors demanded of us songs, and those who scorned us rejoicing, [saying,] "Sing to us the songs of Zion." How can we sing the song of Adonai on alien soil? If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its dexterity. Let my tongue cleave to my palate if I will not remember you, if I will not bring to mind Jerusalem during my greatest joy! Remember, Adonai, against the Edomites the day of the destruction of Jerusalem, when they said, "Raze it, raze it to its very foundation!" O Babylon, who are destined to be laid waste, praises to him who will repay you in retribution for what you have inflicted on us. Praises to him who will seize and crush your infants against the rock!
For the Choirmaster; a song with instrumental music; a Psalm. May God be gracious to us and bless us, may He make His countenance shine upon us forever; that Your way be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. The nations will extol You, O God; all the nations will extol You. The nations will rejoice and sing for joy, for You will judge the peoples justly and guide the nations on earth forever. The peoples will extol You, O God; all the peoples will extol You. The earth will have yielded its produce and God, our God, will bless us. God will bless us; and all, from the furthest corners of the earth, shall fear Him.
(continue "I will bless...")
"By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and also wept as we remembered Zion."
QUESTION: The word "gam" "also" is superfluous. It should simply say "yashavnu ubachinu" "we sat and wept"?
ANSWER: On the second day of creation Hashem made the firmament which separated between the waters above and the waters below [the earth]. The lower waters were unhappy and cried that they, too, desired to be close to Hashem. As an appeasement He promised them that their benefit for being below would be that salt, which is a derivative of the water, would be put on all sacrifices offered in the
Beit Hamikdash, and that on
Simchat Beit Hasho'eivah water would be poured on the altar and there would be much ceremony and rejoicing when the water would be drawn (see
Tikunei Zohar 5,
Vayikra 2:13, Rashi).
With the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash the appeasement offered the waters was no longer relevant, so they wept over their distance and detachment from the waters above. In addition, the Jews exiled to Babylon wept over their sad plight. Hence, the Psalmist is saying that when we sat at the rivers in Babylonia, "gam bachinu" "we also wept" (together with the water) when we reminded ourselves of Zion which lay in ruins.
On days when Tachnun is not recited, the following is said before washing the fingers
A Song of Ascents. When Adonai returns the exiles of Zion, it will be as if we had been dreaming. Then, our mouth will be filled with laughter and our tongue with songs of joy. Then they will declare among the nations: "Adonai has done great things for these." Adonai has done great things for us; we have been joyful. Bring back, Adonai, our exiles as streams in the desert. Those who sow in tears will reap with joyous song. He who goes along weeping, carrying the bag of seed, will return singing joyously, carrying his sheaves.
By the sons of Korach, a psalm, a song whose theme is [praise for] the holy mountains [of Zion and Jerusalem]. Adonai loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Yaakov. Glorious things are spoken of you, eternal city of God. I will make mention of Rahav (Egypt) and Babylon to those who know me; behold there are Philistia, Tyre, as well as Cush; [their call to fame is] "This one [great person] was born there." But of Zion it can be said; "Man after man [many men of greatness] were born in her," and He will establish her as supreme. Adonai will count in the register of people, "This one was born there"; Selah. Singers and dancers [will praise Jerusalem,] chanting: "All my inner thoughts are of you."
I will bless Adonai at all times; His praise shall always be in my mouth. The ultimate conclusion, all having been heard: Fear God, and observe His commandments, for this is the whole purpose of man. My mouth will utter the praise of Adonai, and let all flesh bless His holy name forever and ever. And we will bless God from now until eternity, Halleluyah praise God.
"When G-d will return the exiles of Zion, we will have been like dreamers."
QUESTION: To which dreamers will we be compared?
ANSWER: When Yosef was incarcerated in Egypt, he met the butler and the baker, who had experienced strange dreams during the night. Each one of them not only dreamt something related to his profession, but also dreamt the interpretation of his colleague's dream (
Bereishit 40:5, Rashi).
The baker dreamt of a king's servant who will be released from prison and restored to his duty and glory. He thought that it referred to him and was thus very happy. The butler on the other hand, dreamt of a king's servant who will be hung and was very sad, since he thought it was he. In reality they were both mistaken. The good news of which the baker dreamt did not refer to him; on the contrary he ended up being hung, and the bad news of which the butler dreamt did not apply to him, for he was exonerated and returned to his position.
In the Diaspora, the Jews experience persecution and oppression, and the gentile world which reigns over us experiences success and tranquility. The Psalmist is saying that when Hashem takes the Jewish people out of exile and we will face the reality of the Messianic era, it will be for the Jews and the world an "awakening of the dreamers" similar to the case of the baker and the butler, who awakened and witnessed reality. The Jews who thought that their suffering was endless and perpetual will rejoice and be jubilant, and the gentile world who thought that they would forever dominate over the Jewish people will declare, "Hashem has done great things for these," and they will adopt a submissive attitude towards the Jewish people.
"Those who sow in tears will reap with joyous song. He who goes along carrying the bag of seed; will return singing joyously, carrying his sheaves."
QUESTION: These two verses seem redundant?
ANSWER: Based on the
passuk,
"Zireu'a lachem litzedakah" "Sow for yourselves charity" (Hosea 10:12), the
Gemara (
Succah 49b) identifies charity with sowing. Thus, in this Psalm the word
"hazorim" "those who sow" is a reference to those who give charity.
King David is saying: "Hazor'im" "All that give tzedakah" "bedimah berinah" [regardless] "if they do it with sadness or with joy" "yiktzoru" "will harvest reward." However, "haloch yeilach uvachoh" "the one who cried and was sad when he parted with his money" "nosei meshech hazara" "will carry the bag of seed" i.e. the reward will be limited and commensurate to the tzedakah given. On the other hand, if "bo yavo berina" one gave tzedakah with happiness and a cheerful countenance then "nosei alumotav" the reward will be carried in large bundles overwhelming.
The Gemara (Bava Batra 9b) says, "One who gives charity receives six blessings, but the one who says soothing words while giving receives eleven blessings."
In a derasha speech Rabbi Aaron of Belz delivered at his Bar Mitzvah, he expounded this pasuk as follows:
Until the child reaches the age of thirteen, the father is responsible for the child's wrongdoings and transgressions. Upon reaching thirteen years of age, the young man becomes fully liable for his actions, and the father proclaims the "Baruch shepetarani mei'onesh halazeh" "Blessed is He Who has released me from being punishable for this [boy]."
The pasuk is saying "haloch yeilach u'vochoh" [the father] is crying and praying that his son conduct himself properly since "nosei" "he carries" "meshech" "the bag" i.e. responsibilities of "hazara" "the children" (as in "zera" "children"). However, "bo" it arrives "yavo" the age of thirteen ("yavo" has the numerical value of thirteen). Then, "berinah" "[the father] is happy" since "nosei alumotav" [the son] carries his own "bundles" from now on and is fully responsible for his actions.
Before mayim acharonim rinsing of the fingers the following is said.
This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage assigned to him by the Almighty.
After rinsing the fingers, the wet fingers are passed over one's lips and the following is said:
And he said to me: 'This is the table that is before Adonai.' "
Washing the fingers
QUESTION: Before reciting the Birkat Hamazon Grace after Meals we wash our fingers. This is known as mayim acharonim the final washing (the first washing is done before the meal). One of the reasons for this is melach Sedomit Sodomite salt. The salt of Sodom is very strong and potentially dangerous. It can, G-d forbid, blind a person who has it on his fingers and touches his eyes.
Why, throughout the entire world, even when one lives thousands of miles away from Sodom, does one wash his fingers because of the Sodomite salt? (See, Shulchan Aruch Harav 181:1,8.)
ANSWER: Salt itself is not nourishing; it only adds taste to other foods. The people of Sodom were evil and refused to give food to nourish a guest. Moreover, they even refused to give salt, which has no nourishment value, to a stranger (
Bereishit, 19:26, Rashi).
"Sodomite salt" is a metaphor for the wicked philosophy of the people of Sodom, who were totally "blind" to the needs of others and refused to practice hospitality.
A hungry person has sympathy for someone who is in need. Often, once he is sated and satisfied, he becomes insensitive to the suffering of the needy, and like the people of Sodom, he becomes blind to the needs of others.
Our Sages want us to always have compassion for the needy. Therefore, they have instructed that upon the completion of our meal, when we are full and satisfied, we must cleanse ourselves and make sure that the philosophy of Sodom ("Sodomite salt") does not stick to us and, G-d forbid, blind us. We must be hospitable at all times and "see" the plight of the less fortunate.
Before mayim acharonim we recite the verse, "This is the portion of the wicked man from G-d, and the heritage appointed to him by the A-mighty" (Job 20:29). After mayim acharonim the following verse is said, "And he said to me, 'This is the table that is before G-d' " (Ezekiel 41:22).
In view of the above, the relevance of these verses may be as follows: In preparing to cleanse one's self of the unwanted "Sodomite salt" philosophy, one declares that "This is the portion of a wicked man from G-d..." and that it is not the practice that Hashem expects and requests of the Jewish people.
After mayim acharonim, which symbolically accentuates the attribute of hachnasat orchim hospitality the Jew now declares that his table will be one that is "before Hashem," and he will share its holiness with other Jews continuously.
"And he said to me, 'This is the table that is before Hashem.' "
QUESTION: What is the significance of reciting this verse before the Grace after Meals?
ANSWER: In
Pirkei Avot (3:3) Rabbi Shimon says, "When three eat at one table without speaking words of Torah there, it is as if they ate of sacrifices to the dead. When, by contrast, three sit at one table and speak words of Torah, it is as if they have eaten from the table of the Omnipresent, for it is written, "And he said to me, 'This is the table that is before Hashem.' "
The Hebrew word for "table is "Shulchan." The same Hebrew letters can be rearranged to spell "lenachash" "to a serpent." Through speaking words of Torah, one makes it a "shulchan" "a table [before Hashem]" and otherwise one makes it "lenachash" into a serpent which kills and makes our food "zivchei meitim" "lifeless" (the Divine sparks in the food were not elevated).
When the Grace is said over a cup of wine or grape juice, the cup is held in the palm of one's right hand. Preferably, it is held three handbreadths (approx. ten inches) above the table until one concludes the blessing "Boneh berachamav Yerushalayim, Amein" ("Who rebuilds Jerusalem in His mercy, Amein"), at which time it is placed on the table. It is raised again at the conclusion of Grace, for the blessing: "Borei pri hagafen" ("Who created the fruit of the vine").
Leader:
Gentlemen, let us say Grace.
The others respond:
May the Name of Adonai be blessed from now and forever.
The leader repeats that response and continues:
With your permission, masters, teachers, and gentlemen, let us bless Him
if ten or more adult males are present, he substitutes
"our God"
for
"Him"
of Whose bounty we have eaten.
The others respond:
Blessed be He
if ten or more adult males are present, they substitute
"our God"
for
"He"
of Whose bounty we have eaten and through His goodness we live.
Those present who did not partake of the meal respond:
Blessed be He
if ten or more adult males are present, they substitute
"our God"
for
"He"
and praised be His Name continually forever and ever.
The leader repeats this response.
At a wedding feast, the leader substitutes:
[With your permission, masters, teachers, and gentlemen,] let us bless our God in Whose abode there is joy, of Whose bounty we have eaten.
The others respond
Blessed be our God in Whose abode there is joy, of Whose bounty we have eaten and by Whose goodness we live.
Cup of Blessing
QUESTION: The Gemara (Pesachim 119b) says that when the Resurrection takes place, Hashem will make a feast for the tzaddikim, and when Avraham will be given the Cup of Blessing he will say, "I am unfit to recite the blessing because I had a son Yishmael." Yitzchak will say, "I am unfit because Eisav was my son." Yaakov will turn it down, "Because I married two sisters, which the Torah will later forbid." Moshe will say, "I cannot be the one to recite the blessing because I was not privileged to enter Eretz Yisrael," and Yehoshua will decline it saying, "I am unfit, for I did not merit to have a son." Hashem will then say to David, "Take the cup and recite the blessing," and David will respond, "I will do so, and it is fitting for me, as it is stated, 'I shall raise the cup of salvations, and the Name of Hashem I shall invoke.' "
Why will David consider himself so qualified for the honor?
ANSWER: The
Gemara (
Berachot 46a) rules that,
"Ba'al habayit botzei'a ve'orei'ach mevareich" "The host breaks the bread [makes the
Hamotzi] and the guest recites the Blessing after the Meals."
King David was destined to be stillborn. Fortunately, Adam gave him as a gift 70 years of his life and, thus, he lived for 70 years (see Zohar 1:168a).
A guest is one who is dependent on the favor of others. Thus, King David, who really was not supposed to be in this world and consequently not supposed to have anything to do with the Resurrection of the dead, considered himself a guest in the world and also at the Resurrection feast. Hence, being the guest, it is halachically proper that when the Host Hashem makes the meal, he should be the one to take the Cup of Blessing and recite the Blessing after the Meal.
Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, King of the universe Who, in His goodness, nourishes the entire world with grace, kindness, and mercy. He gives food to all flesh, for His kindness is eternal. Through His great goodness to us continuously we do not lack [food], and may we never lack food forever and ever for the sake of His great name. For He is the Almighty, Who nourishes and sustains all, and does good to all, and prepares food for all His creatures which He has created, as is said: "You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living being." Blessed are You, Adonai, Who provides food for all.
We thank You, Adonai, our God, for having given as a heritage to our fathers, a precious, good, and spacious land, and for taking us out, Adonai, our God, from the land of Egypt and for redeeming us from the house of bondage; for Your covenant which You sealed in our flesh; for Your Torah which You taught us, and for Your statutes which You made known to us; for the life, favor, and kindness which You have graciously bestowed upon us; and for the food we eat with which You constantly feed and sustain us every day, at all times, and at every hour.
"Blessed are You... Who nourishes..."
QUESTION: Who composed the Birkat Hamazon?
ANSWER: According to the
Gemara (
Berachot 48b), Moshe composed the
berachah of
"Hazan" "Who nourishes" for the Jews when the manna fell from heaven. Yehoshua composed
"Birkat Ha'aretz" "the
berachah for the land" when the Jews entered
Eretz Yisrael. The
berachah of
"Bonei Yerushalayim" "Builder of Jerusalem" was composed by Kings David and Shlomo. David conquered
Yerushalayim and composed the segment of
"Racheim" "Have mercy...[on Jerusalem]" and Shlomo, who built the
Beit Hamikdash, added the segment "the great and holy House."
The fourth berachah of "Hatov Vehameitiv" was composed by the sages in Yavneh (headed by Rabban Gamliel) in appreciation of Hashem's goodness towards the hundreds of thousands of Jews of Bethar who were slain during Bar Kochba's ill-fated rebellion against the Roman's during the reign of Emperor Hadrian and denied burial. After years of praying and fasting by Rabban Gamliel and his court in Yavneh, plus Rabban Gamliel's depleting his inheritance to bribe the Romans, permission for burial was finally granted.
The phrase "Hatov" "Who is good" refers to the fact that although years passed the bodies did not decompose, but were fresh and whole, and it was thus bearable for the residents. The phrase "Vehameitiv" "And Who confers good" refers to the fact that they were afforded burial. (Halachically [see Seder Birkat Hanehenin 12:12] when something good occurs to a person and others also benefit, it is customary to make a berachah of "Hatov Vehameitiv" see Siftei Chachamim, Berachot ibid.)
According to halachah (Orach Chaim 187:8) the first three berachot are mide'oraita Biblical and the fourth is only miderabanan a rabbinical injunction. To emphasize the distinction between the first three and the fourth, the word "Amein" is recited at the conclusion of the third berachah.
Regarding the Shulchan Table in the Sanctuary, it says, "And you shall cover it with zahav tahor pure gold" (Shemot 25:24). The word "zahav" "gold" is an acronym for the three blessings, "Zan" "nourishment" "Ha'aretz" "the land" and "Bonei Yerushalayim" "Builder of Jerusalem" recited at the table upon the completion of the meal.
On Chanukah and Purim Al Hanissim (And...for the miracles) is recited here. If one forgot to say it, when he reaches May the Merciful One..., he should add: May the Merciful One perform miracles of us as He has for our ancestors in those days, at this time, and continue In the days of Matityahu... on Chanukah, and In the days of Mordechai... on Purim.
And [we thank You] for the miracles, for the redemption, for the mighty deeds, for the saving acts, and for the wonders which You have wrought for our ancestors in those days, at this time
On Chanukah
In the days of Matityahu, the son of Yochanan the High Priest, the Hasmonean and his sons, when the wicked Hellenic government rose up against Your people Israel to make them forget Your Torah and violate the decrees of Your will. But You, in Your abounding mercies, stood by them in the time of their distress. You waged their battles, defended their rights and avenged the wrong done to them. You delivered the mighty into the hand of the weak, the many into the hand of the few, the impure into the hand of the pure, the wicked into the hand of the righteous, and the wanton sinners into the hand of those who occupy themselves with Your Torah. You made a great and holy name for Yourself in Your world, and effected a great deliverance and redemption for Your people to this very day. Then Your children entered the shrine of Your House, cleansed Your Temple, purified Your Sanctuary, kindled lights in Your holy courtyards, and instituted these eight days of Chanukah to give thanks and praise to Your great Name.
"You delivered the mighty into the hand of the weak, the many into the hand of the few..."
QUESTION: Grammatically it should have said "bidei" "in the hands"in plural, and not the singular "beyad""in the hand."
ANSWER: Indeed, more than one hand fought in defense of the Jewish people. However, the secret of their success was the unity that prevailed among the
tzaddikim and the studiers of Torah. When people are united, even if they are in the minority, they can easily conquer any power that endeavors to destroy them.
"Your children entered the shrine of Your House, cleansed Your Temple, purified Your Sanctuary, kindled lights in Your holy courtyards."
QUESTION: The kindling of the Menorah took place in the Beit Hamikdash itself. Why did the Hasmoneans kindle it in the courtyard?
ANSWER: When the Hasmoneans entered the
Beit Hamikdash, they found it defiled and in ruins. Thus, they were unable to kindle the
Menorah while it stood in its regular place. In the interim, while they were cleaning the mess and renovating, the
Menorah was kindled in the courtyard. This is permissible according to
halachah (see Rambam,
Hilchot Bi'at Hamikdash 9:7).
Through kindling the Menorah in the courtyard, everyone was able to witness the eight-day miracle (which would not have been the case had it been lit inside, when only the Kohanim would have seen it).
With this explanation, we can answer the popular question of why Chanukah is celebrated for eight days instead of seven, though sufficient oil was found for the first night.
The oil found would have lasted through the night if the Menorah would have been kindled inside. However, Chanukah takes place during the winter, and due to the weather, the oil would normally not have been sufficient to last through the night when the Menorah was kindled outside in the courtyard.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe questions: According to this, grammatically it should be in singular: "bechatzer kadshecha" "in Your holy courtyard" in lieu of the plural, "bechatzrot kadshecha" "in your holy courtyards." Thus, he asserts that the Menorah was indeed kindled in the Beit Hamikdash. However, as an additional expression of joy and happiness, all the courtyards in the outskirts of the Beit Hamikdash were also illuminated with an abundance of light.
On Purim
In the days of Mordechai and Esther, in Shushan the capital, when the wicked Haman rose up against them, and sought to destroy, slaughter and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to take their spoil for plunder. But You, in Your abounding mercies, foiled his counsel and frustrated his intention, and caused the evil he planned to recoil on his own head, and they hanged him and his sons upon the gallows.
"They hanged him and his sons upon the gallows."
QUESTION: When were they hung?
ANSWER: On the sixteenth day of
Nissan, the day of the second banquet, Esther revealed her nationality to King Achashverosh. She told him of the calamity her people were facing and he ordered that Haman be hung. That evening he was hung on the gallows (
Megillah 15a, Rashi). Afterwards, the King requested that a cover be placed above his head to protect his body from being eaten up by the birds and he remained on the gallows for the entire year.
To further humiliate the Amalikites and frighten the anti-Semites, on the thirteenth of Adar when Haman's sons were slain, Esther asked that they be hung together with their father. This would magnify the already existing public spectacle and convey a good lesson.
For all this, Adonai, our God, we thank You and bless You. May Your Name be blessed by the mouth of every living being constantly and forever, as it is written: "When you have eaten and are satiated, you shall bless Adonai, your God, for the good land which He has given you." Blessed are You, Adonai, for the land and for the food.
"When you have eaten and are satiated, you shall bless Hashem, your G-d, for the good land He has given you."
QUESTION: The Gemara (48b) explains that the pasuk "And you shall eat, and you shall be satiated, and you shall bless Hashem your G-d" is a reference to the berachah of "Hazan" "Who nourishes" and "for the land" is a reference to "Birkat Ha'aretz" "the blessing for the land" and "the good" is a reference to the blessing of "Bonei Yerushalayim" "Builder of Jerusalem."
How can this be reconciled with the Gemara (ibid.) that these berachot were made by Moshe, Yehoshua, David, and Shlomo?
ANSWER: After meals the Torah requires us to recite a blessing to Hashem for the food we have eaten, for the land and for Jerusalem. Originally each individual, however, based on his knowledge and fluency, was at liberty to compose his own text. The present day text which became the universally accepted and required, was composed by Moshe, Yehoshua, David, and Shlomo, in recognition of a specific goodness which the Jewish people experienced.
Have mercy, Adonai, our God, on Israel Your people, on Jerusalem Your city, on Zion the dwelling of Your glory, on the kingship of the House of David Your anointed, and on the great and holy house upon which Your name is called. Our God, our Father, tend us (on Shabbat [and Festivals] substitute: Our Shepherd), feed us, nourish us, sustain us, and provide us with comfort, and speedily, Adonai, our God, grant us relief from all our afflictions. Please, Adonai, our God, do not make us dependent on the gifts of mortals nor upon their loans, but only upon Your full, open, holy, and generous hand, that we may not be shamed or disgraced forever and ever.
"Your full, open, holy, and generous hand."
QUESTION: It should have said, "yadecha hakedoshah" "Your holy hand" before describing His benevolence? It does not seem to fit between the descriptions of "open" and "generous"?
ANSWER: In the
Ba'al Shem Tov's hand-written
Siddur, which was acquired by the sixth
Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, and is currently in the library of
Agudat Chassidei Chabad, instead of
"hakedoshah" "holy" it says
"hegedushah" "overflowing" (as in
"maleih vegadush" "full and overflowing").
The letters of the alef-beit emanate from five different points of articulation in the mouth (tongue, lips, teeth, throat, and palate). The letters gimmel, yud, chaf, and kuf emanate from the "chaich" "palate" and due to their similarity they are at times interchangeable. An example of this is in the Gemara (Chullin 7b) which says, "Ein adam nokeif etzba'o" "A person does not injure his finger [unless it was decreed from above]." Rashi writes that the word "nokeif" means "nogeif."
Hence, it is possible here, too, that in "hakedoshah" the "kuf" is interchanged with the "gimmel" and it actually means "overflowing."
{On the Shabbat, the following paragraph is added:}
May it please You Adonai, our God, to strengthen us through Your commandments and through the commandment of the seventh day, this great and holy Shabbat. For this day is great and holy before You, to refrain from work and to rest on it with love, in accordance with the commandment of Your will. And in Your will grant us tranquility Adonai, our God, that there be no distress, grief, or sorrow on the day of our rest. And show us, Adonai, our God, the consolation of Zion Your city, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem Your holy city, for You are the Master of deliverances and the Master of consolations.
On Rosh Chodesh, Festivals, and Chol HaMo'eid add:
During the following passage, the person leading the Grace should raise his voice slightly when reciting the phrase "Zachreinu A-donai" ("Remember us A-donai"). Those assembled should answer Amein after the words "letovah" ("for good"), "liverachah" ("for blessing"), and "lechayim tovim" ("and for good life").
Our God and God of our fathers, may there ascend, come and reach, be seen, accepted, and heard, recalled and remembered before You, the remembrance and recollection of us, the remembrance of our fathers, the remembrance of Mashiach the son of David Your servant, the remembrance of Jerusalem Your holy city, and the remembrance of all Your people the House of Israel, for deliverance, well-being, grace, kindness, mercy, good life and peace, on this day of:
On Rosh Chodesh:
Rosh Chodesh.
On Pesach:
the Festival of Matzot.
On Shavuot:
the Festival of Shavuot.
On Succot:
the Festival of Succot.
On Shemini Atzeret:
Shemini Atzeret, the Festival.
On Rosh Hashanah:
Remembrance.
On Pesach, Shavuot, and Succot except on Chol HaMo'eid and on Rosh Hashanah:
On this holy Festival day.
Remember us on this [day], Adonai our God, for good; be mindful of us on this [day] for blessing; help us on this [day] for good life. With the promise of deliverance and compassion, spare us and be gracious to us; have mercy upon us and deliver us; for our eyes are directed to You, for You, Almighty, are a gracious and merciful King.
And rebuild Jerusalem, the holy city, speedily in our days. Blessed are You, Adonai, Who in His mercy rebuilds Jerusalem. Amein.
If one forgot to say May it please You... on Shabbat even at the Seudah Shelishit, if it is before sunset and he became aware of it before the berachah of ...who is good and does good... that follows, he should say:
Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, King of the universe, Who has given Shabbats for rest to His people Israel, with love, as a sign and a covenant. Blessed are You Adonai, Who sanctified the Shabbat.
If one forgot to say Our God...may there ascend on a Festival, he should say:
Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, King of the universe, Who has given festivals to His people Israel for joy and gladness, this day of the Festival of (Name the Festival). Blessed are You Adonai, Who sanctified Israel and the seasons.
On Rosh Hashanah:
Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, King of the universe, Who has given festivals to His people Israel for a remembrance, this Day of Remembrance. Blessed are You Adonai, Who sanctified Israel and the Day of Remembrance.
On Chol HaMo'eid:
Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, King of the universe, Who has given festive days to His people Israel for joy and gladness, this day of the Festival of (Name the Festival) without a concluding blessing.
On Rosh Chodesh:
Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, King of the universe, Who has given the days of Rosh Chodesh to His people Israel for remembrance
without a concluding blessing.
If a Festival (or Rosh Hashanah or Rosh Chodesh) falls on Shabbat, and one omitted both of the appropriate prayers, he should combine them and say:
Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, King of the universe, Who has given Shabbats for rest to His people Israel, with love, as a sign and a covenant, and festivals
(on Chol HaMo'eid substitute:
and festive days)
for joy and gladness, this day of the Festival of (Name the Festival).
(On Rosh Hashanah substitute:
and festivals for remembrance, this Day of Remembrance.
On Rosh Chodesh substitute:
and days of Rosh Chodesh for remembrance.)
and conclude:
Blessed are You Adonai, Who sanctified the Shabbat and Israel and the [festive] seasons.
On Rosh Hashanah substitute:
and the Day of Remembrance.
On Rosh Chodesh substitute:
and days of Rosh Chodesh.
The above applies only if one realized his omission before he began the berachah HaTov V'Hameitiv that follows. If he reminded himself after he had already begun the berachah, even if he only said the word, Baruch, he must repeat the entire Blessing After a Meal from the beginning. This applies to Shabbat and the festival days of Pesach, Shavuot and Succot and the evening meal of Rosh Hashanah; however, on Chol HaMo'eid, Rosh Chodesh, the Seudah Shelishit of Shabbat or the daytime meal of Rosh Hashanah, if he did not remind himself until he had already begun HaTov V'Hameitiv, he should not repeat it.
If Grace was recited over a cup of wine, it is now put on the table.
Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, King of the universe, the Almighty, our Father, our King, our Might, our Creator, our Redeemer, our Maker, our Holy One, the Holy One of Yaakov, our Shepherd, the Shepherd of Israel, the King who is good and does good to all each and every day. He has done good for us, He does good for us, He will do good for us. He has bestowed, He bestows, He will forever bestow upon us grace and kindness and mercy; and relief, salvation, and success; blessing and help; consolation, sustenance and nourishment and compassion and life and peace and all good, and may He never deprive us of all good things.*
* Amein is not responded after "all good things." (Reshimot #182)
"Grace and kindness and mercy... and all good"
QUESTION: Why do we beseech Hashem to bestow upon us fifteen Divine favors specifically?
ANSWER: According to the
Gemara (
Shabbat 117b) it is customary to eat two meals daily, one in the morning and one in the evening, and on
Shabbat there is an additional meal. In keeping with this custom, the
Gemara says that the charity fund is required to provide the impoverished with fifteen meals, which would last one for the entire week. Thus, during a period of a week, one recites the Grace after Meals fifteen times. In merit of this, we ask Hashem to bless us with fifteen acts of Divine kindness.
Immediately before the Birkat Hamazon the pasuk, "Va'anachnu nevareich Y-ah mei'atah ve'ad olam" "And we will bless G-d from now until eternity" is recited. The spelling of Hashem's name "yud-hei" has the numerical value of fifteen. In consideration of the fifteen meals eaten during the week, we declare that we will recite the Grace after Meals and bless Hashem fifteen times, until eternity.
"...and all good, and may He never deprive us of all good things."
QUESTION: This request sounds redundant?
ANSWER: There are people who have received Hashem's blessings of goodness in abundant measure. They have a beautiful family, plenty of food and a wardrobe full of clothing. However, due to their poor health they are unable to enjoy these blessings. Thus, we pray that He give us all good things together with the opportunity to enjoy them in good health.
May the Merciful One reign over us forever and ever.
May the Merciful One be blessed in heaven and on earth.
May the Merciful One be praised for all generations, and be glorified through us forever and all eternity, and may He be honored through us for eternity.
May the Merciful One provide us our livelihood with honor.
May the Merciful One break the yoke of exile (alt. "the yoke of [the] nations") from our necks and may He lead us upright to our land.
May the Merciful One send abundant blessing into this house and upon this table at which we have eaten.
May the Merciful One send us Eliyahu the Prophet, of blessed memory, and may he announce good tidings to us, salvations, and consolations.
Many of the Chassidim, add the following (Sefer HaMinhagim).
May the Merciful One bless our master, our teacher, and our Rebbe.
The following is recited even if one's parent is deceased.
May the Merciful One bless my father, my teacher, the master of this house and my mother, my teacher, the mistress of this house, them, their household, their children, and all that is theirs; ourselves and all that is ours. Just as He blessed our fathers Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov "with everything," "from everything," and with "everything," so may He bless all of us (when a gentile is present: the children of the Covenant) together with a perfect blessing and let us say: Amein.
From On High, may there be invoked upon him and upon us such merit which will bring an enduring peace. May we receive blessing from Adonai and just kindness from God our deliverer. May we find grace and good understanding in the eyes of God and man.
For "Additions to the Blessing after a Meal Following a Circumcision," see p. 59 (Some say the "Additions" after concluding the Grace (Shaar Hakolel).)
On Shabbat:
May the Merciful One let us inherit that day which will be all Shabbat and rest for life everlasting.
On Rosh Chodesh:
May the Merciful One renew for us this month for good and for blessing.
On Festivals:
May the Merciful One let us inherit that day which is all good.
On Succot:
May the Merciful One let us inherit that day which is all good.
May the Merciful One restore for us the fallen succah of David.
On Rosh Hashanah:
May the Merciful One let us inherit that day which is all good.
May the Merciful One renew for us this year for good and for blessing.
May the Merciful One grant us the privilege of reaching the days of Mashiach and the life of the World to Come. He gives great salvations
(on Shabbat, Festivals, Rosh Chodesh and Chol HaMo'eid substitute:
He is a tower of salvations) for His king and bestows kindness upon His anointed, to David and his descendants forever. He Who makes peace in His heights, may He make peace for us and for all Israel, and say: Amein.
Fear Adonai, you His holy ones, for those who fear Him suffer no want. Young lions are in need and go hungry, but those who seek Adonai shall not lack any good. Give thanks to Adonai for He is good, for His kindness is everlasting. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living being. Blessed is the man who trusts in Adonai, and Adonai will be His security.
If the Grace was recited over a cup of wine, the following berachah is now recited.
Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, King of the universe, Who created the fruit of the vine.
"May the Merciful One...and may He lead us upright to our land."
QUESTION: How can this be reconciled with the Gemara (Kedushin 31a) that says it is forbidden for a person to walk four cubits "bekomah zekufah" "with an erect posture"?
ANSWER: Eretz Yisrael is our holy land, and all Jews yearn to live there. Those who do not reach it during their lifetime will ultimately come there in the days of
techiyat hameitim the Resurrection. However, they will have to roll through tunnels under the earth until they reach the holy land (see
Bereishit 47:29, Rashi).
Our prayer to Hashem that He "lead us upright to our land" asks that we merit to come to Eretz Yisrael happily and healthily during our lifetime and not, G-d forbid, have to roll through underground tunnels to reach it.
"The days of the Mashiach."
QUESTION: Who is the Mashiach?
ANSWER: In the
Gemara (
Sanhedrin 98b) there are four opinions regarding the identity of
Mashiach. Some say his name is Shiloh, others say Yinon, a third opinion is Chaninah, and a fourth view is Menachem. The first letter of each one of these four names spells
"Mashiach."
Jewry eagerly awaits the revelation of the redeemer who will lead us out of galut. Not knowing definitely what his name will be, we call him "Mashiach," an acronym of the four different names for the redeemer.
"Those who fear Him suffer no want."
QUESTION: Do those who fear Him have so much?
ANSWER: When Yaakov met Eisav and presented him with a gift, Eisav said,
"Yeish li rav" "I have plenty." Yaakov continued urging him to take the gift and said, "Please accept my gift because
yeish li kol I have everything" (
Bereishit 33:9-11).
The reason that Yaakov stated "I have everything" while Eisav said "I have plenty" is that the wicked are never fully satisfied. They are not content with what they have and always want more. On the other hand, the righteous are happy with whatever Hashem gives them, which they consider to be "everything." Hence, the G-d fearing suffer no want, for they are happy with what Hashem has allotted them and they do not torment themselves over any perceived deficiency.
Order of Seudah Shelishit