What is a Bracha? - JewishPathways.com

© 2008
The philosophy and inspiration behind the blessings.
by Rabbi Yair Spolter and Rabbi Shraga Simmons
Welcome to this course on the laws of brachot (blessings). Our primary
focus will be the rules of reciting brachot over food – both before and after
eating. Later in the course, we will discuss other types of blessings said
during the course of a day – when smelling fragrances, upon observing
natural phenomena, and in other situations.
Before we get into the particulars, however, some background is in order.
Understanding the meaning and significance of brachot is essential to
fulfilling their purpose. 1 So we will dedicate this first class to an overview of
what brachot are all about.
On the most basic level, a bracha is a means of recognizing the good that
God has given to us. As the Talmud 2 states, the entire world belongs to
God, Who created everything, and partaking in His creation without consent
1
Orach Chaim 5:1, with Mishnah Berurah 1
2
Brachot 35a
1

would be tantamount to stealing. When we acknowledge that our food
comes from God – i.e. we say a bracha – God grants us permission to
partake in the world's pleasures. This fulfills the purpose of existence: To
recognize God and come close to Him.
Once we have been satiated, we again bless God, expressing our
appreciation for what He has given us. 3 So, first and foremost, a bracha is a
“please” and a "thank you" to the Creator for the sustenance and pleasure
He has bestowed upon us.
The Midrash 4 relates that Abraham’s tent was pitched in the middle of an
intercity highway, and open on all four sides so that any traveler was
welcome to a royal feast. Inevitably, at the end of the meal, the grateful
guests would want to thank Abraham. “It’s not me who you should be
thanking,” Abraham replied. “God provides our food, and sustains us
moment by moment. To Him we should give thanks!” Those who balked at
the idea of thanking God were offered an alternative: Pay full price for the
meal. Considering the high price for a fabulous meal in the desert, Abraham
succeeded in inspiring even the skeptics to “give God a try.”
Source of All Blessing
Yet the essence of a bracha goes beyond mere manners. This is evident
from the text of the bracha itself. Every bracha begins with the phrase
"Baruch Ata Ado-noy" – "Blessed are You, God." This expresses our will that
God should be blessed.
Many commentators, however, take issue with this translation, because of
its implicit philosophical difficulty. How can man bestow blessing upon God,
Who is lacking nothing, Who created all existence, and has infinite ability
and power?! What could God possibly need from man, a mere creation? 5
3
Deuteronomy 8:10
4
Midrash Aggada (Genesis 21:33); see also Talmud - Sotah 10b; Midrash Tanchuma (Lech Lecha 12); Midrash Rabba
(Genesis 54); Midrash Shochar Tov (Tehillim 110).
5
Sefer HaChinuch 430
2

These commentators therefore explain "Baruch Ata Ado-noy" as a
statement of recognition: "You, God, are the Source of all blessing." 6 In this
way, a bracha serves as a humbling reminder that it is not our “own
strength that brought this prosperity” (Deut. 8:17). Rather, we express our
dependence on God, acknowledging that He is the source from which our
good has come. 7
This concept is reflected in the word bracha which shares a root with the
word berech, meaning "knee." 8 In reciting a bracha, we "bend our knees" to
God, so to speak, bowing in recognition of our need for, and in our
appreciation of, His kindness.
The Power of a Bracha
Another word that shares a common root
with bracha is breicha, which means
“wellspring.” 9 This alludes to the fact that
reciting a bracha opens a wellspring of
blessing that flows down from the
heavens. This theme is hinted in the root
letters of the word "bracha" – bet, reish,
chaf – whose numerical values are 2, 20 and 200. While the number one
signifies the minimal amount of anything, two begins the series of
multiplicity. The word bracha is made up of all the "two’s," hinting to the
power of a bracha to bring additional good into the world. 10
There is an interesting halacha that one should have bread on the table
when reciting Birkat Hamazon (Grace After Meals). 11 One reason given for
this is that God's blessing always manifests itself on something that already
exists; if there would be no bread on the table, there would be no
6
Rebbeinu Bachya (Kad HaKemach – chapter “Bracha”)
7
See Michtav M’Eliyahu (vol. 3, pg. 273)
8
Sefer HaBahir – letter “Dalet”
9
Midrash Rabba (Genesis 39:11); Rabbeinu Bachya (Deut. 8:10)
10
Maharal (Tifferet Yisrael 34, Netzach Yisrael 45)
11
Orach Chaim 180:1
3

"receptacle" for God's blessing. 12 So we see that even as we are reciting a
bracha, we are simultaneously receiving God's blessing of increased
prosperity. A bracha, therefore, is a key to open the flow of God's blessing
into the world. 13
In this regard, one who neglects to say a bracha is considered as having
stolen not only from God, but also from the Jewish people, 14 and ultimately
all of humanity, having denied them an opportunity to receive God's
blessing.
Partners with God
The two concepts that we have discussed so far – recognizing God's
kindness and bringing blessing into the world – are inter-related. Let’s
explore this connection a bit deeper:
When God created the world, He put everything in place before creating
man. The sun and the moon, fowl and fish, animals and insects, and every
living creature were all created before man. When Adam would finally arrive
on the scene, he was to find a "set table" before him – a magnificent,
finished world. But the Torah tells us there was one thing that God saved
for man to complete.
"Now all the trees of the field were not yet on the earth, and all the
herb of the field had not yet sprouted, for God had not sent rain upon
the earth, and there was no man to work the soil." (Genesis 2:5)
The plant-life would have to wait, concealed under the surface of the
ground, until the first rainfall. And why had it not rained? Because, the
Midrash says, God wanted man to turn to Him and pray for rain. That way,
when the rain fell, man would appreciate each and every drop as God's gift
to the world. 15
12
Magen Avraham 180:1
13
Rabbeinu Bachya (Deut. 8:10)
14
Talmud – Brachot 35b
15
Midrash Aggada (Genesis 2:5)
4

God created the world with the purpose of bringing man close to Him. So
He created a system which requires the spiritual efforts of man. When we
say a bracha, it is our recognition that we need God, and are indeed utterly
dependent upon Him. This forges a meaningful relationship with God, brings
us closer to Him – and opens up the gates of blessing. 16
So it is the "Baruch Ata" – recognizing God as the source of blessing – that
opens the "breicha," the wellspring of abundance, and completes the
partnership between man and God that sustains the world.
We can now understand how some commentators explain the simple
translation of the phrase Baruch Ata as "Blessed are You." Of course,
everyone agrees that God does not need our blessing. However, in a sense
it is man's job to prompt God, so to speak, to act with kindness and bring
blessing into the world. "Baruch Ata Ado-noy – may You, God, allow
Yourself to exercise Your power of goodness toward mankind.” 17
Holy Sparks
Understanding the meaning behind these blessings and the power they
possess can transform the mundane act of eating into a deeply spiritual
experience. Before biting into an apple, we thank God for making the apple,
thus making the physical act of eating into a holy act. And in doing so, we
elevate ourselves from the level of “animal behavior” to the unique and
lofty level of “human being.” 18
The Torah says: “Man does not live by bread alone, but rather on the word
of God.” 19 The kabbalists cite this verse to show that food is more than just
16
Rabbeinu Bachya (Deut. 8:10)
17
This helps us understand a perplexing Talmudic passage: Rabbi Yishmael the High Priest was once in the Temple’s
Holy of Holies, when He heard God say, "Yishmael, my son, bless Me." Rabbi Yishmael responded, "May it be Your will
that Your attribute of mercy will suppress Your anger, and Your mercy should prevail over Your other attributes..."
Certainly, God could have acted without Rabbi Yishmael's request. But it is God's desire that His kindness be prompted
by man. Therefore, He said, "Bless Me!" (Brachot 7a)
18
see Way of God 4:9
19
Deut. 8:3
5

nourishment for the body. There are also "sparks of holiness" contained in
food, and when we eat that food in an appropriate way (i.e. kosher food,
and saying a bracha), the holiness in that food is unlocked and nourishes
the soul. This is crucial to our overall health, because “Man does not live by
bread alone.” 20
Just as food helps the soul connect to the body (because without food,
eventually the soul will separate from the body), brachot connect the soul
to the Infinite. The kabbalists explain that the mouth is where the soul
fuses with the body, which is why food goes in there and why brachot are
spoken there – as they maintain the soul's connection to the Infinite. 21
A Life of Praise
The material world presents us with two choices: to enjoy it as a gourmet
(spiritually) or as a glutton (materially). To enjoy it only in itself, or to use
the aesthetic experience to leap toward transcendental awareness. The
bracha is a user-friendly method for elevating the aesthetic experience into
the wow! that every moment of life can and should be. 22
Maimonides codifies the laws of brachot with
the mitzvot that bring one to love of God.
Every blessing expresses our yearning to
connect with God. A true story is told that
illustrates this idea:
One time, a chassidic rebbe, Rabbi Aaron
from Karlin, took an apple in his hand, and
his student took an apple as well. Each of
the men said a bracha and began to eat.
When they were finished, the rebbe said to his student:
20
Sidduro Shel Shabbat 1:5, quoting the Arizal; Ruach HaChaim 3:3; Mishnah Berurah 6:6; see Birkat Dovid 34,
quoting Pri Etz Hadar
21
Ibn Ezra (Psalms 135:16); Pitchei Halachot, Intro to Laws of Brachot 5, citing Intro to Besamim Rosh 18
22
Rabbi Alexander Seinfeld
6

"Do you know the difference between you and me? You were hungry and
wanted to eat an apple. But to do so, you first needed to say a bracha. In
my case, I looked around at the beauty of our world and desperately
wanted to call out in praise of God. Since our Sages made brachot the
context to praise God, I needed to take an apple. In other words, you said a
bracha to eat the apple, and I ate the apple to say a bracha!" 23
Sefer Olat Tamid lists 13 verses that one fulfills each time one says a
bracha properly. Included among them:
• the mitzvah to remember God (Deut. 8:18)
• recalling the kindness that God performs for us (Deut. 8:2)
• being careful not to mention God's name in vain (Exodus 20:7)
• trying to relate to God in all of our ways (Proverbs 3:6)
To review, a bracha:
• praises God as the source of all goodness
• asks permission to eat God’s food, and says "thank you"
• brings God's blessing into the world
About the Sources
This course is intended to provide halachic principles and examples. There
are many nuances to Jewish law, and in actual practice one should consult
with a local rabbi.
This course follows these main source materials:
• The Laws of B’rachos by Rabbi Binyomin Forst (ArtScroll)
• Halachos of Brochos by Rabbi Yisroel Pinchos Bodner (Feldheim)
• V’Zot HaBracha by Rabbi Alexander A. Mendelbaum (in Hebrew)
23
Kovetz Kol HaTorah 45, Ma’amerei Mussar, pg. 29
7

• Principles of Hilchos Brachos by Rabbi Daniel Schloss, based on
the lectures of Rabbi Yitzchak Berkovits, given at the Aish HaTorah
yeshiva in Jerusalem
For those who wish to reference more primary sources, we provide
footnotes throughout our lessons:
• Shulchan Aruch (literally: "Set Table") is the main authoritative
source of Jewish law and custom, and hence simply referred to often
as the “Code of Jewish Law.” Written by Rabbi Yosef Karo in the 16th
century, it is divided into four main sections; the laws of brachot are
covered in the section Orach Chaim (abbreviated OC). Additional
notes pertaining to Ashkenazi custom were added by the Rema –
Rabbi Moshe Isserles (16th century Poland).
• Mishnah Berurah is a 20th century Ashkenazi
'update' of the Shulchan Aruch 'Orach Chaim'
section, including the laws of brachot. It was
authored by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, better
known as the Chafetz Chaim, and includes his
additional notes entitled Biur Halacha and Sha’ar
Hatziyun. Mishnah Berurah is also available in
English translation (Feldheim).
We will also refer extensively to rulings by these
contemporary Sages:
• Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (1895-1986, New York), author of the 8-
volume series of respona, Shu”t Igros Moshe.
• Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (1910-1995, Jerusalem)
• Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliyashiv (born 1910, Jerusalem)
8