ברך

Birkat Hamazon – An Overview

- Andrew Ostro

            In the book of Devarim (8:10) it states, “When you have eaten your fill, you shall bless the L-rd your G-d for the good land that He has given you.” These words are the precise source for the commandment of Birkat Hamazon -- to bless G-d after eating a meal. There are several blessings in the Birkat Hamazon:

1. Hazan – הזן את הכל -praise for G-d, who maintains the world;

      2. Birkat Ha’Aretz – על הארץ ועל המזון -  thanks G-d for everything that exists, focusing on the land of Israel.

      3. Boneh Yerushalayim – בונה ירושלים - asks G-d to protect and rebuild Jerusalem;

4. Hatov Vehameitiv – הטוב והמטיב - general praise and thanks for G-d.

In Gemara Berkhot, 48b, we are told that Moshe wrote the Birkat Hazan when the manna fell. We are also told that Joshua wrote the Birkat Ha'Aretz when the people entered the Land of Israel. The Gemara also explains that David and Solomon wrote Boneh Yerushalayim during different phases of the building of the Jerusalem and that the Rabbis of Yavneh wrote Hatov Vehameitiv in response to the burial of the martyrs from Beitar.

This information acquired from the Gemara raises a crucial question. It states in the Torah “When you have eaten your fill, you shall bless the L-rd your G-d (Birkat Hazan) for the ... land (Birkat Ha’Aretz) ... the good land ... (Boneh Yerushalayim) that he has given you (Hatov Vehameitiv).” From this section, it seems clear to us that all four of these blessings are Mitzvot from the Torah (D’orayta) although we know from the text of the Gemara that these Berachot were instituted by the leaders of four different generations, which would seem to indicate that Birkat HaMazon is a rabbinic (d’rabanan) mitzvah!

 The Gemara later deals with this conflict and the Ramban reaches a conclusion. He explains that there are several Mitzvot in the Torah that are presented in an extremely general format. Later generations such as prophets and sages came along and created form and eventually created the specific texts with which these Mitzvoth are now fulfilled.  The Mitzvah of thanking G-d for the food He provides is a Torah Mitzvah.  However, the precise formulation of the b’rachot is rabbinic.

http://www.torah.org/advanced/mikra/5757/dv/dt.57.5.03.html
http://www.torah.org/advanced/mikra/5757/dv/dt.57.5.03.html
http://www.hillel.org/hillel/NewHille.nsf/fcb8259ca861ae57852567d30043ba26/f1761b35e9eecc0f85256a80005093cf?OpenDocument
http://www.bbyo.org/programband/birkat.PDF