BLESSINGS AFTER A MEAL - ברכת המזון

Al Hamichyah (the after-blessing)

When Tachanun is said

Listing of days Tachanun is not said

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept as we remembered Zion. There on the willows we hung our harps. For there our captors asked of us words of song, and those who mocked us asked for joy: “Sing to us some of the songs of Zion.” How can we sing the song of the L‑rd on foreign soil? If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill. Let my tongue cleave to my palate if I do not remember you, if I do not raise Jerusalem above my foremost joy. Remember, L‑rd, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem, when they said, “Raze it, raze it, to its very foundation!” Daughter of Babylon, who is destined to be laid waste, happy is he who will repay you in kind for what you have done to us. Happy is he who will seize your infants and dash them against the rock.

For the Conductor, a Psalm, a Song with instrumental music. May G‑d 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 the nations. The nations will extol You, G‑d; 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, G‑d; all the peoples will extol You. The earth has yielded its produce; may G‑d, our G‑d, bless us. G‑d will bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him. (Continue with “I will bless…”)

When Tachanun is not said

A Song of Ascents. When the L‑rd will return the exiles of Zion, we will have been like dreamers. Then our mouth will be filled with laughter, and our tongue with songs of joy; then will they say among the nations, “The L‑rd has done great things for these.” The L‑rd has done great things for us; we were joyful. L‑rd, return our exiles as streams to the arid land. Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He goes along weeping, carrying the bag of seed; he will surely return with songs of joy, carrying his sheaves.

By the sons of Korach, a Psalm, a Song, whose foundation is in the holy mountains. The L‑rd loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of G‑d, Selah. I will remind Rahav and Babylon concerning those who know me; behold Philistia and Tyre with Cush: “This one was born there.” And of Zion it will be said, “This man and that was born there,” and He, the Most High, will establish it. The L‑rd will record in the register of the peoples: “This one was born there,” Selah. Singers as well as dancers [will say]: “All my wellsprings are in you.”

I will bless the L‑rd at all times; His praise is always in my mouth. The conclusion of the matter, after all has been heard: Fear G‑d and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man. My mouth will utter the praise of the L‑rd, and let all flesh bless His holy Name forever and ever. And we will bless the L‑rd from now to eternity. Praise the L‑rd.

This is the portion of a wicked man from G‑d, and the heritage appointed to him by G‑d.

And he said to me: This is the table that is before the L‑rd.

The leader says in Hebrew or Yiddish: “Give us [the cup] and let us bless.” (“Gentlemen, let us say Grace.”)

Others respond: May the Name of the L‑rd be blessed from now and to all eternity.

The leader says: May the Name of the L‑rd be blessed from now and to all eternity.

With the permission of my masters, teachers and gentlemen, let us bless (our G‑d — with ten) Him of whose bounty we have eaten:

Others respond: Blessed be (our G‑d, when ten are present) He of whose bounty we have eaten and by whose goodness we live.

The leader says: Blessed be (our G‑d, when ten are present) He of whose bounty we have eaten and by whose goodness we live.

Blessed are You, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who, in His goodness, feeds the whole world with grace, with kindness and with mercy. He gives food to all flesh, for His kindness is everlasting. Through His great goodness to us continuously we have not lacked food, and may we never lack food, for the sake of His great Name. For He is a G‑d who feeds and sustains all, does good to all, and prepares food for all His creatures whom He has created, as it is said: You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. Blessed are You, L‑rd, who provides food for all.

We offer thanks to You, L‑rd our G‑d, for having given as a heritage to our fathers a precious, good and spacious land; for having brought us out, L‑rd our G‑d, from the land of Egypt and redeemed us from the house of bondage; for Your covenant which You have sealed in our flesh; for Your Torah which You have taught us; for Your statutes which You have 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.

For all this, L‑rd our G‑d, 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 the L‑rd your G‑d for the good land which He has given you. Blessed are You, L‑rd, for the land and for the food.

Have mercy, L‑rd our G‑d, upon Israel Your people, upon Jerusalem Your city, upon Zion the abode of Your glory, upon the kingship of the house of David Your anointed, and upon the great and holy House which is called by Your Name. Our G‑d, our Father, tend us (on Shabbos: our Shepherd), nourish us, sustain us, feed us, relieve us; L‑rd our G‑d, grant us speedy relief from all our afflictions. L‑rd our G‑d, please do not make us dependent upon the gifts of flesh and blood, 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.

On Shabbos

May it please You, L‑rd our G‑d, to strengthen us through Your commandments, and through the precept of the seventh day, this great and holy Shabbos. For this day is great and holy before You, to refrain from work and to rest thereon with love, in accordance with the commandment of Your will. In Your good will, L‑rd our G‑d, bestow upon us tranquility, that there shall be no distress, sorrow or sighing on the day of our rest. L‑rd our G‑d, let us see the consolation of Zion Your city, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem Your holy city, for You are the Master of deliverance and the Master of consolation.

And rebuild Jerusalem the holy city speedily in our days. Blessed are You, L‑rd, who in His mercy rebuilds Jerusalem. Amen.

Blessed are You, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, benevolent G‑d, our Father, our King, our Strength, our Creator, our Redeemer, our Maker, our Holy One, the Holy One of Jacob, 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, and He will do good for us; He has bestowed, He bestows, and He will forever bestow upon us grace, kindness and mercy, relief, salvation and success, blessing and deliverance, consolation, livelihood and sustenance, compassion, life, peace and all goodness; and may He never cause us to lack any good.

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 to all eternity, and honored through us forever and ever.

May the Merciful One grant us an honorable livelihood.

May the Merciful One break the yoke of exile from our neck 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 Elijah the Prophet, who is remembered for good, and let him bring us good tidings, salvation and consolation.

May the Merciful One bless our master, our teacher and our Rebbe.

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; us, and all that is ours. Just as He blessed our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, “in everything,” “from everything,” with “everything,” so may He bless all of us together with a perfect blessing, and let us say, Amen.

From on high, may there be invoked upon him and upon us such merit as will bring a safeguarding of peace. May we receive blessing from the L‑rd and kindness from G‑d our deliverer, and may we find grace and good understanding in the eyes of G‑d and man.

On Shabbos

May the Merciful One let us inherit that day which will be all Shabbos and rest for life everlasting.

May the Merciful One grant us the privilege of reaching the days of Moshiach and the life of the World to Come. He is a tower (on Shabbos: He gives great) of salvation to 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, Amen. Fear the L‑rd, you His holy ones, for those who fear Him suffer no want. Young lions are in need and go hungry, but those who seek the L‑rd shall not lack any good. Give thanks to the L‑rd, for He is good, for His kindness is everlasting. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. Blessed is the man who trusts in the L‑rd, and the L‑rd will be his security.

Al Hamichyah (the after-blessing)

Blessed are You, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, for grain products: for the sustenance and the nourishment; for wine: for the vine and the fruit of the vine; for the seven species of fruit: for the tree and the fruit of the tree;

and for the produce of the field, and for the precious, good and spacious land which You have graciously given as a heritage to our fathers, to eat of its fruit and be satiated with its goodness. Have mercy, L‑rd our G‑d, upon Israel Your people, upon Jerusalem Your city, upon Zion the abode of Your glory, upon Your altar and upon Your Sanctuary. Rebuild Jerusalem the holy city speedily in our days, bring us up into it and gladden us in it, and we will bless You in holiness and purity.

On Shabbos: May it please You to strengthen us on this Shabbos day. On Rosh Chodesh: Remember us for good on this day of Rosh Chodesh. On Rosh Hashanah: Remember us for good on this Day of Remembrance. On Yom Tov and Chol Hamoed: Gladden us on this day of the festival of (Matzos) (Shavuos) (Sukkos) (on Shemini Atzeres: Shemini Atzeres, the festival). For You, L‑rd, are good and do good to all, and we thank You for the land for grain products: and for the sustenance; for wine: and for the fruit of the vine; for the seven species of fruit: and for the fruits. Blessed are You, L‑rd, for the land for grain products: and for the sustenance; for wine: and for the fruit of the vine; for the seven species of fruit: and for the fruits.

Another version: “the yoke of the nations.” See Ha'aros uBiurim, Vayigash 5766.