Birkat Hamazon

The Birkat Hamason (Hebrew ברכת המזון ) is the Jewish table prayer, spoken after eating a meal is included in the bread. A distinction is Birkat Hamason of the blessings that are spoken before consuming food.

The grace consists of four blessings. The first blessing is a thanksgiving to God, that he supplied all his creatures with food. The second blessing is a thank you for the good land which was given by God, and for the redemption from Egypt, the covenant of circumcision and the revelation of the Torah. This includes the Bible verse on the commandment of Birkat Hamason is returned: And thou shalt eat and be satisfied and bless the Eternal your God for the good land which he hath given thee ( 5th book of Moses, chapter 8, verse. 10). The third blessing is a request for the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple and the constant support of the people of Israel. The prayer concludes with a further thanks for God's goodness and petitions that can be formulated differently depending on the situation.

According to the Talmud ( B'rachot 48b ) of the first blessing goes back to Moses, who is said to have introduced the prayer, as manna fell from the sky. The second blessing comes therefore from Joshua in the conquest of the Land of Israel, and the third of King David and Solomon, and the fourth by the rabbis of Yavneh after the defeat of Bar Kochba in his revolt against the Romans.