From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Birkat haMazon (Blessing of the Meal) is known in English as the Grace/
Blessing
after a Meal.
A "Meal" is defined as a meal which began with the breaking of bread. Without bread, the meal is seen as just a "snack", and the formula for this Grace is not said.
The traditional Grace consists of 4
Talmudic
blessings followed by a collection of later medieval petitions/requests (and the number and contents differ between the various
Ashkenazi
,
Sefardi
and
Mizrachi
forms of the Birkat haMazon).
The Four Talmudic blessings are
- Blessing God for providing food
- Blessing God for the land and the food which is grown on it (and the land referred to here is understood to be the land of
Israel
).
- Blessing God for
Jerusalem
(ancient capital of the land of Israel), home of the
Temple
- Blessing God for His Goodness
There are also additions for special occasions (the
sabbath
, festivals
etc
. - and for such matters as
circumcisions
, weddings and funerals).