(א) כֵּיצַד מְבָרְכִין עַל הַפֵּרוֹת. עַל פֵּרוֹת הָאִילָן אוֹמֵר, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ, חוּץ מִן הַיַּיִן, שֶׁעַל הַיַּיִן אוֹמֵר בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן. וְעַל פֵּרוֹת הָאָרֶץ אוֹמֵר בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה, חוּץ מִן הַפַּת, שֶׁעַל הַפַּת הוּא אוֹמֵר הַמּוֹצִיא לֶחֶם מִן הָאָרֶץ. וְעַל הַיְרָקוֹת אוֹמֵר בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, בּוֹרֵא מִינֵי דְשָׁאִים:
(1) How do they bless over produce? Over fruit of the tree one says, “Who creates the fruit of the tree,” except for wine, over which one says, “Who creates the fruit of the vine.” Over produce from the ground one says: “Who creates the fruit of the ground,” except over bread, over which one says, “Who brings forth bread from the earth.” Over vegetables one says, “Who creates the fruit of the ground.” Rabbi Judah says: “Who creates diverse species of herbs.”
(א) מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה מִן הַתּוֹרָה לְבָרֵךְ אַחַר אֲכִילַת מָזוֹן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ח י) ״וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ וּבֵרַכְתָּ אֶת יְיָ׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ״. וְאֵינוֹ חַיָּב מִן הַתּוֹרָה אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן שָׂבַע שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ וּבֵרַכְתָּ. וּמִדִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים אָכַל אֲפִלּוּ כְּזַיִת מְבָרֵךְ אַחֲרָיו:
(ב) וּמִדִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים לְבָרֵךְ עַל כָּל מַאֲכָל תְּחִלָּה וְאַחַר כָּךְ יֵהָנֶה מִמֶּנּוּ. וַאֲפִלּוּ נִתְכַּוֵּן לֶאֱכל אוֹ לִשְׁתּוֹת כָּל שֶׁהוּא מְבָרֵךְ וְאַחַר כָּךְ יֵהָנֶה. וְכֵן אִם הֵרִיחַ רֵיחַ טוֹב מְבָרֵךְ וְאַחַר כָּךְ יֵהָנֶה מִמֶּנּוּ. וְכָל הַנֶּהֱנֶה בְּלֹא בְּרָכָה מָעַל. וְכֵן מִדִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים לְבָרֵךְ אַחַר כָּל מַה שֶּׁיֹּאכַל וְכָל מַה שֶּׁיִּשְׁתֶּה. וְהוּא שֶׁיִּשְׁתֶּה רְבִיעִית וְהוּא שֶׁיֹּאכַל כְּזַיִת. וּמַטְעֶמֶת אֵינָהּ צְרִיכָה בְּרָכָה לֹא לְפָנֶיהָ וְלֹא לְאַחֲרֶיהָ עַד רְבִיעִית:
(ג) וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁמְּבָרְכִין עַל הַהֲנָיָה כָּךְ מְבָרְכִין עַל כָּל מִצְוָה וּמִצְוָה וְאַחַר כָּךְ יַעֲשֶׂה אוֹתָהּ. וּבְרָכוֹת רַבּוֹת תִּקְּנוּ חֲכָמִים דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁבַח וְהוֹדָיָה וְדֶרֶךְ בַּקָּשָׁה כְּדֵי לִזְכֹּר אֶת הַבּוֹרֵא תָּמִיד אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא נֶהֱנָה וְלֹא עָשָׂה מִצְוָה:
(ד) נִמְצְאוּ כָּל הַבְּרָכוֹת כֻּלָּן שְׁלֹשָׁה מִינִים. בִּרְכוֹת הֲנָיָה. וּבִרְכוֹת מִצְוֹת. וּבִרְכוֹת הוֹדָאָה שֶׁהֵן דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁבַח וְהוֹדָיָה וּבַקָּשָׁה כְּדֵי לִזְכֹּר אֶת הַבּוֹרֵא תָּמִיד וּלְיִרְאָה מִמֶּנּוּ:
(ה) וְנֹסַח כָּל הַבְּרָכוֹת עֶזְרָא וּבֵית דִּינוֹ תִּקְּנוּם. וְאֵין רָאוּי לְשַׁנּוֹתָם וְלֹא לְהוֹסִיף עַל אַחַת מֵהֶם וְלֹא לִגְרֹעַ מִמֶּנָּה. וְכָל הַמְשַׁנֶּה מִמַּטְבֵּעַ שֶׁטָּבְעוּ חֲכָמִים בַּבְּרָכוֹת אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא טוֹעֶה. וְכָל בְּרָכָה שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ הַזְכָּרַת הַשֵּׁם וּמַלְכוּת אֵינָהּ בְּרָכָה אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הָיְתָה סְמוּכָה לַחֲבֵרְתָהּ:
(1) It is an affirmative precept of the Torah to say Grace after a meal, as it is said, "And thou shalt eat and be satisfied and shalt bless the Lord, thy God" (Deuteronomy 8:10). The Torah only imposes the obligation on a person when he is satisfied; for it is said, "When thou hast eaten and art satisfied, thou shalt bless etc." According to the ordinances of the sages, however, even if one has eaten only as much food as the size of an olive, he recites Grace after the meal.
(2) It is also an ordinance of the Sages that before partaking of any food, a blessing is first recited and then it is eaten. And however little one intends to eat or drink, the blessing is first recited and then the refreshment is taken. So too, one who wishes to smell a fragrant odor first recites the blessing and then enjoys the fragrance. Whoever partakes of any enjoyment without reciting a blessing commits a trespass. It is also an ordinance of the sages that a blessing is to be recited after eating or drinking, provided that the quantity drunk is at least a quarter of a log (equal to the volume of an egg and a half), and the food eaten is at least as much as an olive in size. A cook who is tasting food does not need to recite a blessing before or after doing so, provided that the quantity tasted is less than a quarter of a log.
(3) And just as blessings are recited when partaking of material enjoyments, so when about to fulfill any precept, a blessing is said, after which the precept is performed. The sages have moreover instituted several blessings of praise and thanksgiving and petition, in order that when not partaking of material enjoyments nor engaged in the fulfillment of religious duties we should constantly have God in mind.
(4) All blessings accordingly fall into three kinds; blessings recited when partaking of material enjoyments, blessings recited when fulfilling religious duties, and blessings of thanksgiving, which have the character of praise, thanksgiving and supplication, and the purpose of which is that we should always have the Creator in mind and revere Him.
(5) The forms of all the blessings were established by Ezra and his Court. It is not proper to vary them, or add to or take aught away from any one of them. Whoever deviates from the form which the Sages have given to the Blessings, is in error. Any blessing in which the name of God and His Sovereignty are not mentioned is not regarded as a blessing, unless it follows immediately another blessing.
(א) אֵין עוֹמְדִין לְהִתְפַּלֵּל אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ כֹּבֶד רֹאשׁ. חֲסִידִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים הָיוּ שׁוֹהִים שָׁעָה אַחַת וּמִתְפַּלְּלִים, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּכַוְּנוּ אֶת לִבָּם לַמָּקוֹם. אֲפִלּוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ שׁוֹאֵל בִּשְׁלוֹמוֹ, לֹא יְשִׁיבֶנּוּ. וַאֲפִלּוּ נָחָשׁ כָּרוּךְ עַל עֲקֵבוֹ, לֹא יַפְסִיק:
(1) One should not stand up to say Tefillah except in a reverent state of mind. The pious men of old used to wait an hour before praying in order that they might direct their thoughts to God. Even if a king greets him [while praying] he should not answer him: even if a snake is wound round his heel he should not stop.
(ד) בַּשַּׁחַר מְבָרֵךְ שְׁתַּיִם לְפָנֶיהָ וְאַחַת לְאַחֲרֶיהָ, וּבָעֶרֶב שְׁתַּיִם לְפָנֶיהָ וּשְׁתַּיִם לְאַחֲרֶיהָ. אַחַת אֲרֻכָּה וְאַחַת קְצָרָה. מָקוֹם שֶׁאָמְרוּ לְהַאֲרִיךְ, אֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי לְקַצֵּר. לְקַצֵּר, אֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי לְהַאֲרִיךְ. לַחְתֹּם, אֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי שֶׁלֹּא לַחְתֹּם. וְשֶׁלֹּא לַחְתֹּם, אֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי לַחְתֹּם:
(4) In the morning he recites two blessings before it and one after it; in the evening two before it and two after it, one long and one short. Where they [the sages] said that a long one should be said, he may not say a short one; where they said a short one he may not say a long one [Where they said] to conclude [with a blessing] he is not permitted to not conclude; where they said to not conclude [with a blessing], he may not conclude.
Schachter-Shalomi, Zalman. The Gates of Prayer: Twelve Talks on Davvenology (pp. 77-79). Kindle Edition.
In prayer, the important question is: Whom do you want to address? Zeh Eli, this is my God, v’anvehu, the one with whom I have my personal relationship, or the God of my forbears, Elohey avi va’arom’menu, whom I will exalt. There some people who can’t make it beyond the God of tradition. They haven’t had access to personal experiences of the divine, so they say: “I have to do it just like my father did it. I have to say all the prayers exactly as they have been said before, otherwise I am not fulfilling my obligation. I am not yotze.” For some people, this is a necessity, and even for others who have had personal experiences this is still valid: “I will do this exactly like my father did because this is for my spiritual discipline, and I need my discipline.” There is much to be said for sacred routine. Professor Abraham Joshua Heschel had a good way of talking about this. He would tell the following parable: There was a small town that had had no watchmaker. When they needed to repair their watches, they had to wait for the watchmaker to come to town. When he came, he would charge two different prices. For those who wound their watches everyday, even though they didn’t keep the right time, he charged less. Those who did not wind their watches at all, he charged more. This was because the watches that had been wound everyday, even though not keeping time, were easier to repair. Therefore, every morning when you’re davvenen, even if it’s routine, like winding the watch, this is good; it will make it easier to fix any issues you are having in your davvenen. That is also dealing with Elohey Avi va’arom’menhu, my father’s God. A lot of what my parents deposited into that Godspace is spiritual ‘capital’ that I can draw on. This is why we speak of Z’khut Avot, ‘parental merit.’ It gives us energy, the strength that keeps us together when the wind blows hard upon us. Some days I find that I am so tired it feels as if I have no growing edge. So what do I do? I say to myself, “Today I will just davven the siddur, because I am tired; I cannot free myself to go higher.” But on other days, when I am, thank God, more focused and energized, I invest more deeply and juice myself up. I will meditate on “this is my God,” and let it take me where it is going to take me. Let me spell this one out; this is so beautiful and important. Rabbi Emanuel Rackman, alav ha’shalom, translated the words Yatza y’dey hovato as “he extricated him-self from the grasp of obligation.”* Now take a look at how this appears in life. Many people look upon obligations as burdens: Okay, I’ve done it already! You can’t have a lien on me anymore. So he was saying that he had extricated himself from that burden. It is really important for us to extricate ourselves from the sense of being burdened by these things, from the negative connotation, and to do them with a renewed sense of freedom.