בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא, מַלְכָּא דְעַלְמָא, מָרֵיהּ דְּהַאי פִּיתָּא
Brich Rachamana, Malka d'alma, marey d'hai pita.
(Blessed is the All-Merciful, Master of this bread)
You are the Source of Life for all that is, and Your blessing flows through me.
Translation: Blessed is the All-Merciful, Master of this bread
(Words: Aramaic from Talmud, English by Rabbi Shefa Gold)
בִּנְיָמִין רָעֲיָא כְּרַךְ רִיפְתָּא, וַאֲמַר: ״בְּרִיךְ מָרֵיהּ דְּהַאי פִּיתָּא״. אָמַר רַב: יָצָא.
וְהָאָמַר רַב: כׇּל בְּרָכָה שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ הַזְכָּרַת הַשֵּׁם אֵינָהּ בְּרָכָה! דְּאָמַר: ״בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא מָרֵיהּ דְּהַאי פִּיתָּא״.
Benjamin the shepherd folded bread [and ate it] and said [in Aramaic], "Blessed is the Master of this bread." Rav said: He complied with the requirement [to say a blessing after eating].
But didn't Rav say: A brachah which contains no mention of the Divine Name is no brachah! What Benjamin must have said was: "Blessed is the Compassionate One, Master of this bread."
(י) וְאָכַלְתָּ֖ וְשָׂבָ֑עְתָּ וּבֵֽרַכְתָּ֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ עַל־הָאָ֥רֶץ הַטֹּבָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָֽתַן־לָֽךְ׃
When you have eaten and you are satisfied, then give thanks to your Eternal God for the good land which God has given you.
נֵימָא כְּתַנָּאֵי: רָאָה פַּת וְאָמַר: ״כַּמָּה נָאָה פַּת זוֹ, בָּרוּךְ הַמָּקוֹם שֶׁבְּרָאָהּ״ — יָצָא. רָאָה תְּאֵנָה וְאָמַר ״כַּמָּה נָאָה תְּאֵנָה זוֹ, בָּרוּךְ הַמָּקוֹם שֶׁבְּרָאָהּ״ — יָצָא, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר.
רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר: כׇּל הַמְשַׁנֶּה מִמַּטְבֵּעַ שֶׁטָּבְעוּ חֲכָמִים בִּבְרָכוֹת — לֹא יָצָא יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ.
...One who saw bread and said: “How pleasant is this bread, blessed is the Omnipresent One Who created it!” has fulfilled [their obligation to recite a blessing]. One who saw a fig and said, “How pleasant is this fig, blessed is the Omnipresent One Who created it!” -- has fulfilled. These are the words of Rabbi Meir.
Rabbi Yosey says: Anyone who says something different from the brachah formula coined by the Sages has not fulfilled their obligation.
(י) וְהָיָ֞ה כִּ֥י יְבִיאֲךָ֣ ׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ אֶל־הָאָ֜רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֧ע לַאֲבֹתֶ֛יךָ לְאַבְרָהָ֛ם לְיִצְחָ֥ק וּֽלְיַעֲקֹ֖ב לָ֣תֶת לָ֑ךְ עָרִ֛ים גְּדֹלֹ֥ת וְטֹבֹ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־בָנִֽיתָ׃ (יא) וּבָ֨תִּ֜ים מְלֵאִ֣ים כָּל־טוּב֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־מִלֵּאתָ֒ וּבֹרֹ֤ת חֲצוּבִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־חָצַ֔בְתָּ כְּרָמִ֥ים וְזֵיתִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־נָטָ֑עְתָּ וְאָכַלְתָּ֖ וְשָׂבָֽעְתָּ׃ (יב) הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֔ פֶּן־תִּשְׁכַּ֖ח אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר הוֹצִֽיאֲךָ֛ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם מִבֵּ֥ית עֲבָדִֽים׃
When your Eternal God brings you into the land that God swore to your ancestors—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to assign to you, [with] great and flourishing cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and carved cisterns that you did not carve out, vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant -- and you eat and you are satisfied, then be careful not to forget the Eternal One who freed you from the land of Egypt, the house of servitude.
(יג) וְהָיָ֗ה אִם־שָׁמֹ֤עַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ אֶל־מִצְוֺתַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם לְאַהֲבָ֞ה אֶת־יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֙ וּלְעָבְד֔וֹ בְּכָל־לְבַבְכֶ֖ם וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁכֶֽם׃ (יד) וְנָתַתִּ֧י מְטַֽר־אַרְצְכֶ֛ם בְּעִתּ֖וֹ יוֹרֶ֣ה וּמַלְק֑וֹשׁ וְאָסַפְתָּ֣ דְגָנֶ֔ךָ וְתִֽירֹשְׁךָ֖ וְיִצְהָרֶֽךָ׃ (טו) וְנָתַתִּ֛י עֵ֥שֶׂב בְּשָׂדְךָ֖ לִבְהֶמְתֶּ֑ךָ וְאָכַלְתָּ֖ וְשָׂבָֽעְתָּ׃ (טז) הִשָּֽׁמְר֣וּ לָכֶ֔ם פֶּ֥ן יִפְתֶּ֖ה לְבַבְכֶ֑ם וְסַרְתֶּ֗ם וַעֲבַדְתֶּם֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶ֖ם לָהֶֽם׃
If you obey the commandments that I command you today, to love your Eternal God and to serve God with all your heart and soul, then I will grant your land its seasonal rain, early and late, and you will gather your grain and wine and oil; and I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and you will be satisfied. Take care not to be lured away to serve other gods and bow to them...
(ז) כִּ֚י יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ מְבִֽיאֲךָ֖ אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ טוֹבָ֑ה אֶ֚רֶץ נַ֣חֲלֵי מָ֔יִם עֲיָנֹת֙ וּתְהֹמֹ֔ת יֹצְאִ֥ים בַּבִּקְעָ֖ה וּבָהָֽר׃ (ח) אֶ֤רֶץ חִטָּה֙ וּשְׂעֹרָ֔ה וְגֶ֥פֶן וּתְאֵנָ֖ה וְרִמּ֑וֹן אֶֽרֶץ־זֵ֥ית שֶׁ֖מֶן וּדְבָֽשׁ׃ (ט) אֶ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹ֤א בְמִסְכֵּנֻת֙ תֹּֽאכַל־בָּ֣הּ לֶ֔חֶם לֹֽא־תֶחְסַ֥ר כֹּ֖ל בָּ֑הּ אֶ֚רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֲבָנֶ֣יהָ בַרְזֶ֔ל וּמֵהֲרָרֶ֖יהָ תַּחְצֹ֥ב נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃ (י) וְאָכַלְתָּ֖ וְשָׂבָ֑עְתָּ וּבֵֽרַכְתָּ֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ עַל־הָאָ֥רֶץ הַטֹּבָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָֽתַן־לָֽךְ׃ (יא) הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֔ פֶּן־תִּשְׁכַּ֖ח אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ לְבִלְתִּ֨י שְׁמֹ֤ר מִצְוֺתָיו֙ וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֣יו וְחֻקֹּתָ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּֽוֹם׃
For your Eternal God is bringing you into a good land, a land with streams and springs and fountains coming forth from the valley and the hill; a land of wheat and barley and grapevines and figs and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey; a land where you may eat food without skimping [on it], where you will lack nothing; a land whose rocks are iron and from whose hills you can mine copper. When you have eaten and you are satisfied, then give thanks to your Eternal God for the good land which God has given you. Take care lest you forget your Eternal God and fail to keep God's commandments and rules and laws, which I (Moses) command you today.
Note to the teacher: This shiur is structured so that it can go several different directions.
I open by singing a version of Brich Rachamana (there are many).
Benjamin the Shepherd gives the origin of Brich Rachamana and introduces the following:
1. Vernacular
2. New words
3. Requirement of Shem (mention of God's name, specifying to Whom you are praying)
4. Rachamana as a name for God
V'achalta v'savata u-veyrachta introduces the source of saying "thank you" after eating. Side conversation: What do the rabbis consider "eating to satisfaction"? K'zayit, the size of an olive.
Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yosay disagree on whether it's ok to coin your own brachot altogether.
The last 3 texts from Deuteronomy, including v'achalta v'savata u-veyrachta in its context, highlight the connection in the Torah between Birkat haMazon/saying thank-you after you eat, and remembering:
1. God (hence the requirement to mention God's name).
2. The Jewish story (again, connected to God): ancestors and Egypt.
They also highlight the human tendency to become complacent and take our good fortune for granted, and introduce saying brachot as an antidote, and a help in being mindful/aware of the goodness that surrounds us daily. One could then close by singing Brich Rachamana again and inviting the learners to incorporate it (or their own brachot) into their personal practice.
Enjoy