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pp. 1028-1029
Birkat Hamazon

Birkat Hamazon

ברכת המזון

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סדר סעודה וברכותיה

THE MEAL AND ITS BLESSINGS

Before washing hands:
Ps. 134
Hebrew
שְׂאוּ־יְדֵכֶם קֹדֶשׁ, וּבָרְכוּ אֶת־יְהֹוָה:
Sephardi
Se'u yedeichem kodesh, uvarchu et Adonai:
English
Lift up your hands toward the Sanctuary and bless the LORD.
On washing hands before eating bread (see laws 401–414):
Hebrew
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּנוּ עַל נְטִילַת יָדָיִם.
Sephardi
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha'olam
Asher kideshanu bemitzvotav, vetzivanu al netilat yadayim.
English
Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the Universe, who has made us holy through His commandments, and has commanded us about washing hands.
Before eating bread:
Hebrew
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, הַמּוֹצִיא לֶחֶם מִן הָאָרֶץ.
Sephardi
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu melech ha'olam, hamotzi lechem min ha'aretz.
English
Blessed are You, LORD our God, King of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.
ברכת המזון

BIRKAT HAMAZON / GRACE AFTER MEALS

On days when Tahanun is said:
Ps. 137
Hebrew
עַל־נַהֲרוֹת בָּבֶל, שָׁם יָשַׁבְנוּ גַּם בָּכִינוּ, בְּזָכְרֵנוּ אֶת־צִיּוֹן: עַל־עֲרָבִים בְּתוֹכָהּ תָּלִינוּ
כִּנֹּרוֹתֵינוּ: כִּי שָׁם שְׁאֵלוּנוּ שׁוֹבֵינוּ דִּבְרֵי־שִׁיר וְתוֹלָלֵינוּ שִׂמְחָה, שִׁירוּ לָנוּ מִשִּׁיר צִיּוֹן:
אֵיךְ נָשִׁיר אֶת־שִׁיר־יְהֹוָה עַל אַדְמַת נֵכָר: אִם־אֶשְׁכָּחֵךְ יְרוּשָׁלִָם, תִּשְׁכַּח יְמִינִי:
תִּדְבַּק לְשׁוֹנִי לְחִכִּי אִם־לֹא אֶזְכְּרֵכִי, אִם־לֹא אַעֲלֶה אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִַם עַל רֹאשׁ שִׂמְחָתִי:
זְכֹר יְהֹוָה לִבְנֵי אֱדוֹם אֵת יוֹם יְרוּשָׁלִָם, הָאֹמְרִים עָרוּ עָרוּ עַד הַיְסוֹד בָּהּ: בַּת־בָּבֶל
הַשְּׁדוּדָה, אַשְׁרֵי שֶׁיְשַׁלֶּם־לָךְ אֶת־גְּמוּלֵךְ שֶׁגָּמַלְתְּ לָנוּ: אַשְׁרֵי שֶׁיֹּאחֵז, וְנִפֵּץ אֶת־
עוֹלָלַיִךְ אֶל־הַסָּלַע:
Sephardi
Al naharot Bavel, sham yashavnu gam bachinu, bezachreinu et Tziyon: al aravim betochah talinu
Kinnoroteinu: ki sham she'elunu shoveinu divrei shir vetolaleinu simchah, shiru lanu mishir Tziyon:
Eich nashir et shir Adonai al admat nechar: im eshkachech Yerushalayim, tishkach yemini:
Tidbak leshoni lechiki im lo ezkerechi, im lo a'aleh et Yerushalayim al rosh simchati:
Zechor Adonai livnei Edom et yom Yerushalayim, ha'omerim aru aru ad hayesod bah: bat Bavel
Hashdudah, ashrei sheyeshalem lach et gemulech shegamalt lanu: ashrei sheyochez, venipetz et
Olalayich el hasala:
English
By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept as we remembered Zion. There on the willow trees we hung up our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors, for amusement, said: “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How can we sing the LORD’s song on foreign soil? If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy. Remember, LORD, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. They said, “Tear it down, tear it down to its very foundations!” Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us, who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.
On days when Tahanun is omitted (such as Shabbat and Yom Tov, see full list on page 140):
Ps. 126
Hebrew
שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת, בְּשׁוּב יְהֹוָה אֶת־שִׁיבַת צִיּוֹן, הָיִינוּ כְּחֹלְמִים: אָז יִמָּלֵא שְׂחוֹק
פִּינוּ וּלְשׁוֹנֵנוּ רִנָּה, אָז יֹאמְרוּ בַגּוֹיִם הִגְדִּיל יְהֹוָה לַעֲשׂוֹת עִם־אֵלֶּה: הִגְדִּיל
יְהֹוָה לַעֲשׂוֹת עִמָּנוּ, הָיִינוּ שְׂמֵחִים: שׁוּבָה יְהֹוָה אֶת־שְׁבִיתֵנוּ, כַּאֲפִיקִים
בַּנֶּגֶב: הַזֹּרְעִים בְּדִמְעָה בְּרִנָּה יִקְצֹרוּ: הָלוֹךְ יֵלֵךְ וּבָכֹה נֹשֵׂא מֶשֶׁךְ־הַזָּרַע,
בֹּא־יָבֹא בְרִנָּה נֹשֵׂא אֲלֻמֹּתָיו:
Sephardi
Shir hama'alot, beshuv Adonai et shivat Tziyon, hayinu kecholmim: az yimale sechok
Pinu uleshoneinu rinah, az yomru bagoyim higdil Adonai la'asot im eleh: higdil
Adonai la'asot imanu, hayinu semechim: shuvah Adonai et sheviteinu, ka'afikim
Banegev: hazor'im bedim'ah berinah yiktzoru: haloch yelech uvacho nose meshech hazara,
Bo yavo verinah nose alumotav:
English
A song of ascents. When the LORD brought back the exiles of Zion we were like people who dream. Then were our mouths filled with laughter, and our tongues with songs of joy. Then was it said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD did do great things for us and we rejoiced. Bring back our exiles, LORD, like streams in a dry land. May those who sowed in tears, reap in joy. May one who goes out weeping, carrying a bag of seed, come back with songs of joy, carrying his sheaves.