The Seven Blessings For A Wedding Feast

Sheva berachot lise'udat nisu'in

שֶׁבַע בְּרָכוֹת לְסְעוּדַת נִשּׂוּאִין

Visible layers

May God continue to make the husband and wife happy

Hebrew

שַׂמַּח תְּשַׂמַּח רֵעִים הָאֲהוּבִים,
כְּשַׂמֵּחֲךָ יְצִירְךָ בְּגַן עֵדֶן
מִקֶּדֶם: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, מְשַׂמֵּחַ
חָתָן וְכַלָּה:

Sephardi

Sameach tesameach re'im ha'ahuvim,
kesamechacha yetzircha began eden
mikedem: Baruch Atah Adonai, mesameach
chatan vechalah:

English

Bring lots of happiness to these loving friends, the groom and bride, just as You brought happiness to Your creation, Adam, by giving him Eve, in the Garden of Eden long ago. Blessed are You, Lord, Who brings happiness to the groom and bride.

God created happiness

May God return joy to the holy Land of Israel

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם,
אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה, חָתָן
וְכַלָּה, גִּילָה רִנָּה דִּיצָה וְחֶדְוָה,
אַהֲבָה וְאַחֲוָה שָׁלוֹם וְרֵעוּת,
מְהֵרָה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ יִשָּׁמַע1 בְּעָרֵי
יְהוּדָה, וּבְחוּצוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם,
קוֹל שָׂשׂוֹן וְקוֹל שִׂמְחָה, קוֹל
חָתָן וְקוֹל כַּלָּה, קוֹל מִצְהֲלוֹת
חֲתָנִים מֵחֻפָּתָם, וּנְעָרִים
מִמִּשְׁתֵּה נְגִינָתָם: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה
יְיָ, מְשַׂמֵּחַ חָתָן עִם הַכַּלָּה:

Sephardi

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam,
asher bara sason vesimchah, chatan
vechalah, gilah rinah ditzah vechedvah,
ahavah veachavah shalom vere'ut,
meherah Adonai Eloheinu yishama1 be'arei
Yehudah, uvchutzot Yerushalayim,
kol sason v'kol simchah, kol
chatan v'kol kallah, kol mitzhalot
chatanim meichupatam, une'arim
mimishteh neginatam: Baruch Atah
Adonai, mesameach chatan im hakalah:

English

Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, Who created: joy and happiness, the groom and bride, gladness, joy, cheerfulness, delight, love, friendship, harmony, and fellowship. Lord, our God, let these sounds quickly be heard1 in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: the sound of joy and the sound of happiness, the sound of a groom and the sound of a bride, the sound of grooms celebrating, each coming from their wedding canopy, and the sound of young people celebrating from their joyous banquets. Blessed are You, Lord, Who brings happiness to the groom together with the bride.

The leader of the Blessings After a Meal says the following blessing over the first cup:

Hebrew

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם,
בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן:

Sephardi

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam,
borei peri hagafen:

English

Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine.

The leader drinks from the cup. The wine in the two cups is then mixed together, leaving some wine in both cups. One cup is then given to the groom and the other to the bride. The groom and bride then drink from their cups.

מִנְחָה לְחוֹל

Minchah for Weekdays

The prayer of Minchah corresponds to the daily afternoon burnt-offering that was brought in the Holy Temple. It is therefore customary to say Korbanot and Ketoret each day before Minchah, pages 41-48. On Friday, הוּדוּ and פְּתַח אֵלִיָּהוּ are said before Korbanot, see page 261.

Concentrate intently the meaning of the verse פּוֹתֵחַ אֶת יָדֶךָ in the following paragraph. If said without concentration repeat the verse with concentration. For transliteration, see page 942.

We praise God's greatness

Hebrew

אַשְׁרֵי2 יוֹשְׁבֵי בֵיתֶךָ, עוֹד
יְהַלְלוּךָ סֶּלָה: אַשְׁרֵי
הָעָם שֶׁכָּכָה לּוֹ, אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם
שֶׁיְיָ אֱלֹהָיו:

Sephardi

Ashrei2 yoshvei veitecha, od
yehalelucha selah: Ashrei
ha'am shekachah lo, ashrei ha'am
sheAdonai Elohav:

English

Fortunate are those who dwell in Your house;2 fortunate are those who visit the Holy Temple. They will praise You forever. Fortunate is the nation that such is their lot: fortunate is the nation whose God is the Lord.

Hebrew

תְּהִלָּה לְדָוִד, אֲרוֹמִמְךָ
אֱלֹהַי הַמֶּלֶךְ, וַאֲבָרְכָה שִׁמְךָ
לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד: בְּכָל יוֹם אֲבָרְכֶךָּ,
וַאֲהַלְלָה שִׁמְךָ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד:
גָּדוֹל יְיָ וּמְהֻלָּל מְאֹד, וְלִגְדֻלָּתוֹ
אֵין חֵקֶר: דּוֹר לְדוֹר יְשַׁבַּח
מַעֲשֶׂיךָ, וּגְבוּרֹתֶיךָ יַגִּידוּ: הֲדַר
כְּבוֹד הוֹדֶךָ, וְדִבְרֵי נִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ
אָשִׂיחָה: וֶעֱזוּז נוֹרְאוֹתֶיךָ
יֹאמֵרוּ, וּגְדֻלָּתְךָ אֲסַפְּרֶנָּה:
זֵכֶר רַב טוּבְךָ יַבִּיעוּ, וְצִדְקָתְךָ
יְרַנֵּנוּ: חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם יְיָ, אֶרֶךְ
אַפַּיִם וּגְדָל חָסֶד: טוֹב יְיָ
לַכֹּל, וְרַחֲמָיו עַל כָּל מַעֲשָׂיו:
יוֹדוּךָ יְיָ כָּל מַעֲשֶׂיךָ, וַחֲסִידֶיךָ
יְבָרְכוּכָה: כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתְךָ
יֹאמֵרוּ, וּגְבוּרָתְךָ יְדַבֵּרוּ:
לְהוֹדִיעַ לִבְנֵי הָאָדָם גְּבוּרֹתָיו,
וּכְבוֹד הֲדַר מַלְכוּתוֹ:

Sephardi

Tehilah leDavid, aromimcha
Elohai hamelech, va'avarechah shimcha
le'olam va'ed: bechol yom avarecheka,
va'ahalelah shimcha le'olam va'ed:
Gadol Adonai umehulal me'od, veligdulato
ein cheker: dor l'dor yeshabach
ma'asecha, ugvurotecha yagidu: hadar
kevod hodecha, vedivrei nifle'otecha
asichah: ve'ezuz nora'otecha
yomeru, ugdulatecha asaperenah:
zecher rav tuvcha yabi'u, vetzidkatecha
yeranenu: chanun ve-rachum Adonai, erech
apayim ugdol chased: tov Adonai
lakol, ve-rachamav al kol ma'asav:
yoducha Adonai kol ma'asecha, vachasidecha
yevarechuchah: kevod malchutecha
yomeru, ugvuratecha yedaberu:
l'hodia livnei ha'adam gevurotav,
uchvod hadar malchuto:

English

The following is a song of praise composed by King David: I will exalt You, my God, the King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever. I will bless You every day, and I will praise Your name forever and ever. However much I praise the Lord, it will never be enough, because He is so great and praised; there is no limit to His greatness. The older generation will praise Your works of creation to the younger generation3 and tell them about Your acts of strength. I, too, will speak about the beauty of the universe You created and the honor it brings You, as well as the wonders and miracles You have done. The older generation will tell the younger generation about the might of Your awesome acts, and I will speak about Your greatness. They will tell their children about the memories of Your great goodness to them, and they will sing to everyone about Your righteousness. The Lord is gracious and merciful, even to those who don't deserve it. He is slow to get angry and punish those who don't listen to Him; and He treats them with great kindness if they repent. The Lord is good to every living thing, and He has mercy on all His creations. Lord, all Your creations will give thanks to You, and Your devoted people will bless You. They will speak about the majesty of Your kingdom; they will speak about Your great strength. They will speak about these things to let people know about God's mighty acts, and the honorable beauty of His kingdom.

Commentary

1 During exile, the voice of the Jewish Nation, and the voice of God are silenced. We ask that Mashiach come speedily so our voice and the voice of God will once more be heard across the world.

2 The Talmud teaches us that one who says this psalm three times each day is guaranteed a share in the World to Come. This does not mean that by simply saying the words one is guaranteed this reward; rather, it means that by thinking about what is being said in the Psalm, one will begin to see the wonders of God, and His faith and commitment to Him will improve accordingly. In the merit of that improvement, he will be guaranteed a portion in the World to Come.

3 Alternatively, "will improve." Every generation has a specific mission to improve and fix this world in order to make it a dwelling place for God.