Blessing After the Meal

this is an abridged version of birkat ha-mazon, the blessing after a meal. when time is short, an option is to say only the first paragraph or even just the line in bold.

you may pause here and invite everyone around the table to share something they are grateful for. then continue: you may pause here and invite everyone around the table to share something they are grateful for. then continue: you may pause here and invite everyone around the table to share something they are grateful for. then continue:

Barukh atah Adonai, eloheinu melekh ha-olam, hazan et ha-olam kulo b’tuvo b’hein b’hesed u-v’rahamim. Hu noten lehem l’khol basar ki l’olam hasdo. U-v’tuvo ha-gadol tamid lo hasar lanu, v’al yehsar lanu mazon l’olam va-ed, ba·avur sh’mo ha-gadol. Ki hu el zan u-m’farneis lakol, u-meitiv lakol, u-meikhin mazon l’khol b’riyotav asher bara. Barukh atah Adonai, hazan et hakol.

Oseh shalom bimromav, hu ya·aseh shalom aleinu v’al kol yisrael [v’al kol yosh’vei teiveil], v’imru: amen.

Blessed are you Adonai, our God, ruler of time and space, who with goodness and graciousness, love and compassion, nourishes the entire world; God provides bread for all flesh, for God’s kindness and love are eternal. In accord with God’s great name, in God’s continual and abundant goodness we have not lacked, nor will we ever lack, sustenance. For God nourishes and sustains all and is good to all, preparing nourishment for all that God has created. Blessed are you Adonai, who provides food for all.

May the one who creates peace on high bring peace to us and to all Israel [and to all who dwell on earth]. And we say: Amen.

Table Topics

Our tradition teaches that any conversation can be infused with holiness when we bring Jewish values to the discussion and treat all participants with respect.

• What is one highlight and one lowlight from the past week?

• Our closing blessing thanks God “who provides food for all,” but we know that many people in the world do not have enough to eat. How do you understand this contradiction?

• What music do you like to listen to? Is there a song you’d like to sing right now?

• What is the best book you’ve read lately?

• Have you tasted any new foods recently that you would recommend?

• Who is your favorite character in the Torah? What appeals to you about them?

• What is something you learned during the past week?

• What resonates with you in this week’s Torah portion? Are there parts you struggle with?

• Do you have a favorite Shabbat tradition?

• Which historical or literary figures would you want to invite to Shabbat dinner?

• What are the headlines of great concern to you this past week in the world at large? In the Jewish world?

• What does Shabbat mean to you?