Persevere in your tefillot (prayers), keeping watchful
while davening (praying) with todot (thanksgiving). (Colossians
4:2)
We should have an attitude of graditude, even for
the simpliest of things. It is the aim of EVERY jew to praise YHVH
one-hundred times EVERY DAY! From the time we wake up in the morning
till when we lie down to go to sleep we look for opportunities to
"daven with todot" (pray with thanksgiving).
Below are common Hebrew blessings of thanksgiving
used for different situations. I have included the Hebrew transliterated,
the English translation and their uses. Of course, you don't have
to use thes exact words in blessing YHVH for the things He does
throughout the day... You can just say, "Thank you, YHVH, that
was great!"
| MORNING BLESSINGS |
| The following blessings/prayers are offered during the morning
prayer service. At the start of the Shaharit (Morning Service)
on weekdays Jews say the Birkhot HaShachar, in order to remind
ourselves of the fact that waking up in the morning is both
a miracle and a blessing from YHVH. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, asher natan lasekhvi vinah l'havchin beyn yom uveyn
lailah. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
King of the Universe, who has given the heart understanding
to distinguish between day and night. |
| In some ways, sleep is has a similarity to death.
When we awaken in the morning, YHVH has brought us back to life.
In Hebrew, the word "sekhvi" means both "rooster" and
"heart". When the rooster crows like an alarm clock, it is the
heart that understands that it is time to wake up and serve
the Creator. Therefore we thank YHVH, who gave our hearts (and
the rooster too!) the understanding to distinguish between day
and night. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, poke'ach ivrim. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
who gives sight to the blind. |
| This blessing is based on Psalm 146:8. we open
our eyes, happy to have another day of life! We should be thankful
that we can see! |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, malbish arumim. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
who clothes the naked. |
| We show thanks for the clothes that He has provided
for us. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, matir asurim. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
who releases the bound. |
| This is based on Psalms 146:7. We show thanks for
the ability to sit up and stretch our arms. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, zokef kefufim |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
straightens the bent. |
| This is also taken from Psalms 146:8. We show thanks
for the ability to get out of bed. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, roka' ha'aretz al hamayim. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
who spreads the earth upon the waters. |
| This is also taken from Psalms 136:6. Water will
spread out over the earth, if you let it. Earth has no problem
sinking below the water if that's what water wants it to do.
So when we stand up on solid ground, we can be grateful to YHVH. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, she'asah li kol tzorki |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
who provides for my every need. |
| There are people in poor countries who walk around
barefoot all day, so we should be thankful that we have shoes
to wear. "Philippians 4:19 My God will supply every need
of yours according to his riches in glory in Messiah Yeshua."
(Phil 4:19). |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, hamekhin mitzadey gaver |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
who directs the steps of man. |
| Thank YHVH that you can walk around! In addition,
He gives us guidance for each new day. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, ozer Yisra'el bigvorah. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
who girds Israel with might. |
| YHVH wraps His protection around us like a belt.
Just like a belt holds up your pants, YHVH is the protector
and supporter of Israel's strength. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, oter Yisra'el b'tifarah. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
who crowns Israel with splendor. |
| This blessing relates to putting on a hat. Jews
wear a kippah as a sign of respect for YHVH. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, hanoten laya'ef koach. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
who gives strength to the weary. |
| YHVH gives you the strength to start off the day.
That includes the will to get through the day. We need His strength
to make the right choices and to obey His mitzvah. In fact,
we should do nothing on our own strength, but rely totally upon
Him. “He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength
of him who has no might. Even the youths faint and get weary,
And the young men utterly fall; But those who wait for YHVH
will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like
eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and
not faint.” (Yeshayahu/Isaiah 40:29-31) |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, hama'avir shenah me'eynay utnumah me'afapay. Yihi
ratzon milfaneykha YHVH Eloheynu, vElohey avoteynu,
shetargilenu b'Toratekha v'dabkenu b'mitzvoteykha.... |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
who removes sleep from my eyes and slumber from my eyelids.
May it be Your will, YHVH, our Elohim, and Elohim of our fathers,
that You accustom us to Your Torah and attach us to Your mitzvot.... |
| We ask YHVH to send us off with a good start! Everyone
knows that when you get a good start, chances are you'll keep
up the momentum. Therefore, we pray that YHVH will give us the
extra push to do Mitzvot and study Torah. Of course, a little
extra dose of common sense will help us avoid mistakes, bad
judgement and arguments during the day. So we ask YHVH to steer
us away from confrontation and bad influences. This is part
of longer prayer that concludes with the following blessing: |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, gomel hachasidim tovim l'amo Yisra'el. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
who bestows great kindness on His people Israel. |
| YHVH is constantly performing acts of kindness
for the people of Israel. As we go about our daily lives, behind
the scenes, YHVH is protecting us from our enemies, fighting
off diseases, arranging for money to arrive just in the nick
of time. Sometimes we aren't always of the ways, He is continually
acting for our behalf! |
| |
| FOOD |
| We thank YHVH for the food He provides for us before and after
we eat. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, hamotzi lechem min ha'aretz. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
King of the Universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth. |
| This is the single most important blessing to say
before eating a full meal (one at which bread is served). The
specific wording used for the blessing over bread is based upon
a verse from Psalm 104:14, which praises God, the Creator, for
providing the resources that enable man, through his toil, to
bring forth bread from the earth. The blessing for bread, said
at the beginning of a meal, suffices for everything eaten as
part of the meal, except wine and fresh fruit, which require
separate blessings (Berakhot 41b). |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, borei minei mezonot |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
King of the Universe, Who creates various kinds of nourishment. |
| This includes most cereals, cakes, cookies, pretzels, spaghetti
and noodle products, pancakes and dough-covered foods. This
blessing is also said for rice, though it is not one of the
five major grains. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh ha'olam, borei
hagafen |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim, King of the
Universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine. |
| The only fruit that merits a blessing of its own is grape
juice or wine, the fermented juice of the grape. (Psalms 104:15;
Berakhot 35b) |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, borei p'ri ha'etz |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
King of the Universe, Who creates the fruit of the tree |
| This includes all such fruits as apples, oranges, grapefruit,
grapes, cherries, olives, figs, dates, persimmons, plums, and
apricots. It is also said for avocados, coconuts and nuts suchs
as walnuts, cashew nuts, almonds, and pistachios. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, borei p'ri ha'adamah. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
King of the Universe, Who creates the fruit of the earth. |
| This includes all such vegetables as tomatoes, cucumbers,
carrots, peas, beans, beets, spinach, celery, eggplant, cabbage,
cauliflower, corn, and potatoes. It also includes such fruits
as bananas, pineapples, strawberries, watermellons, cantaloupes,
as well as peanuts and sunflower seeds. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, shehakol nihyeh bidvaro. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
King of the Universe, through Whose word everything came to
be. |
| This category includes water, meat, fish, eggs, honey, milk
and milk products (cheese, creams, yogurts, ice-cream). Vegetables
grown by hydroponics or in a planter also require this blessing.
Also included are fruit juices (from a tree), alcoholic beverages
(not wine), meat soups, jams, coffee, tea, suger, fruit sauces,
and candy. |
| |
| |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh ha-olam, borei
n’fashot rabot v’chesronan, al kol mah shebara’(ta)
l’hachayot bahem nefesh kol chai. Barukh chey ha’olamin. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
King of the Universe, Who creates numerous living things with
their deficiencies; for all that You have created with whick
to maintain the life of every being. Blessed is He, the life
of the worlds. |
| This blessing is said after eating or drinking any food besides
bread and other grain products, wine or fruit. |
| |
| FRAGRANCES |
| Fragrances is just one of the things that YHVH provides for
our enjoyment..... |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, borei minei v'samim |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
King of the Universe, Who creates a variety of fragrances. |
| When entering a perfumery or upon smelling fragrances that
are not vegetable origin, such as musk, a blend of spices of
different origin, or when you are not sure of it origin. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, borei atzei v'samim |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
King of the Universe, Who creates fragrant trees. |
| When smelling fragrant shrubs and trees or their flowers,
such as roses. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, borei isvei v'samim |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
King of the Universe, Who creates fragrant herbs. |
| When smelling fragrant herbs, grasses or flowers. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, hanoten reyach tov baperot. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
King of the Universe, Who places a good aroma into fruits. |
| When smelling edible fruit or nuts. |
| |
| NATURAL EXPERIENCES AND EVENTS |
| YHVH blesses us in so many ways through our experiences. For
these things, we bless Elohim who richly furnishes us with everything
to enjoy. (1 Timothy 6.17) |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, oseh ma'aseh v'reshit. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
King of the Universe, Who makes the work of creation. |
| This blessing is said upon seeing lightning. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, shekocho ugvurato malei olam. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
King of the Universe, for His strength and power fill the
universe. |
| This blessing is said upon hearing thunder. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, zokher haberit, v'ne'eman bivrito, v'kayam b'ma'amaro. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
Who remembers His covenant, is trustworthy in His covenant,
and fulfills His word. |
| This is the very special blessing that is said upon seeing
the rainbow. This brings to mind the covenant given to Noach
in Bereshit (Genesis) 9:9-11. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, oseh ma'aseh v'reshit. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
Who makes the work of creation. |
| When you experience an earthquake, or seeing a comet, exceptionally
high mountains, or very large rivers in their natural course. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, she'asah et hayam hagadol. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
Who made the great sea. |
| When seeing the ocean for the first time in a long while. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, shekakhah lo ba'olamo. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
Who has such as these in His universe. |
| This blessing is said upon seeing a beautiful tree or animal. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, m'shaneh haberiyot. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
Who makes the creatures different. |
| This blessing is said upon an exceptionally strange-looking
animal. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, shelo chasar ba'olamo davar, uvara vo b'riyot tovot
v'ilanot tovim, l'hanot bahem b'nei adam. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
for nothing is lacking in His universe, and He creates in
it good creatures and good trees, to cause mankind pleasure
with them. |
| This blessing is said upon an fruit trees in bloom for the
first time during the spring. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, shechalak mechakhmato lire'ayv. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
who has given of His knowledge to those who fear Him. |
| This blessing is said upon an outstanding Torah scholar. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, shenatan mechakhmato l'bashar vadam. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
Who has given of His knowledge to human beings |
| This blessing is said upon an outstanding secular scholar. |
| |
| Barukh rachamana malka d'olema, di yahadakh lan,
v'la yahavakh l'ofra |
Blessed is the Merciful One, King
of the Universe, Who has given you to us, and has not given
you to the dust. |
| This blessing is said upon meeting with a friend who has recovered
from a life-threatening illness. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, shehecheynu v'kiyemanu v'higi'anu
lazman hazeh. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
Who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this
season. |
| This blessing is said upon hearing usually bad news. It is
also said upon hearing of someone's death. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, rofay kol basar umafli la'asot. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
who heals all creatures and does wonders. |
| This is an appropriate blessing for an event that a very significant
value for yourself. It can relate to a seasonal mitzvah |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, hatov vehametiv |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
Who is good and does good. |
| This blessing is said upon hearing good news that benefits
both oneself and others. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, dayan ha'emet. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
the true Judge. |
| This blessing is said upon hearing usually bad news. It is
also said upon hearing of someone's death. |
| |
| Barukh atah YHVH Eloheynu Melekh
ha'olam, hagomel l'chayavim tovot, sheg'malani kol tov. |
Blessed are You, YHVH, Our Elohim,
Who bestows good things upon the guilty, Who has bestowed
every goodness upon me. |
| This blessing is said when one has survived a dangerous situation.
This is based on Psalm 107. These include: a) completion of
a sea journey; (b) completion of hazardous land journey; (c)
recovery from major illness; (d) release from captivity. It
is recited anytime anyone has been spared from a life-threatening
situation (Orach Chaim 219:9). People who hear the blessing
respond with the following: |
| |
| Amein. Mi sheg'mal'cha kol tov, hu yigmal'cha kol
tov, Selah. |
Amein. May He Who has bestowed goodness
upon you continue to bestow every goodness upon you forever. |
| This blessing is the reponse given by others after someone
has recited the above blessing for being spared from a dangerous
sitution. |
