Crash Course in Jewish Blessings

http://www.aish.com/jl/jewish-law/blessings/Crash-Course-in-Jewish-Blessings.html?s=mm
Crash Course in Jewish Blessings
Why do we bless God? Isn’t He blessing us?
by Daniella Levy 
“Blessings” are short statements that express gratitude for something. Why are they called “blessings” and not, say, “thankings”? And even stranger, why do they all start with the statement, “Blessed are You”? Isn’t it we who are blessed by Him?
Well, first things first: what does the word “bless” mean, anyway? In Hebrew, the root that means “bless” is b.r.kh, and the Sages explain that it means “to increase” or “bring down Divine abundance.” When I “bless” you, I am asking God to increase your health, wealth, happiness or whatever it may be, to shine His light on you… in essence, to give you more of Himself. So what could it possibly mean for me to “bless” God for creating the apple I’m about to eat?

The key to understanding this is to recognize the purpose of these blessings. It is not merely to show gratitude. The purpose of a blessing is awareness.
The purpose of a blessing is awareness.

When I hold an apple in my hand and say, “Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the tree,” what I’m really saying is a lot more than just “thanks for making this apple.” I’m saying, “Your presence in this world has been made that much greater, has increased, through this fruit You created that I am about to enjoy.”
I’m declaring that whatever it is I’m making the blessing for – whether it’s a food I’m enjoying, a roll of thunder I heard, or a mitzvah I’m about to perform – is increasing God’s presence in the world, through my recognition of His role in creating or commanding it.
This is one of the main themes of Judaism: channeling the Divine into the mundane and revealing the spiritual through the physical. Through this worldly experience, I experience God; and when I declare that recognition, I make His presence in the world that much more known.
Simply put: in this apple, I see God.

There are three main types of blessings.

Blessings of Enjoyment
These are blessings we make over something we enjoy with our senses. The most common ones are blessings over food. We recite blessings both before and after eating. There are different blessings for different categories of food: bread (“… who brings forth bread out of the ground”); grain products that are not defined as bread (“… who creates different kinds of sustenance”); wine (“… who creates the fruit of the vine”); fruit (“… who creates the fruit of the tree”); vegetables (“… who creates the fruit of the ground”); and everything else (“… from whose word all came into being”). If that sounds complicated, wait until I tell you that bananas and pineapples are halakhically “vegetables” because they are non-perennial plants… or that food can switch categories according to how it is prepared or eaten (for instance, orange juice). And don’t even get me started on what defines a grain product as bread, or why we say “the fruit of the vine” for wine, but “the fruit of the tree” for grapes! The point is that to make the correct blessing, you have to have a basic awareness of how that food came to be on your plate. And making the blessing gives you an opportunity to reflect on this process. The apple came from a tree, which grew from the ground, thanks to sunlight and water and nutrients from the soil, and it’s God who made all this happen.

“After blessings” are also divided by category: the long birkat hamazon (“blessing for sustenance”/“Grace After Meals”) for after eating bread or a meal with bread, a shortened version called me’en shalosh for grain products that are not bread, or fruits that fall under the category of the Seven Species, wheat, barley, grapes, dates, figs, pomegranates, and olives These are the seven species that the land of Israel is especially celebrated for in the Torah (Deut 8:8).

The last “after blessing” is boreh nefashot. It’s short and in my view, it’s one of the most beautiful and meaningful. It goes like this: “Blessed are You… who creates numerous souls and their deficiencies; for all that You have created with which to maintain the life of every being. Blessed is He, the life of worlds.”
Why would we be thanking God for creating a deficiency? Because the very reason we are thanking Him for giving us something to eat is that He created hunger. If we were not hungry, we would not enjoy the fulfillment of that lack. Take this idea beyond physical sustenance and you’ll have a lot to think about.

Enjoyment blessings are also made on smelling something pleasant. These are very specific too, ranging from pleasant scents from flowers and trees, to the scent of herbs, to the scent of fruit, to the most specific – balsam oil. This, too, is a moment to pause and reflect on where this pleasant experience comes from, and use it to channel Godliness into the world.

Another blessing in this category is shehechiyanu: “Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.” This is the blessing we make over new experiences (such as wearing new clothing) or occasions that are rare enough that we especially enjoy them when they come around (such as holidays, or eating the first fruit of a season).

Blessings for Commandments
Jews consider the Torah to be the greatest gift of all, and the act of performing a mitzvah is an act of channeling Divine energy into the mundane. This is a very appropriate time to declare God’s increased presence in the world through this act.

Blessings of Experience
They are called “blessings of sight” or “of hearing,” but I’d call them “blessings of awe.” These are the blessings we make when we see or hear something that reminds us of God’s presence in the world. For example, when I hear a roll of thunder, I recite: “Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe, whose strength and might fills the world.” When I see a streak of lightening, or experience an earthquake, or see an especially mighty mountain or river, I recite: “… who performs an act of creation.” When I see the Mediterranean Sea for the first time in 30 days, I say: “… who created the Great Sea.”

There is a special blessing for seeing a rainbow, which refers to the story of Noah: “… who remembers the covenant, and is faithful in His covenant, and keeps His promise.” The promise and covenant are: “And it shall come to pass, when I bring clouds over the earth, and the rainbow is seen in the cloud, that I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.” (Genesis 9:14-15)

There is another special blessing that we make on flowering fruit trees, only during the month of Nisan (your birth month!): “… who has made nothing lacking in His world, and created within it good creations and good trees for the sons of Adam to enjoy.”

Another blessing of note is Birkat HaGomel; a blessing we say when we have been saved from a potentially life-threatening situation, such as surviving a dangerous illness or childbirth. We are required to say this blessing in front of at least ten people, because when God performs a miracle, we have an obligation to spread knowledge of it as much as we can. (This concept – pirsumei nisa, “publicizing the miracle” in Aramaic – is familiar from the holiday of Hanukkah. We display our chanukiyot in a prominent window facing the street for this reason.) The person who was saved says: “Blessed are You, Lord, Our God, King of the Universe, who bestows kindness upon the culpable, for He has bestowed kindness upon me.” Those in attendance answer, “Amen. May He who has bestowed kindness upon you, always bestow kindness upon you.”

There are blessings for seeing an especially wise person; for seeing a king; for seeing a group of 600,000 Jews gathered in one place (which has to do with the number of Israelites gathered at Mt. Sinai); for seeing a place where a miracle happened for the Jewish people (such as the Red Sea, the walls of Jericho, or the Jordan river crossing); for seeing a place where a miracle happened to that individual or to his parents; for seeing especially beautiful people or creations, or for seeing especially unusual-looking people or creations… and for hearing good news, (“… hatov v’hameytiv,” “…who is good and does good”), or bad news (“… dayan haemet,” “… the True Judge.”)

There is even a blessing for going to the bathroom: (“… who created man with wisdom and created within him many openings and many cavities. It is exposed and known before Your Throne of Glory, that if one of them were to be ruptured or one of them were to be blocked it would be impossible to survive and to stand before You for even one hour. Blessed are You, Lord, Healer of all flesh who acts wondrously.”) As we are painfully reminded every time we have a stomach virus, properly functioning personal plumbing is definitely something to be grateful for!
Basically, as the rabbi in Fiddler on the Roof says, there truly is a blessing for everything.
Or should I say… in everything.
Because the whole purpose of making a blessing is to look deep into the world we live in, and find God in it.

Click here to read more about the meaning of blessings
http://www.aish.com/jl/jewish-law/daily-living/16-Blessings.html
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Excerpted from Letters to Josep: An Introduction to Judaism a collection of letters from a religious Jew in Israel to a Christian friend in Barcelona describing life as an Orthodox Jew. Equal parts lighthearted and insightful, it's a thorough and entertaining introduction to the basic concepts of Judaism.


http://www.aish.com/jl/jewish-law/daily-living/16-Blessings.html
The Meaning of a Bracha
The Jewish day is punctuated with the recital of a variety of blessings (in Hebrew, Bracha; plural brachot). These blessings serve a variety of spiritual purposes:
praise of God as the source of all goodness1
saying "thank you" to God for the things we enjoy2
bringing God's blessing upon the world3
Brachot generally begin with the phrase "Baruch Ata Adonoy" – "Blessed are You, God." We are expressing our desire that God should be blessed. Of course, philosophically we need to understand how a human can bestow blessing upon God, Who is lacking nothing, created all existence, and has infinite ability and power!
The answer is that God chose not to have the world function independently, but rather to make the world's sustenance dependent on man's spiritual efforts. God did so because He wanted man to realize his constant dependence on God – that he must constantly pray for His needs. As a result man would feel close to God and dependent upon His ongoing beneficence.4
This being the case, in a sense it is man's job to "bless God," prompting God, so to speak, to bring blessing into the world. "Baruch Ata Adonoy" thus means: May You, God, allow Yourself to exercise Your power of goodness toward mankind.5
Another word that shares a common root with Bracha is "breicha," which means wellspring. This alludes to the fact that reciting a Bracha opens up the breicha, the wellspring of blessing from Heaven. In this way, man becomes a partner with God in sustaining the world.6
This same theme is hinted to in the root letters of the word "Bracha" – bet, reish, chaf – whose numerical value are 2, 20 and 200. While the number one signifies the minimal amount of anything, two begins the series of multiplicity. The word Bracha is made up of all the "two's," hinting to the power of a Bracha to bring additional good into the world.7
Other commentators explain that "Baruch Ata Adonoy" is a statement of recognition: "You, God, are the source of all blessing." A Bracha serves as a humbling reminder that our food, other pleasures and even challenges are not solely the result of our own human choices, but rather everything is the gift of a loving God.8
This concept is reflected in the word "Bracha" which is related to the word berech, meaning "knee." In reciting a Bracha, we "bend our knees," so to speak, bowing in recognition of God's central role in providing our sustenance.9
Saying Brachot make us God's partners in bringing out the holiness of creation. Before biting an apple, we thank God for making the apple, thus making the mundane act of eating into a holy act.10
Mechanics of the Bracha
Anyone who has ever tried to pray has encountered the challenge of how and when to address God. The Talmud states that any praise we say about God is an understatement,11 like praising a billionaire for one of his dollars! The Sages of the Great Assembly resolved this problem by composing a standard set of Brachot (mat'beya shel tefilla).
Understanding the meaning behind Brachot and the power they possess can transform a monotonous habit into a deeply meaningful ritual.
There are four basic components to every bracha:
the word "baruch"
the name of God
a reference to God's kingship over the world
the subject of the particular Bracha
As long as these four are included, the Bracha is valid even if some of the words are missing. If any one of these four elements is missing, however, the Bracha is invalid.12
It is important to understand the names of God that appear in the brachot:
YHVH (which is written, but not pronounced) refers to God's transcendence of any limitations, including time and space
Adonoy refers to God as Master of all creation
Eloheinu refers to God as the Source of all power13
It is prohibited to say God's name in vain. This is a serious offense that is listed in the Ten Commandments.14 Thus one should not say a Bracha in an inappropriate time or manner, or if it serves no purpose (Bracha levatala).15
You may say a Bracha in any language, but the original Hebrew text is preferred.16 If you hear someone else saying a Bracha, it is proper to answer, "Amen." This is an affirmation of the blessing as a praise of God.17
Non-Food Blessings
The majority of blessings said during the course of a day are in the context of prayer services. For example, the Amidah's 19 blessings are said three times daily. For details, see Daily Living – Prayer.
The blessings on washing hands and using the restroom are in Daily Living – Starting the Day.
The blessing upon hearing of the death of a relative are in Daily Living – Mourning (Post-Burial).
Beyond this, there are special blessings for observing natural phenomenon like lightning, earthquakes and the ocean, and a blessing said upon safely emerging from a dangerous situation. These are discussed in Daily Living – Travel.
There are other blessings to be said upon smelling various natural fragrances. These are discussed in Daily Living – The Jewish Garden.
This class will focus specifically on Brachot recited before and after eating food.
Blessings Prior to Eating Food
The Talmud states that the entire world belongs to God, Who created everything, and partaking in His creation without consent would be tantamount to stealing.18 When we acknowledge that our food comes from God, He grants us permission to partake in the world's pleasures. Thus we say a blessing before eating any food.
The blessing that one says before eating or drinking is known as a Bracha rishona (literally, "first blessing").19 The Sages grouped all foods and drink into six different categories, and assigned each of these categories its own specific Bracha rishona.
The basic text of these Brachot begins the same way: "Baruch Ata Adonoy, Eloheinu Melech ha'olam" – "Blessed are you, God, our Master, King of the world." This phrase is then followed by the subject of the Bracha, i.e. which of the six categories the food falls into.20