The Beracha «HaMotzi» is pronounced for bread, challah, bagels, matzot, pita and other products from 5 types of cereals - wheat, rye, oats, spelt, barley, which are made like bread, i.e. with the addition of water.
The text of the blessing:
:בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הַמּוֹצִיא לֶחֶם מִן הָאָרֶץ
Transliteration:
Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam, hamotzi lehem min ha'aretz.
Translation into English:
Blessed are You, LORD our G-d, King of the universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth.
The Beracha «M'zonot» - a more general blessing (compared to HaMotzi), is pronounced for baked goods (except bread) and porridge from five types of cereals, as well as for other food made from flour of five types of cereals – wheat, barley, spelt, oats and rye (according to many, also from rice). This blessing is pronounced on cakes, cookies, cupcakes, donuts, pasta, as well as bagels, pitas and other products, if they are prepared like a m'zonot, i.e. without adding water (for example, on juice).
The text of the blessing:
:בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא מִינֵי מְזוֹנוֹת
Transliteration:
Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu, Melekh ha'olam, bo're minei m'zonot.
Translation into English:
Blessed are You, LORD our G-d, King of the universe, Who creates varieties of nourishment.
When to say Hamotzi instead of Mezonot:
Before eating a dish on which the beracha Mezonot is usually said, you must decide how much you intend to eat.
a) If the portion does not exceed the volume of three to four eggs (according to Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, about 170 grams), you say Mezonot.
b) If you plan to eat more than that amount, the food is considered as bread — even if it doesn't look like regular bread. Therefore, you must act as if you’re eating bread: wash your hands before the meal, recite the Hamotzi blessing, and say Birkat Hamazon afterward.
c) Similarly, if a Mezonot food is eaten at the beginning of a full meal — even in small quantity — you must wash hands, say Hamotzi before eating, and Birkat Hamazon after.
d) The best way to avoid uncertainty is to begin the meal with bread.
Before eating a dish on which the beracha Mezonot is usually said, you must decide how much you intend to eat.
a) If the portion does not exceed the volume of three to four eggs (according to Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, about 170 grams), you say Mezonot.
b) If you plan to eat more than that amount, the food is considered as bread — even if it doesn't look like regular bread. Therefore, you must act as if you’re eating bread: wash your hands before the meal, recite the Hamotzi blessing, and say Birkat Hamazon afterward.
c) Similarly, if a Mezonot food is eaten at the beginning of a full meal — even in small quantity — you must wash hands, say Hamotzi before eating, and Birkat Hamazon after.
d) The best way to avoid uncertainty is to begin the meal with bread.
The Beracha «HaGefen» is pronounced only on wine made from grapes, or grape juice. Not said for any other drink or any other grape-based product. The Hebrew word «Gefen» means «The grapevine».
The text of the blessing:
:בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעולָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן
Transliteration:
Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu, Melekh ha'olam, bo're p'ri hagefen.
Translation into English:
Blessed are You, LORD our G-d, King of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine.
The Beracha «HaEtz» is pronounced on all fruits of fruit trees, including grapes, dried fruits and nuts (except bananas, pineapples and groundnuts). The Hebrew word «Etz» means «Tree».
The text of the blessing:
:בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעולָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ
Transliteration:
Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu, Melekh ha'olam, bo're p'ri ha'etz.
Translation into English:
Blessed are You, LORD our G-d, King of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the tree.
Rules for the Ha'etz Beracha:
The Ha'etz beracha is recited on appropriate fruits if the following conditions are met:
a) The fruits are ripe;
b) The part you eat is the main edible portion of the fruit, such as an orange segment, not the peel;
c) The fruits have retained their natural shape and appearance;
d) The fruits are eaten in the form they are commonly consumed (raw, cooked, etc.), or in the best possible preparation. For example, Ha'etz is said on raw nuts but not cooked ones, since it is not customary to eat cooked nuts and it is not the preferred preparation. On the other hand, Ha'etz is recited on both raw and cooked apples, as both forms are commonly eaten;
e) Fruits that are naturally bitter must be prepared in the traditional way — e.g., pickled olives;
f) The fruits must be cultivated, not wild. For example, wild walnuts require the Shehakol beracha, not Ha'etz.
The Ha'etz beracha is recited on appropriate fruits if the following conditions are met:
a) The fruits are ripe;
b) The part you eat is the main edible portion of the fruit, such as an orange segment, not the peel;
c) The fruits have retained their natural shape and appearance;
d) The fruits are eaten in the form they are commonly consumed (raw, cooked, etc.), or in the best possible preparation. For example, Ha'etz is said on raw nuts but not cooked ones, since it is not customary to eat cooked nuts and it is not the preferred preparation. On the other hand, Ha'etz is recited on both raw and cooked apples, as both forms are commonly eaten;
e) Fruits that are naturally bitter must be prepared in the traditional way — e.g., pickled olives;
f) The fruits must be cultivated, not wild. For example, wild walnuts require the Shehakol beracha, not Ha'etz.
The Beracha «HaAdama» is pronounced on the fruits of the land - all vegetables and herbs, groundnuts, bananas, melons, watermelons, pineapples, as well as on the fruits of low trees - cranberries, strawberries, raspberries and some others. The Hebrew word «Adama» means «earth» or «soil».
The text of the blessing:
:בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה
Transliteration:
Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu, Melekh ha'olam, bo're p'ri ha'adama.
Translation into English:
Blessed are You, LORD our G-d, King of the universe, Who creates the fruit of the ground.
Rules for the Ha'adama Beracha:
The Ha'adama beracha is recited on appropriate vegetables if the following conditions are met:
a) The vegetables must be recognizable (even if they have lost their original form and color, such as tomatoes used for tomato sauce);
b) The vegetables are eaten in the form commonly consumed in that location — e.g., raw (like cucumbers), cooked (like potatoes, which are usually boiled), etc.
The Ha'adama beracha is recited on appropriate vegetables if the following conditions are met:
a) The vegetables must be recognizable (even if they have lost their original form and color, such as tomatoes used for tomato sauce);
b) The vegetables are eaten in the form commonly consumed in that location — e.g., raw (like cucumbers), cooked (like potatoes, which are usually boiled), etc.
The Beracha «SheHaKol» is pronounced for types of food that are not made of flour and are neither the fruits of the tree nor the fruits of the earth. This is the most common bracha, which, if necessary, refers to any food. Thus, for meat, fish, eggs, mushrooms, sweets, various dairy products and juices (with the exception of grape) – they say the blessing «SheHaKol». This Beracha applies to any products not included in other categories, as well as to a mixture of products of different categories. The Hebrew word «HaKol» means «Everything».
The text of the blessing:
:בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ
Transliteration:
Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu, Melekh ha'olam, shehakol nih'ye bidvaro.
Translation into English:
Blessed are You, LORD our G-d, King of the universe, through Whose word everything comes into being.