Jews traditionally recite a short blessing before eating any food, be it meal or snack. There are different blessings for different categories of food including fruits (that grow on trees), vegetables (that grow on the ground), grains, miscellaneous (foods that do not grow in soil, like dairy and meat), bread, and wine.
If one is eating a meal with many of these categories of food and it contains bread, the blessing for bread (Hamotzi) is sufficient to cover all foods consumed in that meal, with the exception of wine which always requires its own blessing. Otherwise, a varied meal can be covered by the blessing for miscellaneous foods.
To go directly to a specific blessing, click below:
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Bread
Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha’olam hamotzi lehem min ha’aretz.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.
Wine & Grape Juice
Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha’olam borei p’ri hagafen.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
Fruit
Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha’olam borei p’ri ha’eitz.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the tree.
Vegetables
Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha’olam borei p’ri ha’adamah.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who creates the fruit of the ground.
Grains
Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha’olam borei minei mezonot.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who creates varieties of nourishment.
Miscellaneous Food (meat, poultry, eggs, fish, dairy products, candy)
Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha’olam shehakol niyah bidvaro.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, at whose word all came to be.
Adonai
Pronounced: ah-doe-NYE, Origin: Hebrew, a name for God.
hamotzi
Pronounced: ha-MOE-tzee, Origin: Hebrew, blessing said over bread. On Shabbat Hamotzi is usually said over challah.
