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  "url": "https://staging.thenewjew.org/articles/going-deeper-deeper-prayers-birkat-hamazon-the-grace-after-meals.json",
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  "title": "Birkat Hamazon: The Grace After Meals",
  "summary": "The only prayer commanded explicitly in the Torah — a substantial blessing of God for food, land, Jerusalem, and the goodness of creation.",
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    {
      "title": "Birkat Hamazon: The Grace After Meals",
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    "article": {
      "slug": "going-deeper-deeper-prayers-birkat-hamazon-the-grace-after-meals",
      "title": "Birkat Hamazon: The Grace After Meals",
      "deck": "The only prayer commanded explicitly in the Torah — a substantial blessing of God for food, land, Jerusalem, and the goodness of creation.",
      "summary": "Summary. Birkat Hamazon (literally “the blessing of the food”) is the grace after meals at which bread was eaten. It is the only prayer the Torah commands explicitly: v’achalta v’savata u’verachta — “you shall eat and be satisfied and bless” (Devarim 8:10). The standard Birkat Hamazon comprises four berachot: gratitude for food, gratitude for the Land of Israel, the petition for Jerusalem, and the blessing of the One who is good and does good. On Shabbat and festivals, additional inserts are added. On weekdays alone, it can be done in ten minutes; on Shabbat with all the additions, twenty.",
      "level": "deeper",
      "sectionSlug": "going-deeper",
      "tags": [
        "birkat hamazon",
        "grace",
        "meals"
      ],
      "publishedAt": "2026-07-06T02:19:03.001Z",
      "wordCount": 644,
      "readMinutes": 3
    },
    "section": {
      "slug": "prayer-liturgy",
      "title": "Prayer & Liturgy"
    },
    "image": null,
    "blocks": [
      {
        "type": "summary",
        "body": "Summary. [Birkat Hamazon](/glossary.json#letter-B) (literally “the blessing of the food”) is the grace after meals at which bread was eaten. It is the only prayer the [Torah](/glossary.json#letter-T) commands explicitly: v’achalta v’savata u’verachta — “you shall eat and be satisfied and bless” ([Devarim 8:10](https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.8.10)). The standard Birkat Hamazon comprises four [berachot](/glossary.json#letter-B): gratitude for food, gratitude for the Land of Israel, the petition for Jerusalem, and the blessing of the One who is good and does good. On [Shabbat](/glossary.json#letter-S) and festivals, additional inserts are added. On weekdays alone, it can be done in ten minutes; on Shabbat with all the additions, twenty.",
        "text": "Summary. Birkat Hamazon (literally “the blessing of the food”) is the grace after meals at which bread was eaten. It is the only prayer the Torah commands explicitly: v’achalta v’savata u’verachta — “you shall eat and be satisfied and bless” (Devarim 8:10). The standard Birkat Hamazon comprises four berachot: gratitude for food, gratitude for the Land of Israel, the petition for Jerusalem, and the blessing of the One who is good and does good. On Shabbat and festivals, additional inserts are added. On weekdays alone, it can be done in ten minutes; on Shabbat with all the additions, twenty."
      },
      {
        "type": "heading",
        "body": "When Birkat Hamazon Is Said",
        "text": "When Birkat Hamazon Is Said"
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "After any meal at which bread (specifically: bread requiring the [hamotzi](/glossary.json#letter-H) blessing, made of one of the five grains) was eaten. The minimum bread quantity is a [k’zayit](/glossary.json#letter-K) (an olive’s bulk, halachically defined). At a smaller meal of grain products other than bread, the abbreviated [bracha m’ein shalosh](/glossary.json#letter-B) is said. After a snack or drink, the brief [bracha acharona](/glossary.json#letter-B) suffices.",
        "text": "After any meal at which bread (specifically: bread requiring the hamotzi blessing, made of one of the five grains) was eaten. The minimum bread quantity is a k’zayit (an olive’s bulk, halachically defined). At a smaller meal of grain products other than bread, the abbreviated bracha m’ein shalosh is said. After a snack or drink, the brief bracha acharona suffices."
      },
      {
        "type": "heading",
        "body": "The Four Berachot",
        "text": "The Four Berachot"
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "[Birkat Hazan](/glossary.json#letter-B) — “Who feeds the entire world with goodness, grace, kindness, and mercy.” The blessing for food itself.",
        "text": "Birkat Hazan — “Who feeds the entire world with goodness, grace, kindness, and mercy.” The blessing for food itself."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "[Birkat Ha’aretz](/glossary.json#letter-B) — Gratitude for the Land of Israel, the covenant of [Avraham](/glossary.json#letter-A), the Torah, and the bringing of Israel out of Egypt. The blessing for the Land.",
        "text": "Birkat Ha’aretz — Gratitude for the Land of Israel, the covenant of Avraham, the Torah, and the bringing of Israel out of Egypt. The blessing for the Land."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "[Boneh Yerushalayim](/glossary.json#letter-B) — The petition for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the restoration of the Davidic kingship. The blessing for Jerusalem.",
        "text": "Boneh Yerushalayim — The petition for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the restoration of the Davidic kingship. The blessing for Jerusalem."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "[HaTov V’HaMetiv](/glossary.json#letter-H) — “Who is good and does good.” Added by the [Sanhedrin](/glossary.json#letter-S) in Yavneh after the burial of those slain at Beitar (the suppression of the [Bar Kokhba](/glossary.json#letter-B) Revolt, 135 CE), originally as a public thanksgiving for the eventual permission to bury the dead.",
        "text": "HaTov V’HaMetiv — “Who is good and does good.” Added by the Sanhedrin in Yavneh after the burial of those slain at Beitar (the suppression of the Bar Kokhba Revolt, 135 CE), originally as a public thanksgiving for the eventual permission to bury the dead."
      },
      {
        "type": "heading",
        "body": "Inserts and Additions",
        "text": "Inserts and Additions"
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "[Retzeh](/glossary.json#letter-R) — the Shabbat insert, asking that the Shabbat blessing continue throughout the week.",
        "text": "Retzeh — the Shabbat insert, asking that the Shabbat blessing continue throughout the week."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "[Ya’aleh v’Yavo](/glossary.json#letter-Y) — the festival and [Rosh Chodesh](/glossary.json#letter-R) insert.",
        "text": "Ya’aleh v’Yavo — the festival and Rosh Chodesh insert."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "[Al HaNissim](/glossary.json#letter-A) — added on [Hanukkah](/glossary.json#letter-H) and [Purim](/glossary.json#letter-P), thanking for the miraculous deliverances of those days.",
        "text": "Al HaNissim — added on Hanukkah and Purim, thanking for the miraculous deliverances of those days."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "[Migdol / Magdil](/glossary.json#letter-M) — the closing verse, with a Shabbat variant.",
        "text": "Migdol / Magdil — the closing verse, with a Shabbat variant."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "[Harachaman](/glossary.json#letter-H) series — petitions of mercy, traditionally added for various occasions (a [Bar/Bat Mitzvah](/glossary.json#letter-B), a circumcision, a wedding meal).",
        "text": "Harachaman series — petitions of mercy, traditionally added for various occasions (a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, a circumcision, a wedding meal)."
      },
      {
        "type": "heading",
        "body": "Mezuman",
        "text": "Mezuman"
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "When three or more adult Jews eat together, Birkat Hamazon begins with a [zimun](/glossary.json#letter-Z) — an invitation by one of the diners to the others to join in the blessing. With ten or more, the zimun adds [Eloheinu](/glossary.json#letter-E) (“our God”) — a recognition of the [minyan](/glossary.json#letter-M)-strength of the company. The leader recites Rabotai n’varech (“Friends, let us bless”), to which the company responds Yehi shem [Adonai](/glossary.json#letter-A) mevorach me-atah v’ad olam (“May the name of [Hashem](/glossary.json#letter-H) be blessed from now until eternity”). The leader then proceeds with the four berachot.",
        "text": "When three or more adult Jews eat together, Birkat Hamazon begins with a zimun — an invitation by one of the diners to the others to join in the blessing. With ten or more, the zimun adds Eloheinu (“our God”) — a recognition of the minyan-strength of the company. The leader recites Rabotai n’varech (“Friends, let us bless”), to which the company responds Yehi shem Adonai mevorach me-atah v’ad olam (“May the name of Hashem be blessed from now until eternity”). The leader then proceeds with the four berachot."
      },
      {
        "type": "heading",
        "body": "The Pocket Edition",
        "text": "The Pocket Edition"
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "A pocket [Birkon](/glossary.json#letter-B) (the booklet containing Birkat Hamazon and various meal songs and blessings) is a near-essential piece of New Jew gear. The [Koren Sacks](/glossary.json#letter-J) Birkon is the recommended edition — compact, with translation, transliteration, and a graceful introduction. Buy two or three; you will hand them out at every meal you host.",
        "text": "A pocket Birkon (the booklet containing Birkat Hamazon and various meal songs and blessings) is a near-essential piece of New Jew gear. The Koren Sacks Birkon is the recommended edition — compact, with translation, transliteration, and a graceful introduction. Buy two or three; you will hand them out at every meal you host."
      },
      {
        "type": "heading",
        "body": "Where Denominations Diverge",
        "text": "Where Denominations Diverge"
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "Universal across all denominations; the Torah’s explicit commandment makes this one of the few prayers about which all observant Jews agree without modification. Some [Reform](/glossary.json#letter-R) abbreviations exist; the Birkat Hamazon in [Mishkan](/glossary.json#letter-M) T’filah follows the traditional structure. The Conservative [Sim Shalom](/glossary.json#letter-S) and Lev Shalem editions are essentially identical to [Orthodox](/glossary.json#letter-O) Birkat Hamazon. [Sephardic](/glossary.json#letter-S) versions differ slightly in wording.",
        "text": "Universal across all denominations; the Torah’s explicit commandment makes this one of the few prayers about which all observant Jews agree without modification. Some Reform abbreviations exist; the Birkat Hamazon in Mishkan T’filah follows the traditional structure. The Conservative Sim Shalom and Lev Shalem editions are essentially identical to Orthodox Birkat Hamazon. Sephardic versions differ slightly in wording."
      },
      {
        "type": "heading",
        "body": "Sources",
        "text": "Sources"
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "Torah: [Devarim](/glossary.json#letter-D) 8:10.",
        "text": "Torah: Devarim 8:10."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "[Mishnah Berachot 6–7](https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Berakhot.6-7); [Talmud](/glossary.json#letter-T) Bavli, [Berachot 35a–51b](https://www.sefaria.org/Berakhot.35-51).",
        "text": "Mishnah Berachot 6–7; Talmud Bavli, Berachot 35a–51b."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "[Rambam](/glossary.json#letter-R), [Mishneh Torah](/glossary.json#letter-M), [Hilchot Berachot](https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh_Torah,_Blessings).",
        "text": "Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Berachot."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "[Shulchan Aruch](/glossary.json#letter-S), [Orach Chaim 184–201](https://www.sefaria.org/Shulchan_Arukh,_Orach_Chayim.184-201).",
        "text": "Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 184–201."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "[Birkat HaMazon: More than a Simple Thank You](https://reformjudaism.org/blog/birkat-hamazon-more-simple-thank-you) — ReformJudaism.org.",
        "text": "Birkat HaMazon: More than a Simple Thank You — ReformJudaism.org."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "[What You Need to Know About Birkat Hamazon](https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/7185292/jewish/What-You-Need-to-Know-About-Birkat-Hamazon.htm) — Chabad.org.",
        "text": "What You Need to Know About Birkat Hamazon — Chabad.org."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "[Birkat Hamazon: Grace After Bread (Bentching)](https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/278548/jewish/Birkat-Hamazon-Grace-After-Bread-Bentching.htm) — Chabad.org.",
        "text": "Birkat Hamazon: Grace After Bread (Bentching) — Chabad.org."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "[Berakhot 48b (Steinsaltz Talmud portal)](https://steinsaltz-center.org/portal/library/Talmud/Berakhot/chapter/48.b) — Steinsaltz Center.",
        "text": "Berakhot 48b (Steinsaltz Talmud portal) — Steinsaltz Center."
      },
      {
        "type": "heading",
        "body": "Further Reading",
        "text": "Further Reading"
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "The Koren Sacks Birkon — recommended pocket edition.",
        "text": "The Koren Sacks Birkon — recommended pocket edition."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "Hayim Halevy Donin, To Pray as a Jew.",
        "text": "Hayim Halevy Donin, To Pray as a Jew."
      },
      {
        "type": "paragraph",
        "body": "Lawrence Hoffman, My People’s Prayer Book (entry on Birkat Hamazon).",
        "text": "Lawrence Hoffman, My People’s Prayer Book (entry on Birkat Hamazon)."
      }
    ],
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    "goDeeper": [],
    "glossary": {
      "adonai": {
        "term": "Adonai",
        "hebrew": "אֲדֹנָי",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "Literally 'my Lord' — the name of God traditionally spoken in prayer and Torah reading in place of the four-letter divine name, which is never pronounced.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "al-hanissim": {
        "term": "Al HaNissim",
        "hebrew": "עַל הַנִּסִּים",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "'For the miracles' — a paragraph of thanksgiving inserted into the Amidah and Birkat Hamazon on Hanukkah and Purim, recounting each holiday's deliverance.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "avraham": {
        "term": "Avraham",
        "hebrew": "אברהם",
        "translit": "Abraham",
        "definition": "Avraham, the first patriarch, is revered in Jewish tradition as the founder of ethical monotheism and is honored as the spiritual father of every convert to Judaism; a new Jew by choice traditionally takes the Hebrew name \"ben\" or \"bat Avraham.\"",
        "moreSlug": "community-conversion-to-judaism"
      },
      "bar-kokhba": {
        "term": "Bar Kokhba",
        "hebrew": "שמעון בר כוכבא",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "Shimon bar Kokhba led the last major Jewish revolt against Rome (132-135 CE), initially hailed by Rabbi Akiva as a possible Messiah; the revolt's crushing defeat is echoed in the bonfires and mourning customs of Lag BaOmer.",
        "moreSlug": "holidays-minor-lag-baomer"
      },
      "bar-mitzvah": {
        "term": "Bar Mitzvah",
        "hebrew": "בר מצוה",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The coming of age at which a Jewish child becomes responsible for the mitzvot — traditionally 13 for a boy (bar mitzvah) and 12 or 13 for a girl (bat mitzvah). The occasion is typically marked by being called up to the Torah.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "birkat-haaretz": {
        "term": "Birkat Ha'aretz",
        "hebrew": "בִּרְכַּת הָאָרֶץ",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The second blessing of Birkat Hamazon, thanking God for the Land of Israel, the covenant, and the Torah.",
        "moreSlug": "going-deeper-deeper-prayers-birkat-hamazon-the-grace-after-meals"
      },
      "birkat-hamazon": {
        "term": "Birkat Hamazon",
        "hebrew": "בִּרְכַּת הַמָּזוֹן",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The grace after meals — the series of blessings recited after eating bread, fulfilling the Torah's command 'you shall eat, be satisfied, and bless' (Devarim 8:10).",
        "moreSlug": "going-deeper-deeper-prayers-birkat-hamazon-the-grace-after-meals"
      },
      "birkat-hazan": {
        "term": "Birkat Hazan",
        "hebrew": "בִּרְכַּת הַזָּן",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The first blessing of Birkat Hamazon, praising God 'who feeds the whole world in goodness.'",
        "moreSlug": "going-deeper-deeper-prayers-birkat-hamazon-the-grace-after-meals"
      },
      "boneh-yerushalayim": {
        "term": "Boneh Yerushalayim",
        "hebrew": "בּוֹנֵה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "'Builder of Jerusalem' — the third blessing of Birkat Hamazon, a petition for Jerusalem and the house of David.",
        "moreSlug": "going-deeper-deeper-prayers-birkat-hamazon-the-grace-after-meals"
      },
      "devarim": {
        "term": "Devarim",
        "hebrew": "דְּבָרִים",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The fifth book of the Torah — Deuteronomy — consisting of Moshe's farewell addresses. The name means 'words.'",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "eloheinu": {
        "term": "Eloheinu",
        "hebrew": "אֱלֹהֵינוּ",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "'Our God' — the possessive form of Elohim, familiar from the Shema and from the opening of nearly every blessing: 'Adonai Eloheinu, King of the universe.'",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "hatov-vhametiv": {
        "term": "HaTov V'HaMetiv",
        "hebrew": "הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "\"Who is good and does good\" — the fourth blessing of Birkat Hamazon, added by the rabbis in gratitude for God's ongoing goodness.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "hanukkah": {
        "term": "Hanukkah",
        "hebrew": "חֲנֻכָּה",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The eight-day winter festival of lights, commemorating the Maccabees' rededication of the Temple and the oil that burned for eight days. Its central mitzvah is lighting the hanukkiah each night.",
        "moreSlug": "holidays-rabbinic-festivals-hanukkah"
      },
      "harachaman": {
        "term": "Harachaman",
        "hebrew": "הָרַחֲמָן",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "\"The Merciful One\" — the series of short petitions near the end of Birkat Hamazon, each beginning with this word.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "hashem": {
        "term": "Hashem",
        "hebrew": "הַשֵּׁם",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "Literally \"the Name\" — the everyday reverent way Jews refer to God outside of prayer, avoiding casual use of the divine names.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "jonathan-sacks": {
        "term": "Jonathan Sacks",
        "hebrew": null,
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (1948–2020) served as Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom and became one of the most widely read Jewish thinkers of his generation; his commentary anchors the Koren Shalem Siddur, the Field Guide's recommended first siddur for most New Jews.",
        "moreSlug": "where-to-start-your-first-siddur"
      },
      "magdil": {
        "term": "Magdil",
        "hebrew": "מַגְדִּיל",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The word in the Psalm verse near the end of Birkat Hamazon that changes with the day — \"Magdil\" on weekdays, \"Migdol\" on Shabbat and festivals.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "mishkan": {
        "term": "Mishkan",
        "hebrew": "מִשְׁכָּן",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "Literally 'dwelling place' — the portable sanctuary the Israelites built and carried through the wilderness, the forerunner of the Temple in Jerusalem.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "mishneh-torah": {
        "term": "Mishneh Torah",
        "hebrew": "מִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The Rambam's monumental 12th-century code of Jewish law — the first work to organize the whole of Halacha systematically, from prayer to Temple service.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "orthodox-judaism": {
        "term": "Orthodox Judaism",
        "hebrew": null,
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "Orthodox Judaism holds Halacha as fully binding and the Shulchan Aruch as its canonical code; it spans Haredi and Hasidic communities as well as Modern Orthodoxy, and is the starting point from which this Field Guide is written, even as it engages seriously with other denominations.",
        "moreSlug": "how-to-use-this-field-guide"
      },
      "purim": {
        "term": "Purim",
        "hebrew": "פּוּרִים",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The joyous festival celebrating the rescue of Persian Jewry recounted in the book of Esther, observed with the Megillah reading, gifts of food, gifts to the poor, and a festive meal.",
        "moreSlug": "holidays-rabbinic-festivals-purim"
      },
      "rambam": {
        "term": "Rambam",
        "hebrew": "רמב״ם",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (1138–1204), known by the acronym Rambam and in the Latin West as Maimonides, was the towering rationalist codifier and philosopher of medieval Judaism — author of the legal code Mishneh Torah and the philosophical Guide for the Perplexed. His formulation of God's unity and incorporeality remains foundational to Jewish theology across denominations.",
        "moreSlug": "essentials-essential-questions-what-does-judaism-teach-about-god"
      },
      "reform-judaism": {
        "term": "Reform Judaism",
        "hebrew": null,
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "Reform Judaism treats Halacha as a source of values and meaning rather than binding law, emphasizing individual autonomy, ethical monotheism, and tikkun olam; it was the first movement to fully recognize patrilineal descent and ordain women as rabbis.",
        "moreSlug": "how-to-use-this-field-guide"
      },
      "retzeh": {
        "term": "Retzeh",
        "hebrew": "רְצֵה",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The blessing asking God to accept Israel's worship, near the end of the Amidah; a paragraph of the same name is added to Birkat Hamazon on Shabbat.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "rosh-chodesh": {
        "term": "Rosh Chodesh",
        "hebrew": "רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The 'head of the month' — the minor festival marking the new moon and the start of each Hebrew month, with its own additions to the liturgy.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "sanhedrin": {
        "term": "Sanhedrin",
        "hebrew": "סַנְהֶדְרִין",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The great court of ancient Israel — seventy-one sages who served as the supreme authority in Jewish law during the Second Temple period and after.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "sephardi": {
        "term": "Sephardi",
        "hebrew": "סְפָרַדִּי",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "A Jew whose family traces to medieval Spain and Portugal — and, in common usage, to the broader communities of the Mediterranean and Middle East that follow Sephardic law and liturgy. The plural is Sephardim.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "shabbat": {
        "term": "Shabbat",
        "hebrew": "שַׁבָּת",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The seventh day — the weekly day of rest from Friday sunset to Saturday nightfall, marked by candle lighting, kiddush, festive meals, and rest from creative work.",
        "moreSlug": "where-to-start-your-first-shabbat"
      },
      "shulchan-aruch": {
        "term": "Shulchan Aruch",
        "hebrew": "שולחן ערוך",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "Literally 'the set table' — the authoritative 16th-century code of Jewish law by Rabbi Yosef Karo, printed with the Ashkenazi glosses of Rabbi Moshe Isserles. It remains the baseline reference for halachic practice.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "sim-shalom": {
        "term": "Sim Shalom",
        "hebrew": "שים שלום",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "'Grant peace' — the closing blessing of the Amidah, a prayer for peace, goodness, and blessing upon all Israel. It is also the name of a widely used Conservative siddur.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "talmud": {
        "term": "Talmud",
        "hebrew": "תלמוד",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The vast rabbinic work — the Mishnah together with the Gemara's discussion of it — that develops the Oral Torah into Jewish law and thought. It is the central text of Jewish study after the Bible itself.",
        "moreSlug": "essentials-essential-facts-the-talmud-in-one-article"
      },
      "torah": {
        "term": "Torah",
        "hebrew": "תּוֹרָה",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The Five Books of Moses — the scroll at the center of Jewish life — and, more broadly, the whole of Jewish teaching. 'Learning Torah' can mean anything from Chumash to Talmud.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "yaaleh-vyavo": {
        "term": "Ya'aleh v'Yavo",
        "hebrew": "יעלה ויבוא",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "'May it rise and come' — the prayer inserted into the Amidah and Birkat Hamazon on Rosh Chodesh and festivals, asking that Israel be remembered for good on the holy day.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "beracha-acharona": {
        "term": "beracha acharona",
        "hebrew": "בְּרָכָה אַחֲרוֹנָה",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "An 'after-blessing' — the short blessing of thanks recited after eating foods that do not call for the full Birkat Hamazon.",
        "moreSlug": "going-deeper-deeper-prayers-birkat-hamazon-the-grace-after-meals"
      },
      "beracha-meein-shalosh": {
        "term": "beracha me'ein shalosh",
        "hebrew": "בְּרָכָה מֵעֵין שָׁלוֹשׁ",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The 'blessing containing three' — a condensed after-blessing summarizing the themes of Birkat Hamazon, recited after grain foods, wine, or the special fruits of the Land of Israel.",
        "moreSlug": "going-deeper-deeper-prayers-birkat-hamazon-the-grace-after-meals"
      },
      "berachah": {
        "term": "berachah",
        "hebrew": "בְּרָכָה",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "A blessing — the short formula beginning 'Baruch Atah Adonai' ('Blessed are You, Lord') with which Jews mark food, mitzvot, and moments of wonder (plural: berachot).",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "birkon": {
        "term": "birkon",
        "hebrew": "בִּרְכּוֹן",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "A small booklet containing Birkat Hamazon and the Shabbat table songs — often called by its Yiddish name, bentcher — kept near the table in many homes.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "hamotzi": {
        "term": "hamotzi",
        "hebrew": "הַמּוֹצִיא",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The blessing over bread — \"who brings forth bread from the earth\" — which opens a meal and covers the foods eaten in it.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "kezayit": {
        "term": "kezayit",
        "hebrew": "כְּזַיִת",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "\"An olive's worth\" — the classic halachic minimum quantity of food, used to measure obligations from matzah at the seder to Birkat Hamazon after a meal.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "minyan": {
        "term": "minyan",
        "hebrew": "מִנְיָן",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The quorum of ten adult Jews required for certain communal prayers, including Kaddish and the public Torah reading. In Orthodox practice the count is ten men; egalitarian communities count all adults.",
        "moreSlug": null
      },
      "zimun": {
        "term": "zimun",
        "hebrew": "זימון",
        "translit": null,
        "definition": "The formal invitation to say Birkat Hamazon together, added when three or more adults have eaten bread at the same meal.",
        "moreSlug": null
      }
    }
  },
  "links": [
    {
      "rel": "parent",
      "title": "Prayer & Liturgy",
      "href": "/sections/prayer-liturgy.json"
    },
    {
      "rel": "related",
      "title": "Why Did God Create the World?",
      "href": "/articles/going-deeper-deeper-questions-why-did-god-create-the-world.json"
    },
    {
      "rel": "related",
      "title": "What Is Mussar?",
      "href": "/articles/going-deeper-deeper-questions-what-is-mussar.json"
    },
    {
      "rel": "related",
      "title": "Hasidism vs. Mitnagdism",
      "href": "/articles/going-deeper-deeper-questions-hasidism-vs-mitnagdism.json"
    },
    {
      "rel": "related",
      "title": "What Is Kabbalah?",
      "href": "/articles/going-deeper-deeper-questions-what-is-kabbalah.json"
    }
  ]
}