Grace After Meals

We grow up knowing that we must say Birkat Hamazon. We sing it, mumble it, whisper it, and usually swallow most of it. At the same time we make all types of gestures to each other. This is all unacceptable. The whole process is annoying to us. We avoid washing at all costs in order to avoid saying Birkat Hamazon. We find a Rabbi to say Pita, rolls, and Pizza are all Mezonot. Why? What is the fear of Birkat Hamazon?

For most people it is too long. It is a major commitment. If they do say it, they cannot concentrate that long. Originally, the text of Birkat Hamazon, was never really fixed or formatted by our Rabbis. The Talmud has specific basic wording required, but otherwise the exact text varied from community to community. Throughout the generations, many Rabbis created shortened versions of Birkat Hamazon, to accommodate their society. Our father, Rabbi Yitzhak Abadi, printed Birkat Hamazon in a shortened form. The wording is almost exactly as in the Rambam. The ultimate goal is to have everyone saying Birkat Hamazon and hopefully even concentrating on its meaning.

Our goals in this life is to better ourselves in the service of God. This Birkat Hamazon will give us the opportunity to enhance our service to God and give us a chance to make a blessing rather than sound like a parrot. This is perfectly acceptable for all ages, both men and women.