Birkat Hamazon

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Pronunciations

Birkat Hamazon (beer-KAHT hah-mah-ZOHN) listen
Birkat (BEER-kaht) listen
Birkat Amazon (BEER-kaht AH-mah-zohn) listen

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Definitions

  • n. The blessing after food, referring to the four blessing Grace After Meals said after consuming bread. Referred to in many communities as "bentching," or simply as "birkat" in some Jewish summer camps.

Example Sentences

  • "We need to pass out bentchers so we can say Birkat Hamazon" [after dinner on Friday night].

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew

Etymology

  • TH ברכת המזון birkat hamazon 'blessing for the food'

      • Who Uses This

      • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education

      Regions

      • North America
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa
      • Australia / New Zealand

      Dictionaries

      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
      • The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).

      Alternative Spellings

      Birkas Hamazon, Birkas Hamazon, Birkat 'Amazon

Notes

  • Sometimes shortened to just "Birkat" in liberal Jewish communities and camps as in, "Is your father leading the Birkat at your wedding?" This is not correct in Hebrew because the word birkat is used in the construct (smikhut) state only.

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