by Rabbi Shraga Simmons
The philosophy and inspiration behind the blessings.
Deconstructing the basic components of a bracha.
Since eating is an act of pleasure, some situations are exempt from a bracha.
It is worse to eat without a bracha than it is to waste food.
Getting practical: The six basic brachot said on food.
Altering the state of a food can also change its bracha.
Juice is considered a separate entity from the fruit.
Two key conditions for Ha'gafen to cover other beverages.
The special bracha said on satiating and nutritious grains.
How bread differs from cake, and how cake differs from pasta.
When eaten as meal, cake attains the status of bread and its bracha is Hamotzee.
Altering the state of bread can sometimes "downgrade" the bracha from Hamotzee to Mezonot.
by Rabbi Shraga Simmons and Rabbi Yair Spolter
Generally, when other foods are eaten with bread, the only bracha recited is Hamotzee.
Fruit can be eaten as a main course, an appetizer, or for dessert.
When you drink during a bread meal, when is a bracha required and when is it not?
When eating two foods that have the same bracha, we say the bracha over the more important food.
When two foods have different brachot, which bracha is said first?
A bracha includes whatever foods you intend to eat at the time you said the bracha.
The bracha said at the beginning of the meal covers all foods normally consumed in a meal.
by Rabbi Shraga Simmons and Rabbi Chaim Gross
A bracha on the primary food also covers the secondary food.
A mezonot ingredient is always considered primary, even when not the majority.
A hodge-podge of ingredients produces some complex rules.
An unnecessary bracha is a problem of "saying God's Name in vain."
How to ensure that brachot are said with the correct spiritual intent.
When saying a bracha, the surrounding environment must be dignified and clean.
Certain actions can signal your intention to stop eating.
Changing locations can terminate a bracha's effectiveness.
Walking outside implies a cessation of this eating session.
The difference between enclosed areas and open areas.
Instances when a bracha remains in effect even after making a shinuy makom.
The guidelines for saying bracha after finishing to eat.
Guidelines for the Three-Faceted Blessing, and the "miscellaneous" after-bracha.
When foods are eaten in combination, which after-bracha do you say?
The special after-bracha said following a bread meal.
Grace After Meals requires extra dignity and concentration.
An after-bracha is subject to restrictions of when and where.
What happens of you mistakenly said the wrong after-bracha?
One person can say a bracha and exempt another person's obligation.
When another person says a bracha, we answer "amen" as a testament that the statement is true.
The blessing that thanks God for enabling us to reach a special milestone.
by Rabbi Dov Lev
Four different blessings said upon enjoying the aroma of trees and flowers.
Special brachot said on the wonders of creation.
Averaged over a typical day, one bracha is said every 10 minutes.
The correct bracha to say for over 500 food items.
Laws of Blessings (Adv.)
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