Note 132 — II. OUR DUTIES. (continued 3)

The feeling of our dependence on the goodness of God must constantly be present to our mind. Whatever we enjoy, be it in the form of eating or drinking, or some pleasing or remarkable sight, an agreeable smell, a festivity on a joyful event, or the performance of a Divine commandment (‏מצוה‎); whatever befall us, whether it be pleasant or unpleasant—all this we consider as sent to us by the Will of the Almighty, and we express our conviction by a suitable berachah. The general rule is thus laid down by our Sages: It is unlawful for man to enjoy anything on earth without previously acknowledging by a berachah that God is the source whence the enjoyment is derived. For different cases different forms of “blessings” have been fixed by our Sages. In some cases the enjoyment is also followed by a prayer of thanksgiving, the most important being the prayer after meals, called ‏ברכת המזון‎ “Benediction for food or Grace.”132 In the Mishnah it is called “Three Blessings” (‏שלש ברכות‎), because it consisted originally of three paragraphs, each ending with a benediction. The three paragraphs are the following: (1) ‏ברכת הזן‎ (“Benediction commencing ‏הזן‎”), in which we praise God’s providential care of all creatures. (2) ‏הודאה‎ “Thanksgiving,” or ‏ברכת הארץ‎ (Benediction referring to Palestine). In this paragraph we offer thanks for our individual sustenance, as well as for our national gifts: Palestine, the Covenant, and the Law. (3) Prayer for the restoration of Zion and the rebuilding of the Temple (‏בנין ירושלם‎).—Subsequently a fourth paragraph was added (‏הטוב והמטיב‎ “who is good and causes His creatures to be good”) in commemoration of the relief given to the Jews after the close of the war with Hadrian.133—On certain occasions, e.g., at a wedding repast, suitable additions are made. Besides these, various supplications have been added in later times.