Birkat Ha-Ilanot — The Blessing of the Blossoming Trees

The Order of Birkat Ha-Ilanot — The Blessing of the Blossoming Trees

The source for Birkat Ha-Ilanot appears in the Talmud, Berakhot 43b:

"Rav Yehuda said: One who goes out during the days of Nisan and sees trees in blossom

recites: 'Blessed is He who has left His world lacking nothing,

and created within it good creatures and good trees,

for people to delight in.'"

The legal authorities debated this blessing at length:

whether it may be recited only in Nisan or also in Iyar

(the ruling: it is proper to recite it in Nisan specifically);

whether one must recite it upon the very first blossoming tree one sees,

or whether the blessing may be deferred

(the ruling: one may recite it even upon a second or third sighting).

And many other discussions.

The Shulchan Aruch rules that this blessing is recited only over blossoming trees,

but "if one delayed until after the fruit had grown — one may no longer recite it" (Orach Chaim 226:1).

The reason for this limitation is not entirely clear,

but it is likely connected to the blessing of "she-hecheyanu."

The order of the blessing:

Birkat Ha-Ilanot is ideally recited in the month of Nisan.

The blessing is recited only over the blossoms of edible fruit trees.

There must be at least two trees.

Before reciting the blessing, it is good to say this "Leshem Yichud" as brought in Leshon Chakhamim, Part One:

For the sake of unifying the Holy Blessed One and His Presence,

in awe and love and love and awe,

to unite the name Yud-Heh with Vav-Heh

in perfect unity, in the name of all Israel,

and in the name of all the souls, spirits, and neshamot

connected to the roots of our nefesh, ruach, and neshamah,

their garments, and those close to them,

from the totality of Atzilut, Beriyah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah,

and from all the particulars of Atzilut, Beriyah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah —

we stand ready and prepared

to fulfill the commandment of the blessing instituted by the Sages, of blessed memory,

upon the sight of blossoming fruit trees.

May it rise before You, Adonai our God and God of our forefathers,

as though we had directed all the intentions proper for this blessing and its mysteries.

May this blessing be counted, received, and accepted before You,

to sift and raise up through it all the holy sparks intermingled in growing things,

and all the souls, spirits, and neshamot that have transmigrated within them.

You, O God, in Your measure of goodness and in Your great loving-kindness,

illuminate them with the light of Your face,

and complete their sifting and their repair.

Bless them, purify them — through the mercy of Your righteousness, sustain them always.

May it be Your will, Adonai our God and God of our forefathers,

that by the merit of this blessing we are about to recite,

there be fulfilled in us the word:

"See the fragrance of my son is like the fragrance of a field that Adonai has blessed,"

and may we receive the abundance of ten blessings,

as it is written:

"And may God give you of the dew of the heavens (Wisdom)

and of the fat of the earth (Understanding),

and abundance of grain (Knowledge) and wine (Kindness);

May peoples serve you (Might)

and nations bow to you (Beauty),

be master (Victory) over your brothers (Splendor),

and may your mother's sons bow to you (Foundation);

cursed be those who curse you, and blessed be those who bless you" (Sovereignty).

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart find favor before You,

Adonai, my Rock and my Redeemer.

May the pleasantness of Adonai our God be upon us,

and the work of our hands — establish it for us,

the work of our hands — establish it.

Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, King of the universe,

who has left His world lacking nothing,

and created within it good creatures and good trees,

for people to delight in.

After the blessing, recite this petition:

May it be Your will, Adonai our God and God of our forefathers,

that You bring us up in joy to our land

and plant us within our borders,

and there we shall fulfill the commandments of tithes and first-fruits

and all the commandments that are bound to the land

which You bequeathed to our forefathers —

a land flowing with milk and honey,

"a land of streams of water, of springs and deep waters flowing in valley and mountain;

a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates,

a land of olive oil and honey" —

as You commanded us in Your Torah through Moses Your servant.

We beseech You, Adonai, for the sake of Your great name,

enlarge Your kindness toward us

and fulfill for us the promise You made

through Moses Your servant:

"I will give your rains in their season,

and the land shall yield its produce,

and the tree of the field shall give its fruit;

the threshing shall overtake the vintage,

and the vintage shall overtake the sowing,

and you shall eat your bread to the full,

and dwell in safety in your land."

And fulfill in us the promise You made through Isaiah Your prophet:

"On that day the branch of Adonai shall be for beauty and for glory,

and the fruit of the land for pride and splendor, for the survivors of Israel."

And it is said:

"They shall build houses and dwell in them,

and they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit."

And fulfill in us what You promised through Amos Your prophet:

"Behold, days are coming, declares Adonai,

when the plowman shall overtake the reaper,

and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed;

the mountains shall drip sweet wine,

and all the hills shall flow with it;

I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel —

they shall rebuild the ruined cities and settle them,

and they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine,

and make gardens and eat their fruit."

And fulfill in us what You promised through Ezekiel Your prophet:

"I will make the fruit of the tree and the yield of the field abundant,

so that you shall no longer suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations."

And it is said:

"Along the bank of the river, on both sides, there shall grow every tree for food;

its leaf shall not wither, nor its fruit fail —

every month it shall bear fresh fruit,

for its water flows from the sanctuary;

its fruit shall be for food and its leaves for healing."

Our God and God of our forefathers,

Merciful King, have mercy upon us;

Good and beneficent One, let us seek You,

turn to us in Your abundant compassion,

for the sake of the forefathers who did Your will —

rebuild Your House as it was at first,

establish Your holy Temple on its foundation,

show us its rebuilding,

gladden us in its restoration,

restore Your Presence within it,

restore the priests to their service,

and the Levites to their platform,

to their song and their music,

and restore Israel to their dwelling.

And there we shall go up and appear and bow before You,

on our three pilgrimage festivals each and every year,

as it is written:

"Three times a year all your males shall appear before Adonai your God

in the place He will choose —

on the Festival of Matzot, on the Festival of Shavuot, and on the Festival of Sukkot —

and none shall appear before Adonai empty-handed:

each according to the gift of his hand, according to the blessing of Adonai your God which He has given you."

And may You, Adonai our God, reign swiftly

over all Your works,

on Mount Zion, the dwelling of Your glory,

and in Jerusalem, Your holy city,

as it is written in Your holy words:

"Adonai shall reign forever, your God, O Zion, from generation to generation — halleluyah."

A Song of Ascents, of David:

I rejoiced when they said to me: Let us go to the House of Adonai.

Our feet were standing within your gates, O Jerusalem —

Jerusalem, built as a city that is bound together as one,

where the tribes went up — the tribes of Yah — a testimony to Israel, to give thanks to the name of Adonai.

For there the thrones of judgment sat, thrones of the House of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; may those who love you be at ease.

May there be peace within your ramparts, tranquility in your palaces.

For the sake of my brothers and companions, let me speak of peace within you.

For the sake of the House of Adonai our God, I will seek your good.