Berachah Me’ein Shalosh — Nusach Sefarad — The Abbreviated Blessing After Food (Sephardic Rite)
The Berachah Me'ein Shalosh — literally 'a blessing that is a condensed form of three' — is a shortened after-blessing recited following certain foods: wine, the seven special species of the Land of Israel (wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates), and grain-based foods. Rooted in the Talmud, it distills the three central themes of Birkat Hamazon into a single blessing: gratitude for food, love of the Land of Israel, and hope for Jerusalem. Whoever wishes to encounter the ancient Jewish practice of blessing after eating is warmly welcome here.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, for:
[For wine:] The vine and the fruit of the vine:
[For fruits of the seven species:] The tree and the fruit of the tree:
[For grain foods:] The sustenance and the nourishment:
[For grain foods and wine together:] The sustenance and the nourishment and the vine and the fruit of the vine:
And for the produce of the field, and for the precious, good, and spacious land
That You desired and bequeathed to our forefathers, to eat of its fruit and to be satisfied with its goodness.
Have compassion, (please,) Adonai our God, on Israel Your people,
And on Jerusalem Your city,
And on Zion, the resting place of Your glory,
And on Your altar and on Your Temple.
Rebuild Jerusalem, the holy city, speedily in our days;
Bring us up within her and gladden us in her rebuilding;
May we eat of her fruit and be satisfied with her goodness,
And bless You for her in holiness and in purity:
[On Shabbat:] Be pleased and grant us relief on this Shabbat day:
[On Rosh Chodesh:] Remember us for good on this New Moon day:
[On Rosh Hashanah:] Remember us for good on this Day of Remembrance:
[On a festival:] Gladden us on this festival of (name of festival):
For You, Adonai, are good and do good to all,
And we give thanks to You for the land and for:
[For wine:] Blessed are You, Adonai, for the land and for the fruit of the vine:
(In the Land of Israel: and for the fruit of her vine)
[For fruits:] Blessed are You, Adonai, for the land and for the fruits:
(In the Land of Israel: and for her fruits)
[For grain foods:] Blessed are You, Adonai, for the land and for the sustenance and the nourishment:
[For grain foods and wine together:] Blessed are You, Adonai, for the land and for the sustenance and the nourishment and for the fruit of the vine:
(In the Land of Israel: and for the fruit of her vine)
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha'olam al:
[For wine:] Al hagafen ve'al peri hagafen:
[For fruits of the seven species:] Al ha'etz ve'al peri ha'etz:
[For grain foods:] Al hamichyah ve'al hakalkalah:
[For grain foods and wine together:] Al hamichyah ve'al hakalkalah ve'al hagafen ve'al peri hagafen:
Ve'al tenuvat hasadeh ve'al eretz chemdah tovah urechavah
Sheratzita vehinchalta la'avoteinu le'echol mipiryah velisboa mituvah,
Rachem (na) Adonai Eloheinu al Yisrael amecha
Ve'al Yerushalayim irecha
Ve'al Tziyon mishkan kevodecha
Ve'al mizbachecha ve'al heichalecha,
Uveneh Yerushalayim ir hakodesh bimherah veyameinu
Veha'aleinu letochah vesamcheinu bevinyanah
Veno'chal mipiryah venisba mituvah
Unevarechecha aleha bikdushah uveta'harah:
[On Shabbat:] Uretze vehachalitzeinu beyom haShabbat hazeh:
[On Rosh Chodesh:] Vezochreinu letovah beyom Rosh HaChodesh hazeh:
[On Rosh Hashanah:] Vezochreinu letovah beyom haZikaron hazeh:
[On a festival:] Vesamcheinu beyom chag (name of festival) hazeh:
Ki Atah Adonai tov umetiv lakol
Venodeh lecha al ha'aretz ve'al:
[For wine:] Baruch Atah Adonai al ha'aretz ve'al peri hagafen:
(In the Land of Israel: ve'al peri gafnah)
[For fruits:] Baruch Atah Adonai al ha'aretz ve'al haperot:
(In the Land of Israel: ve'al perotehah)
[For grain foods:] Baruch Atah Adonai al ha'aretz ve'al hamichyah ve'al hakalkalah:
[For grain foods and wine together:] Baruch Atah Adonai al ha'aretz ve'al hamichyah ve'al hakalkalah ve'al peri hagafen:
(In the Land of Israel: ve'al peri gafnah)
Common Questions
The seven species (shivat haminim) are the seven agricultural products with which the Land of Israel is praised in the Torah (Deuteronomy 8:8): wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates (date honey). Foods made from or containing these species — such as grape wine, olive oil, or date cake — require this specific after-blessing rather than the longer Birkat Hamazon.
Jewish law is precise about matching blessings to the specific food consumed. The opening and closing phrases of this blessing shift depending on whether one ate grain products, drank wine, ate fruit of the seven species, or had a combination. This reflects a broader Jewish principle that each type of nourishment carries its own distinct expression of gratitude.
On Shabbat, a phrase is added asking God to 'be pleased and grant us relief' on the holy day. On Rosh Chodesh (the new month) and Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), a phrase asks to 'remember us for good' on that day. On festivals, a phrase of rejoicing in the specific holiday is inserted. These additions ensure the blessing reflects the sanctity of the particular day.