This blessing can be found on page 715 of Siddur Sim Shalom.

It is with tremendous care that must approach the endeavor of reciting brachot. We must make a conscious effort to say the appropriate bracha with the corresponding action. In fact, there is a detailed discussion in the Talmud (Brachot) about the concern the Rabbis had over whether or not you said a bracha with he proper intention. They remind us of the importance of a series of laws known under the rubric of Bracha Levatalah (a blessing recited in vain). A person is never supposed to recite a bracha without express purpose and intent, otherwise that person would be utilizing God's name in vain.

Therefore, before we say a bracha we should take a moment to think through what the appropriate bracha should be then, and only then, say it. To this point I have tried to stress the impact a bracha can have on how we acknowledge the intricacies of our world and the impact of saying Brachot can have on our appreciation of our milieu. That care must come in the smallest and most exacting way, making sure we recite the proper bracha with the proper activity or moment of understanding.

This bracha is recited over all foods over which another bracha has not been determined. So for example, it is said over the consumption of beverages (except wine). As well, it is said when the person reciting the bracha cannot recall or does not know the exact bracha that would normally be said. It is a catch-all bracha that can be used in a variety of circumstances. It reminds us that all things come from God. That word is recited with the verb in the present tense suggestive of the idea that God continues to play a role in the world and has not simply set the world in motion and stepped away.

This bracha is usually one of the first brachot learned as it has a universal application. But it is also instructive the method by which God creates. As we have learned from the story of the Genesis of the world seen in the first chapters of the Torah, God creates the world through speaking. It reminds us if we are to imitate God in our lives we must be careful with the words we use. Language can be constructive and destructive, and therefore, we must use care in our speech. Through the recitation of brachot we establish a relationship with God. Through saying words, we better place ourselves in this world and strengthen our connection to God. Prayer is the action of speech as a creative force.

So the next time you pick up a glass of orange juice and you say this bracha you will connect yourself to God and create a relationship that will help you to maintain a dialogue with the Almighty.

Copyright © 2001 Rabbi Yohanan Stein. All rights reserved. 

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