Blessings Before Learning Torah
The Torah commands us to recite a special blessing over the study
of Torah before we study Torah. This is required only once a day,
every day. If you have not said these blessings today, please
recite them now, before reading the Torah on this web site.
Blessed are You, Hashem our G-d, King of the universe, Who has made
us holy through His commandments, and commanded us to actively
study Torah.
Please Hashem, our G-d, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our
mouths and in the mouths of all Your people Israel. May we and our
offspring, and our offspring's offspring, and all the offspring of
Your people, the House of Israel, may we all, together, know Your
Name and study Your Torah for the sake of fulfilling Your desire.
Blessed are You, Hashem, Who teaches Torah to His people
Israel.
Blessed are You, Hashem our G-d, King of the universe, Who chose us
from all the nations, and gave us the Torah. Blessed are You,
Hashem, Giver of the Torah.
We now recite some Torah selections:
Hashem spoke to Moses, explaining a Commandment. "Speak to Aaron
and his sons, and teach them the following Commandment: This is how
you should bless the Children of Israel. Say to the Children of
Israel:
May Hashem bless you and keep watch over you;
May Hashem make His Presence enlighten you, and may He be kind to
you;
May Hashem bestow favor on you, and grant you peace.
This way, the priests will link My Name with the Israelites, and I
will bless them."
It is good to recite this passage from the Talmud as
well:
These are the Laws for which the Torah did not mandate specific
amounts: How much growing produce must be left in the corner of the
field for the poor; how much of the first fruits must be offered at
the Holy Temple; how much one must bring as an offering when one
visits the Holy Temple three times a year; how much one must do
when doing acts of kindness; and there is no maximum amount of
Torah that a person must study.
These are the Laws whose benefits a person can often enjoy even in
this world, even though the primary reward is in the Next World:
They are: Honoring one's father and mother; doing acts of kindness;
early attendance at the place of Torah study -- morning and night;
showing hospitality to guests; visiting the sick; providing for the
financial needs of a bride; escorting the dead; being very
engrossed in prayer; bringing peace between two people, and between
husband and wife; but the study of Torah is as great as all of them
together.