Wikipedia

Borei Nefashot

Borei Nefashot (Hebrew:בּוֹרֵא נְפָשׁוֹת‎, "Who creates many souls") is a short Jewish blessing recited after consuming foods or beverages that do not require the longer Birkat Hamazon or the intermediate blessing Al HaMichya. It is classified as a berakhah acharonah (blessing after eating) and is typically recited after eating fruits, vegetables, or drinking beverages other than wine.[1]

Text

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The blessing begins with the words:[2]

"בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא נְפָשׁוֹת רַבּוֹת וְחֶסְרוֹנָן עַל כָּל מַה שֶּׁבָּרָאתָ (יש גורסים: שֶּׁבָּרָא) לְהַחֲיוֹת בָּהֶם (יש משמיטים מלת "בָּהֶם") נֶפֶשׁ כָּל חַי, בָּרוּךְ חֵי הָעוֹלָמִים".

"Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-Olam, borei nefashot rabbot v’chesronan al kol ma shebarata l’hachayot bahem nefesh kol chai. Baruch chei ha-olamim."

Translated

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"Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates many souls and their deficiencies, for all that You have created with which to sustain the soul of every living being. Blessed is the Life of the worlds."

Rabbinic Sources

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The blessing is mentioned in the Talmud (Berakhot 37a) as the proper after-blessing for foods not covered by Birkat Hamazon or Al HaMichya. Later codifiers, including Maimonides and the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 207), codified its use in Jewish law.[3]

The Laws of in Rabbinic Halacha

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  • One does not recite the blessing at a meal that includes bread, because then the blessing is included in the blessing of food.[4]
  • The blessing is usually said immediately after finishing eating or drinking, provided that no time has passed since the end of eating, equivalent to the time for digesting food (according to the Sages: approximately seventy-two minutes).[4]
  • The blessing is said only if one has eaten a "kazait" amount (according to most opinions, about 27 grams) or has drunk a Revi'it (according to most opinions, about 75 ml). One who has tasted only a small amount does not recite the blessing.[4]

General Blessing

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Borei Nefashot is also a general blessing, used in cases where it is unknown which blessing should be bless. However, there are those who disagree and hold that the Nefashot, unlike the Shehakol blessing, does not exempt other concluding blessings at all.

References

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  1. ^ "Borei Nefashot: After-Blessing on Other Foods". www.chabad.org. Retrieved 2025-09-08.
  2. ^ "NeoHasid.org | Borei N'fashot". neohasid.org. Retrieved 2025-09-08.
  3. ^ "Blessings Over Food" (PDF).
  4. ^ a b c האתר, מנהל (2000-10-10). "הלכה ד - בורא נפשות | פרק י - ברכה אחרונה | פניני הלכה - הרב אליעזר מלמד שליט"א". פניני הלכה (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2025-10-27.
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