Rabbi Shefa Gold Chants the Ben Ish Chai's Shortened Birkat Hamazon

Rabbi Shefa Gold Chants the Ben Ish Chai's Shortened Birkat Hamazon

This link opens up Rabbi Shefa Gold's meditative Aramaic and English chant based on the Ben Ish Chai's one-line version of the Grace After Meals. The Ben Ish Chai (Rabbi Yosef Hayim, 1835-1909), was a leading Sephardic rabbi and Kabbalist who lived in Baghdad. He ruled that in extreme cases when someone is very short on time or does not know how to read Hebrew, this one line blessing in Aramaic, based on a verse in the Talmud (Brachot 40b), can be recited instead of the lengthy Grace After Meals. Rabbi Shefa Gold is a Renewal and Reconstuctionist Rabbi who teaches chanting, devotional healing, spiritual community-building and meditation. This song comes from her album, Chanscendence, which is made up of meditative, melodic chants inspired by traditional Jewish sources.

בְּרִיך רַחֲמָנָא מַלְכָּא דְעַלְמָא מָרֵיהּ דְהַאי פִּיתָּא

B’rikh rakhamana, malka de'alma marey d’hai pita

You are the source of life for all that is, and your blessing flows through me.