Illustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Halakhah הֲלָכָה
The idea of saying בְּרָכוֹת (berakhot, blessings) over mitzvot comes from the Rabbis, but there is one mitzvah that the Torah tells us needs a berakhah before it, and that’s the mitzvah of learning Torah!
According to the Gemara (Berakhot 21a), the source for saying a berakhah before learning Torah is this pasuk in our parashah (Devarim 32:3):
כִּי שֵׁם יהוה אֶקְרָא הָבוּ גֹדֶל לֵאלֹהֵינוּ
Before I call out God’s Name (by learning Torah), give glory to God (by saying a berakhah)
There are actually three berakhot that together form בִּרְכוֹת הַתּוֹרָה (Birkhot Ha-Torah):
- First is a berakhah for the mitzvah of Torah study. There are slightly different versions. Ashkenazim say לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה (la’asok bedivrei Torah) and Sefardim say עַל דִבְרֵי תוֹרָה (al divrei Torah).
- Then we say a prayer asking for our Torah study to be pleasant and sweet, which ends with a berakhah praising God for teaching us Torah: הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל (hemelamed Torah le’amo Yisrael).
- The final berakhah thanks God for choosing to give the Torah to the Jewish people: נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה (notein ha-Torah).
When to say Birkhot Ha-Torah?
These berakhot are normally recited first thing in the morning, at the opening of Shaharit. If you don’t say them at Shaharit, it’s good to say them before you start learning any Torah (Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayyim 47:2). Once you’ve said Birkhot Ha-Torah once, they’ve got you covered for all your Torah learning all day long!
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