The Shulchan Aruch · Yoreh De'ah
יורה דעה שע״טYoreh De'ah 379
Siman 379 of 402 in Yoreh De'ah — 5 se'ifim
הלכות אבילותMourning· siman 379
Se’if 1א׳
כְּשֶׁמְּבָרְכִין בִּרְכַּת הַמָּזוֹן בְּבֵית הָאָבֵל, אוֹמֵר בְּרָכָה רְבִיעִית כְּנֻסַח זוֹ: בא"י אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הָאֵל אָבִינוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ בּוֹרְאֵנוּ גוֹאֲלֵנוּ קְדוֹשֵׁנוּ קְדוֹשׁ יַעֲקֹב הַמֶּלֶךְ הַחַי הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב אֵל אֱמֶת דַּיַּן אֱמֶת שׁוֹפֵט בְּצֶדֶק וְכו'. הַגָּה: לוֹקֵחַ נְפָשׁוֹת בְּמִשְׁפָּט שַׁלִּיט בְּעוֹלָמוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת בּוֹ כִּרְצוֹנוֹ כִּי כָּל דְּרָכָיו בְּמִשְׁפָּט וַאֲנַחְנוּ עַמּוֹ וַעֲבָדָיו וּבַכֹּל אֲנַחְנוּ חַיָּבִים לְהוֹדוֹת לוֹ וּלְבָרְכוֹ גּוֹדֵר פִּרְצוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא יִגְדֹּר הַפִּרְצָה הַזֹּאת מֵעָלֵינוּ וּמֵעַל אָבֵל זֶה לְחַיִּים וּלְשָׁלוֹם (טוּר).
When grace is recited after meals in the house of mourning, one recites in the fourth benediction the following version:1Ber. 46b. 'Blessed art Thou, Lord our God, King of the Universe, O God our Father, our King, our Creator, our Redeemer, our Holy One, the Holy One of Jacob, [our Shepherd, the Shepherd of Israel, the good King, who does good to all, who day by day has dealt kindly and will deal kindly with us],2The words in brackets should also be included, for it goes without saying that these words which are part of the regular version should also be recited — ShaK. Siddur of Daily Services and also Oẓar Hat. Vol. I, p. 765. the living King, who is good and does good, God of Truth, Judge of Truth, who judges in righteousness. Gloss: Who takes away souls in judgment, who is Ruler in His Universe to do as it pleaseth him in it, for all his ways are judgment and we are His people and His servants and for everything we are dutibound to give thanks unto Him and to bless Him. He who fences in the breaches of Israel will fence in this breach from upon us and from upon this mourner for the sake of life and peace.'3Tur on the authority of Asheri — G. Thus also Ber. 46b, Tosaf. s.v. מר. After inserting this version, the mourner continues with the regular text, ‘Thou hast bestowed etc.’ — ShaK. The mourner is given the priority to lead in the saying of grace and to recite the benediction over the cup of grace, even if he arrived towards the end of the meal, — only during the seven days of mourning, for then he sits at the head (v. supra § 376), but not after the seven days. Furthermore, this (viz., that during the seven days the mourner has priority) applies only if both the mourner and the comforter are of equal distinction, but if the head of the house is a mourner and there is a guest present, or even if the guest is a mourner, then the law is that if the head of the house desires to lead in the saying of grace and to recite the blessing over the cup (even after the seven days), he has a right to do so — P.Tesh. and Later Codifiers.
Se’if 2ב׳
יֵשׁ מוֹסִיפִים בִּבְרָכָה שְׁלִישִׁית: נַחֵם ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֶת אֲבֵלֵי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם וְאֶת הָאֲבֵלִים הַמִתְאַבְּלִים בָּאֵבֶל הַזֶּה, נַחֲמֵם מֵאֶבְלָם וְשַׂמְּחֵם מִיגוֹנָם, כָּאָמוּר: כְּאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר אִמּוֹ תְּנַחֲמֶנּוּ (יְשַׁעְיָה סו, יג) וְכו' בא"י מְנַחֵם צִיּוֹן בְּבִנְיַן יְרוּשָׁלַיִם.
Some4Kol Bo s. 115. Thus also R. Amram; Tanya s. 68; Abudraham, Laws of Benedictions. Cf. the prayer נחם recited on the ninth day of Ab. add in the third benediction,5 Oẓar Hat. ibid. ['and rebuild Jerusalem, the Holy City speedily in our days,' — the words], 'Comfort, O Lord our God, the mourners of Jerusalem and the mourners who are observing this mourning. Comfort them from this mourning and make them rejoice from their sorrow,6Cf. Jer. XXXI, 1 as it is said, one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.7Is. LXVI, 13. Blessed art Thou, O God, who comfortest Zion in the rebuilding of Jerusalem.'8One should not say, ‘Blessed art thou … who comfortest mourners and rebuildest Jerusalem,’ for the closing formula must never contain two subjects. One may, however, say, ‘Blessed art Thou … who comfortest Zion and rebuildest Jerusalem, for both these subjects relate to the same idea. This latter closing formula is said at the Minḥa service on the ninth day of Ab in the נחם prayer — Shak.
Se’if 3ג׳
יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים בְּבִרְכַּת זִמּוּן: נְבָרֵךְ מְנַחֵם אֲבֵלִים שֶׁאָכַלְנוּ מִשֶּׁלוֹ.
Some say in the introductory benediction to say grace, 'Let us bless the Comforter of mourners whose food we have eaten.'9Tur on the authority of R. Amram. Thus also N in T.H. In introducing the grace, the leader says, ‘Let us bless the Comforter of mourners whose food we have eaten and through whose goodness we live,’ after which they respond, ‘Blessed is the Comforter of mourners whose food we have eaten and through whose goodness we live.’ This is repeated by the leader. When ten people are present, the leader includes the words, ‘our God’ after ‘Blessed be.’
Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah — Torat Emet 357 edition, via Sefaria — public domain
English: Code of Hebrew Law, tr. Chaim N. Denburg, Montreal 1955 — CC BY