Baruch Atah: Another Look

What is a brachah, and what is the meaning of the very first words with which we begin all brachos — baruch Atah? Universally translated as “blessed art Thou,” there is much that lies beneath the surface of these well-known (and often mangled) words.

Let us begin our journey of discovery.

Our Talmudic Sages (Menachos 43b) ordained that a Jew should recite one hundred brachos each day. (Why this number is a subject for a separate discussion.) This is because with each baruch Atah we declare our subservience to the Creator throughout the day, not only when we daven three times daily, but also when we drink a cup of coffee, eat a fruit, have a quick snack or a full meal, are called to the Torah, and many other occasions.

Since this subservience and this recognition are the foundation blocks of being a Jew, it is obvious that brachos should be recited with intentionality — kavanah — with full awareness of the One being addressed and of our relationship to Him. When we slur the words of baruch Atah, we are slurring over the basics of Yiddishkeit. The very frequency and repetitiveness of this recitation, however, makes it even more necessary to make a conscious effort to recite the familiar words with freshness and meaning. Specifically, the very first word is pronounced “baw-ruch,” and not “bruch.” And the name for G-d has three separate syllables: “ah — doh — nai.”

The word baruch has a fascinating etymology. It is similar to the word for “knee,” berech. The connection is clear. G-d is the One to Whom the knee is bent — an acknowledgment of subservience. Thus, baruch Atah means: You are the Master of the universe, the One to Whom the knee is bent.