The Blessing of Flowering Fruit Trees in the Spring Season

If one goes outside during the month of Nissan and sees trees that are blossoming he recites a blessing (Birkat Ha’Ilanot).

The Bracha is noted in the tractate Brachot 43B

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁלֹּא חִסַּר בְּעוֹלָמוֹ כְּלוּם וּבָרָא בוֹ בְּרִיּוֹת טוֹבוֹת וְאִילָנוֹת טוֹבוֹת לֵהָנוֹת בָּהֶם בְּנֵי אָדָם.

Transliteration: Baw-rooch ah-taw Ah-doh-noi Eh-loh-hei-noo meh-lech haw-oh-lawm sheh-loh chee-sar beh-oh-law-moh keh-loom oo-vaw-raw voh beh-ree-yohs toh-vohs veh-ee-law-nohs toh-vohs lei-haw-nohs baw-hem be-nei aw-dawm.

Translation: Blessed are You, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, Who has made nothing lacking in His world, and created in it goodly creatures and goodly trees to give mankind pleasure.

• This blessing is said just once a year—the first time that he sees it.

• Although the ideal situation is for the blessing to be said during the month of Nissan, it would seem that post facto (bedi’eved), if one did not see the trees blossoming until the month of Iyar, it would be permitted to say the blessing.

• One is permitted to say this blessing even on the Shabbat and on holidays.

• Preferably, an effort should be made that the blessing be said when seeing two trees at one time. However, if there is only one tree, the blessing can still be said.

• The blessing should not be said on trees which grow fruits that are crossgrafted from two species.

• In Australia and other countries of the southern hemisphere, where the trees blossom during the months of Elul and Tishrei, the blessing can be said at that time.

 

לְשֵׁם יִחוּד
קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּיהּ,
בִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ, וּרְחִימוּ וּדְחִילוּ,
לְיַחֲדָא שֵׁם יוֹ״ד הֵ״י בְּוָא״ו הֵ״י בְּיִחוּדָא שְׁלִים
בְּשֵׁם כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל

To encourage a uniting of His Majesty,
The Blessed Holy One with Her Immanence, the Presence:
In awe and in love, in love and in awe
To unite All-That-Could-Be to That-Which-Will-Be, the names Yod-Heh and Waw-Heh in inseparable unity
For all of Israel’s sake

 

וּבְשֵׁם כׇּל־הַנְּפָשׁוֹת רוּחוֹת וּנְשָׁמוֹת
הַמִּתְיַחֲסִים אֶל־שׇׁרְשֵׁי נָפְשֵֽׁנוּ רוּחֵֽנוּ וְנִשְׁמָתֵֽנוּ
וּמִלְּבוּשֵׁיהֶם וְהַקְּרוֹבִים לָהֶם
שֶׁמִּכְּלָלוּת אֲצִילוּת בְּרִיאָה יְצִירָה עֲשִׂיָּה,
וּמִכׇּל־פְּרָטֵי אֲצִילוּת בְּרִיאָה יְצִירָה עֲשִׂיָּה,

And for the sake of all beings whose Life-Force, Soul, and Consciousness
is connected at the root to our Life-Force, Soul, and Consciousness
And connected to the Enclothing/manifestations of each of these, and everything closest to these
Which are in the entirety of the Emanation-world, Creation-world, Formation-world and Action-world,
and which are from all pieces of Emanation, Creation, Formation and Action:

 

הֲרֵי אֲנַחְנוּ מוּכָנִים וּמְזֻמָּנִים
לְקַיֵּם מִצְוַת הַבְּרָכָה
שֶׁתִּקְּנוּ חֲכָמִים זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה
עַל רְאִיַּת אִילָנֵי דִמְלַבְלְבֵי׃

We declare ourselves ready and willing
to fulfill the commandment of the blessing
which was ordained by the sages of blessed memory
upon seeing trees in bloom.

 

וְיֹעֲלָה לְפָנֶיךָ י-ה-ו-ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ
כְּאִֽלּוּ כִּוַּנּֽוּ בְּכׇל־הַכַּוָּנוֹת הָרְאוּיוֹת לְכַוֵּן בַּבְּרָכָה הַזֹּאת וְסוֹדוֹתֶֽיהָ,
וְתִהְיֶה חֲשׁוּבָה וּמְקֻבֶּֽלֶת וּרְצוּיָה לְפָנֶֽיךָ בְּרָכָה זוֹ
לְבָרֵר וּלְהַעֲלוֹת עַל יָדָהּ כׇּל־נִיצוֹצֵי הַקְּדֻשָּׁה הַמְּעֹרָבִים בַּצּוֹמֵֽחַ,
וְכׇל־הַנְּפָשׁוֹת רוּחוֹת וּנְשָׁמוֹת הַמְּגֻלְגָּלִים בּוֹ׃

So may [the blessing] go up before You, Adonai our God and God of our ancestors,
as if we kept in mind all of the intentions deserved by this blessing and the secrets it holds,
and may this blessing be desired and accepted and welcomed before You
to identify and elevate, through it, all sparks of the holiness mingled throughout all vegetation,
And every Life-Force, Soul, and Consciousness which may be reincarnated in vegetation.

 

וְאַתָּה הָאֵל בְּמִדַּת טוּבְךָ וְחַסְדְּךָ הַגָּדוֹל
תָּאִיר לָהֶם בְּאוֹר פָּנֶֽיךָ
וְתַשְׁלִים בֵּרוּרָם וְתִקּוּנָם׃
בָּרְכֶם טַהֲרֵם רַחֲמֵי צִדְקָתֶֽךָ תָּמִיד גׇּמְלֵם׃

And You, my God, through Your abundant goodness and kindness,
Light the way for them by the light of Your Face
To complete their clarification and correction.
Bless them, cleanse them, Your righteous kindness always grant them.

 

וִיהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶֽיךָ י-ה-ו-ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ
שֶׁבִּזְכוּת הַבְּרָכָה הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר נְבָרֵךְ יְקֻיַּם בָּֽנוּ מַאֲמָר —
רְאֵה֙ רֵ֣יחַ בְּנִ֔י כְּרֵ֣יחַ שָׂדֶ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בֵּרְכ֖וֹ יְ-הֹ-וָֽ-ה׃ – בראשית כז:כו

And may it Your Majesty’s desire, Adonai our God, God of our ancestors,
that through the merit we gain by incanting this blessing, this statement will be fulfilled through us:
“See, the scent of my son is like the scent of the field that Adonai blessed.” – Genesis 27:26

 

וּנְקַבֵּל שֶׁפַע עֶֽשֶׂר הַבְּרָכוֹת כַּכָּתוּב —
וְיִֽתֶּן־לְךָ֙ הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים מִטַּל֙ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם
וּמִשְׁמַנֵּ֖י הָאָ֑רֶץ
וְרֹ֥ב דָּגָ֖ן וְתִירֹֽשׁ׃ – בראשית כז:כח

And may we receive abundance of ten blessings as written:
“And God will give you of the dew of the heaven
and of the fat of the land,
and much grain and wine.” – Genesis 27:28

 

יַֽעַבְד֣וּךָ עַמִּ֗ים
וְיִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֻ֤ לְךָ֙ לְאֻמִּ֔ים
הֱוֵ֤ה גְבִיר֙ לְאַחֶ֔יךָ
וְיִשְׁתַּחֲו֥וּ לְךָ֖ בְּנֵ֣י אִמֶּ֑ךָ
אֹרְרֶ֣יךָ אָר֔וּר
וּֽמְבָרְכֶ֖יךָ בָּרֽוּךְ׃ – בראשית כז:כט

Peoples will serve you,
nations will bow before you,
you will have power over your brother,
and all your mother’s sons will bow to you,
may those who curse you be cursed,
and may those who bless you be blessed.” – Genesis 27:29

 

יִ֥הְיֽוּ לְרָצ֨וֹן ׀ אִמְרֵי־פִ֡י וְהֶגְי֣וֹן לִבִּ֣י לְפָנֶ֑יךָ
יְ֝-הֹ-וָ֗-ה צוּרִ֥י וְגֹאֲלִֽי׃ – תהלים יט:טו

May the words of my mouth and the flutterings of my heart be welcomed before You,
Adonai my Rock and Redeemer. – Psalms 19:15

 

וִיהִ֤י ׀ נֹ֤עַם אֲדֹנָ֥י אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ עָ֫לֵ֥ינוּ
וּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָ֭דֵינוּ כּוֹנְנָ֥ה עָלֵ֑ינוּ
וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָ֝דֵ֗ינוּ כּוֹנְנֵֽהוּ׃ – תהלים צ:יז

And may the sweetness of the Master our God be upon us,
and the works of our hands be established for us;
may God establish the work of our hands. – Psalms 90:17

 

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה
י-ה-ו-ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ
מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם
שֶׁלֹּא חִסֵּר בְּעוֹלָמוֹ כְּלוּם
וּבָרָא בּוֹ בְּרִיּוֹת טוֹבוֹת
וְאִילָנוֹת טוֹבוֹת
לְהִתְנָאוֹת בָּהֶן בְּנֵי אָדָם׃

Blessed are You,
YHVH (haShem) our elo’ah,
cosmic majesty,
for there is nothing lacking in the world at all,
and created in it: good creatures
and pleasant trees
for the children of Adam to beautify themselves through them

Baruch atah
Adonai Eloheinu
melekh ha-olam
shelo ḥiseir ba-olamo k’lum
uvara vo briyot tovot v’ilanot tovim
l’hitna’ot bahen b’nei Adam

שיר השירים ז:ח-יא

^ח זֹ֤את קֽוֹמָתֵךְ֙ דָּֽמְתָ֣ה לְתָמָ֔ר וְשָׁדַ֖יִךְ לְאַשְׁכֹּלֽוֹת׃ ^ט אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ אֶעֱלֶ֣ה בְתָמָ֔ר אֹֽחֲזָ֖ה בְּסַנְסִנָּ֑יו וְיִֽהְיוּ־נָ֤א שָׁדַ֙יִךְ֙ כְּאֶשְׁכְּל֣וֹת הַגֶּ֔פֶן וְרֵ֥יחַ אַפֵּ֖ךְ כַּתַּפּוּחִֽים׃ ^י וְחִכֵּ֕ךְ כְּיֵ֥ין הַטּ֛וֹב הוֹלֵ֥ךְ לְדוֹדִ֖י לְמֵישָׁרִ֑ים דּוֹבֵ֖ב שִׂפְתֵ֥י יְשֵׁנִֽים׃ ^יא אֲנִ֣י לְדוֹדִ֔י וְעָלַ֖י תְּשׁוּקָתֽוֹ׃

Song of Songs 7:8-11

This one, your body, was like a palm tree, and your breasts clusters [of dates]. I said, I will climb up that palm tree, I will grab its branches. May your breasts be like clusters [of grapes] on the vine, the scent of your breathing like apples. And your mouth like good wine, going straight to my lover, lubricating sleepers’ lips. I am my lover’s, and his desire is upon me.

ספרי דברים רג

ר׳ ישמעאל אומר מכאן חס המקום על פירות האילן ק״ו מאילן. ומה אילן שעושה פירות הזהירך הכתוב עליו פירות עצמם:‏

Sifrei Devarim 203

R’ Yishma’el said: The compassion of the Maqom [מקום, literally, Place, i.e. God] is on the fruit of the tree….For if scripture cautions you [not to harm] the tree that makes fruit [Deuteronomy 20:19], all the more so the fruits themselves.

סנהדרין צח א

ואמר רבי אבא אין לך קץ מגולה מזה שנאמר ואתם הרי ישראל ענפכם תתנו ופריכם תשאו לעמי ישראל וגו’‏ – יחזקאל לו, ח‏

Sanhedrin 98a

R’ Abba taught: There is no greater revelation of redemption than that which the verse states: “And you, mountains of Israel, you shall give forth your branches and you shall bear your fruit for my people Israel, for they shall soon come.” – Ezekiel 36:8

זוהר ב:טו ב

דכד הוה חמי רבי אבא חד אילנא דאביה אתעביד עופא דפרח מניה, הוה בכי ואמר, אי הוו בני נשא ידעי למאי רמיזאן, הוו מבזען מלבושיהון עד טבוריהון למאי דאתנשי חכמה מנהון, כל שכן בשאר מה דעבד קודשא בריך הוא בארעא.‏

Zohar 2:15b

When R’ Abba saw a tree whose fruit turned into a bird and flew away, he wept and said: If men only knew to what these things alluded, they would rend their garments!