This blessing for breaking bread, inspired by HaMotzi, meaning “the one who brings forth,” was composed by Machar: The Washington Congregation for Secular Humanistic Judaism. Typical of this movement, founded in 1963 by the late Rabbi Sherwin T. Wine, the blessing omits any mention of God, as Humanistic Judaism enables people of any ethnic or religious background to cherish Jewish history, culture, and ethics without worshipping a supernatural being. The strong emphasis on community and global social responsibility is evident in the communal nature of the blessing, as well as the content of the blessing itself. This text was originally posted on Ritualwell, a project of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College that provides a platform for creating new Jewish practices and observances.
Let Us Bring Forth Food: Humanistic Ha-Motzi
Each time we break bread, let us appreciate our bounty and share it with others.
Each time we break bread, let us nourish ourselves to work for peace and justice.
Each time we break bread,let us commit ourselves to a covenant for a better world.
Let us bring forth food from the land so we all may be satisfied and sustained.
Notzi lekhem min ha-aretz k’dei she-nistapek v’-nit-kalkel kula-nu.
נוֹצִיא לֶחֶם מִן הָאָרֶץכְּדַי שֶׁנִּסְתַּפֵּק וְנִתְכַּלְכֵּל כֻּלָּנו