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346

DRINKS.

the

midst

thereof

eftsoons,

even

In

these

present

days,

that

we

may

bless

Thee

in

purity

and

hoHness.

For

Thou

art

good,

and

the

Giver

of

good

to

all.

Blessed

art

Thou,

O

Lord,

for

the

land

and

for

the

fruit

of

the

vine."

This

beautiful

prayer,^

of

which

only

the

roughest

sketch

has

been

given

here,

has

been

said

by

pious

Hebrews

at

every

meal

in

which

wine

has

been

drunk

from

time

immemorial.

But

upon

wine

alone

has

this

honour

been

conferred.

Those

who

drink

Shecar,

or

water,

or

any

other

beverage

except

wine,

say

before

their

draught

thus

.

much

only

:

"

Blessed

art

Thou,

O

Lord

our

God,

universal

King,

by

whose

word

all

things

were

made

;

"

and

after

it,

''

Blessed

art

Thou,

O

Lord

our

God,

universal

King,

the

Creator

of

many

souls,

and

their

needs,

for

all

which

Thou

hast

created,

to

keep

alive

the

soul

of

every

living

thing.

Blessed

art

Thou who

livest

everlastingly."

But

these

two

prayers

have

no

especial

and

neces-

sary

relation

to

drinks.

They

are

also

used

where

aught

is

eaten

which

has

not

grown

originally

and

directly

out

of

the

earth,

as,

for

example,

the

flesh

of

some

beasts,

and

birds,.

and

fishes,

and

cheese,

milk,

butter,

and

honey.

In

the

present

work

particular

attention

has

been

given,

in

the.^ase

of

alcoholic

drinks,

to

wines,

spirits,

liqueurs,

and

beers,

and

in

the

case

of

non-alcoholic,

to

mineral

waters,

tea,

coffee,

and

other

beverages

^

The

form

of

this

thanksgiving

is

very

nearly

akin

to

that

said

on

the

occasion

of

eating

any

of

the

five

kinds

of

cooked

food

from

which

the

challah

is

due.