Sheva Brachot (שבע ברכות) — Seven Blessings

The seven sacred brachot (שבע ברכות) that sanctify the union and continue for seven days of celebration.

What Are the Sheva Brachot?

The Sheva Brachot (seven blessings) are the pinnacle of the Chuppah ceremony. Recited over a cup of wine, these seven blessings praise God for creating the world, forming humanity, and bringing joy to the bride and groom. They move from the universal — the creation of the world — to the particular — the happiness of this specific couple — weaving their personal joy into the grand tapestry of Jewish history and divine purpose.

The Seven Blessings

The blessings progress through themes of creation, human dignity, the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and marital joy. Below is the full text of each of the שבע ברכות in Hebrew, English transliteration, and English meaning:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן.
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha'olam, borei pri hagafen.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהַכֹּל בָּרָא לִכְבוֹדוֹ.
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha'olam, shehakol bara lichvodo.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has created all things for His glory.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, יוֹצֵר הָאָדָם.
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha'olam, yotzer ha'adam.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Creator of humankind.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר יָצַר אֶת הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ, בְּצֶלֶם דְּמוּת תַּבְנִיתוֹ, וְהִתְקִין לוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ בִּנְיַן עֲדֵי עַד. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה', יוֹצֵר הָאָדָם.
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha'olam, asher yatzar et ha'adam b'tzalmo, b'tzelem d'mut tavnito, v'hitkin lo mimenu binyan adei ad. Baruch atah Adonai, yotzer ha'adam.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who fashioned the human being in His image, in the image of His likeness, and prepared from his very self a perpetual edifice. Blessed are You, Lord, Creator of humankind.
שׂוֹשׂ תָּשִׂישׂ וְתָגֵל הָעֲקָרָה, בְּקִבּוּץ בָּנֶיהָ לְתוֹכָהּ בְּשִׂמְחָה. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה', מְשַׂמֵּחַ צִיּוֹן בְּבָנֶיהָ.
Sos tasis v'tagel ha'akarah b'kibutz baneha l'tochah b'simchah. Baruch atah Adonai, m'sameach Tzion b'vaneha.
May the barren one (Zion) rejoice and be glad at the joyful ingathering of her children. Blessed are You, Lord, who gladdens Zion through her children.
שַׂמֵּחַ תְּשַׂמַּח רֵעִים הָאֲהוּבִים, כְּשַׂמֵּחֲךָ יְצִירְךָ בְּגַן עֵדֶן מִקֶּדֶם. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה', מְשַׂמֵּחַ חָתָן וְכַלָּה.
Sameach t'samach re'im ha'ahuvim k'samechacha y'tzircha b'Gan Eden mikedem. Baruch atah Adonai, m'sameach chatan v'kallah.
Grant abundant joy to these loving companions, as You bestowed gladness upon Your created being in the Garden of Eden of old. Blessed are You, Lord, who gladdens the chatan and kallah.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה, חָתָן וְכַלָּה, גִּילָה רִנָּה דִּיצָה וְחֶדְוָה, אַהֲבָה וְאַחֲוָה וְשָׁלוֹם וְרֵעוּת. מְהֵרָה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ יִשָּׁמַע בְּעָרֵי יְהוּדָה וּבְחוּצוֹת יְרוּשָׁלָיִם קוֹל שָׂשׂוֹן וְקוֹל שִׂמְחָה, קוֹל חָתָן וְקוֹל כַּלָּה, קוֹל מִצְהֲלוֹת חֲתָנִים מֵחֻפָּתָם וּנְעָרִים מִמִּשְׁתֵּה נְגִינָתָם. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה', מְשַׂמֵּחַ חָתָן עִם הַכַּלָּה.
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha'olam, asher bara sason v'simchah, chatan v'kallah, gilah rinah ditzah v'chedvah, ahavah v'achavah v'shalom v're'ut. M'herah Adonai Eloheinu yishama b'arei Yehudah uv'chutzot Yerushalayim, kol sason v'kol simchah, kol chatan v'kol kallah, kol mitzhalot chatanim meichupatam, un'arim mimishteh n'ginatam. Baruch atah Adonai, m'sameach chatan im hakallah.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who created joy and gladness, chatan and kallah, mirth, glad song, pleasure, delight, love, brotherhood, peace, and companionship. Speedily, O Lord our God, may there be heard in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem the sound of joy and the sound of gladness, the voice of the chatan and the voice of the kallah, the jubilant voice of chatanim from their chuppah and of youths from their feasts of song. Blessed are You, Lord, who gladdens the chatan together with the kallah.

Who Recites the Blessings?

Traditionally, the Sheva Brachot are distributed among honored guests — rabbis, family members, and close friends — who each recite one or more blessings. Being called upon to recite a bracha is a significant honor. A minyan (quorum of ten Jewish adults) is required for the Sheva Brachot to be recited, underscoring the communal nature of the celebration.

Seven Days of Celebration

The Sheva Brachot are not limited to the wedding day. For seven days following the ceremony, festive meals are held in honor of the couple, and the seven blessings are recited again at each meal where a minyan is present and a "panim chadashot" (new guest who was not at the wedding) attends. These celebrations extend the joy and allow the community to share in the couple's happiness.

The Wine Cup

Two cups of wine are used during the ceremony — one for the betrothal blessings (Birkat Erusin) and one for the Sheva Brachot. After the blessings are recited, the couple drinks from the second cup together. Some couples combine wine from both cups into a single vessel, symbolizing the blending of their two lives into one.