Siman 189

The fourth blessing is "HaTov VeHaMeitiv," and it is not from the Torah. Rather, the sages instituted it after the war of Beitar, for after the conquest of Beitar and the multitude of the slain—to the point that they said in the Yerushalmi, the fourth chapter of Taanit (Halacha 5), and in Midrash Eicha on the verse "The Lord has swallowed up...": that Hadrian had a large vineyard eighteen mil by eighteen mil, and he surrounded it with the slain of Beitar at the height of a man's stature, and he did not permit them to be buried, until another king arose and permitted them to be buried; see there. And they said: that when Beitar was destroyed, the horn of Israel was cut off, and it is not destined to return until the coming of the Mashiach. Therefore, they instituted this blessing next to "Boneh Yerushalayim," as if saying: May it be Your will that You return the horn of Israel with the coming of the son of David, which is the building of Jerusalem (Rosh). And it seems to me that the reason they did not establish it in the Tefillah next to the blessing of "Boneh Yerushalayim" is because there it is in the middle of the Tefillah; which is not the case in Birkat HaMazon, where it is after the completion of the blessings. Furthermore: in Gittin (57a) we say that "He has cut off in fierce anger all the horn of Israel" refers to the slain of Beitar; see there. And this is as I have written, that then the horn of Israel was cut off. And in the Tefillah we say after "Boneh Yerushalayim": "and may his horn be exalted through Your salvation," which is not the case in Birkat HaMazon.

Furthermore: the essence of the blessing belongs more to Birkat HaMazon. For thus the sages said there: At the time when the slain of Beitar were given for burial, they instituted in Yavne "HaTov VeHaMeitiv." "HaTov" (the Good) because they did not decompose, "VeHaMeitiv" (and the One who does good) because they were given for burial. That is to say: to teach us that even at the time of the Holy One, Blessed be He's anger toward us, He performs miracles and wonders for us; for you have no miracles greater than these slain of Beitar, who were lying for many years upon the face of the earth and did not decompose, and afterward were given for burial. And this is a sign that the Holy One, Blessed be He, will never abandon us, even at a time when we sin before Him, as it is written: "The Lord has chastened me sorely, but He has not given me over unto death." And because the primary afflictions are poverty, as Job said: "With all this I have chosen poverty"; and as their statement, of blessed memory (Bava Batra 116a): Poverty is harder than fifty plagues. Therefore, so that we should not worry that, Heaven forbid, we will be lacking bread, they therefore instituted the blessing of "HaTov VeHaMeitiv," and as they instituted in this blessing "He did good, He will do good [...] and of all good may He never let us lack." Therefore, this belongs only to Birkat HaMazon (it appears to me).

This blessing opens with "Baruch," as it is not adjacent to its fellow since it was instituted on its own for a different matter, as I have written. It does not conclude with "Baruch" because it is like a short blessing: for initially it was only instituted to say "Baruch HaTov VeHaMeitiv," and afterward they added to it three rewards and three benefits, as will be explained (Tur). And furthermore: because they did not want to make it superior to the blessings of the Torah that precede it (Rashba), meaning: since the blessing of the Land and "Boneh Yerushalayim" have a conclusion without an opening, therefore here, where there is an opening—there is no conclusion. And furthermore: because in truth all the matters in this blessing are all one matter, and one form in different words of titles for Hashem, may He be blessed, for His goodness toward us, and its law is like a short blessing where the intent is one matter (Tosafot R"i).

And our sages, of blessed memory, said (49a) that it requires three mentions of sovereignty, meaning: one for itself like all blessings, in which we say "King of the universe." And one for "Who builds Jerusalem," as we wrote in the previous siman that it was impossible to mention sovereignty there because of the sovereignty of the House of David, therefore they added here another mention of sovereignty for its sake; and this is what we say: "The God, our Father, our King, our Creator." And since they instituted this for "Who builds Jerusalem," they also instituted it for the blessing of the Land, and this is what we say: "The King who is good and does good to all." But for "Who feeds," it is not necessary, for it itself contains "King of the universe," as it opens with "Blessed."

Our teachers wrote based on the Midrash that since we say within it three kingships, we also say within it three bestowals of good, which are: "He has been good, He is good, He will be good to us"; and three recompenses: "He has recompensed us, He recompenses us, He will recompense us...". The Rambam did not mention anything of this, only three kingships; see there in the second chapter, and also in his version of Birkat HaMazon it is not mentioned. According to his version, it is indeed a short blessing; see there. The matter of the three bestowals of good and the recompenses refers to the past, the present, and the future, and our version is well-known in the siddurim. Some have the version: "In every bestowal to us, He has been good to us, He is good to us, He will be good to us." And some have the version: "He has been good, is good, will be good." The primary version is like ours. And we say "that in each and every day He has been good...". Some complain about the version "that in each day" and say instead that one should say "God in each day" (Magen Avraham, subsection 1). This phrasing is not comfortable at all (Taz, subsection 2). The explanation is: that in each day it is so, for first we say "the King who is good and does good to all," which is to say that in each and every day "He has been good...".

The mourner adds in this blessing: The God, our Father, our King… the Holy One of Jacob, the King who lives, who is good and does good, God of truth, Judge of truth, righteous Judge, who takes souls in judgment, and rules in His world to do in it according to His will, for all His ways are judgment; and we are His servants and His people, and in everything we are obligated to thank Him and to bless Him; He who repairs breaches, He shall repair this breach from upon us for life and for peace and all good. And also the rest of those reclining shall say this blessing, and they add "from upon us and from upon this mourner for life and for peace…". And it was explained in Yoreh Deah siman 379, see there. And there it was explained if this is said on Shabbat, see there.

The end of the blessing is "forever may He not let us lack," and there one must answer "Amen." And the "Harachaman" that we say is not part of the blessing; rather, it is a mere addition, similar to the supplications after Shemoneh Esrei. This is the wording of the Tur: My brother, the Ri, of blessed memory, wrote: They are accustomed to lengthen the blessing of HaTov VeHaMeitiv with "Harachaman" in several varieties, and I do not know from where this came to increase requests between Birkat HaMazon and the blessing of Borei Peri HaGafen (when blessing over the cup). And it is possible they were accustomed to do so from what they said: The guest blesses. Thus far his words. And it appears to me that there is no concern of an interruption in this. And greater than this we find in the blessing of circumcision, that they pray for the child..., and it interrupts between the blessing and the drinking. Thus far the wording of the Tur. And in any case, one must exclude from the mind of the masses who believe that "Harachaman" belongs to Birkat HaMazon, and they answer "Amen" after the Harachaman and not after "may He not let us lack"; and this is a great error, and one must inform them. And the guest blesses the host (46a), and the text of the blessing will be explained in siman 201. And he concludes "and say Amen." And on weekdays he says "Magdil" and on Shabbat and Yom Tov and Rosh Chodesh he says "Migdol," as it is written in Samuel. And there is a reason for this. (And know that all the letters are present in Birkat HaMazon except for the letter Peh Sofit, for one who recites Birkat HaMazon with intention, neither anger [Af] nor flood [Shetzef] nor wrath [Katzef] shall rule over him, and his sustenance will be available to him with honor all his days. So wrote the Ateret Zekenim in siman 185 in the name of Sefer HaChinuch and Sefer HaGan, see there.)