The text of the bencher contains the traditional Birkat Hamazon and can include translations in English or French.
The Talmud in tractate Berachot attributes authorship of the four key blessings of Birkat Hamazon to different figures in Jewish history. The first blessing, Hazan, is attributed to Moses, who composed it in gratitude for the manna. His successor, Joshua, later wrote Nodeh as thanks for entering into the Land of Israel. The elegy to Jerusalem, Rachem, is attributed to both David, who made Jerusalem his capital, and Solomon, who built the Temple there. Lastly, Hatov V’Hamaitiv, was added by Rabban Gamliel in the Second century to honor the memory of Bar Kochba’s fighters – the last independent Jewish army until 1948.
