“You will eat and be satisfied, and you shall bless Hashem, your Elokim, for the good Land that He gave you.” (8:10)
Before performing a mitzvah, we recite a berachah. Why, then, is no blessing recited on the mitzvah of Birkat Ha’mazon?
R’ Elazar Fleckles z”l (Prague; 1754-1826) writes: Some commentaries explains that a berachah is required before performing a mitzvah to affirm that the action that follows is being done for the sake of Heaven. Birkat Ha’mazon, however, involves praising G-d; therefore, such a declaration is not required. For the same reason, those commentaries write, no berachah is recited before reading the Pesach Haggadah.
R’ Fleckles adds: Possibly, the reason no berachah is recited before reading the Pesach Haggadah is that kiddush serves that function. After all, we say in kiddush at the Seder: “He has sanctified us with his commandments . . . zecher l’yitziat Mitzrayim” “In remembrance of the Exodus.” Thus, kiddush has the essential text that would have been in a berachah recited over the Haggadah. Regarding Birkat Ha’mazon, R’ Fleckles writes, there actually are many mitzvot over which no berachah is recited, and we do not have a clear tradition that explains why our Sages did or did not establish a berachah in each situation. (Haggadah Shel Pesach Ma’aseh B’Rabbi Elazar: Introduction)
