481. The Second and Third Brachos

Brachos 2:3

The blessing for the land should include an expression of thanks at its start and at its end. It concludes, “for the land and for the sustenance.” If one does not include the words “a precious, good and spacious land” in this bracha, he has not fulfilled his obligation. In this bracha, one must mention the covenant and the Torah, in that order. This is because the covenant in this bracha refers to circumcision, about which thirteen covenants are stated, while only three covenants are stated regarding Torah: Deuteronomy 28:69 - “These are the words of the covenant...in addition to the covenant that He established with you at Horeb” - and Deuteronomy 29:9-11 – “You are standing... to establish a covenant.”

Brachos 2:4

The third bracha begins, “Have mercy on us, Hashem, our God, and on Your people Israel, on Your city Jerusalem, and on Zion, the abode of Your glory...” or “Comfort us, Hashem, our God, with Your city Jerusalem....” It concludes “the One Who builds Jerusalem,” or “Who will comfort His people Israel with the building of Jerusalem.” Because of this, the bracha is also known as the bracha of comfort. If one does not mention the Davidic dynasty in this bracha, he does not fulfill his obligation; it is an inherent component of the bracha. There can be no real comfort until the Davidic dynasty re-ascends the throne.