Blessing God with “Baruch” – Ask the Rabbi
Q. Why do we say Baruch Attah – “Blessed are You, Lord”? How can humans bless God?
A. There are two views:
1. We are not blessing Him: He is blessing us.
Baruch is an adjective with the grammatical form of rachum v’channun, two words which say that God is the source of all mercy and grace.
The word therefore means “You, God, are the source of all blessings”.
2. We are indeed blessing or praising Him in acknowledgment that He has given us the task of sharing with others the boons He gives us.