How to Proceed When You Forget a Portion of a Blessing?

Good evening, Dear Rabbi! I have a question that greatly interests me. If I find myself in a situation where I need to recite a blessing, but I do not know it or have somehow forgotten the text of a specific bracha (prayer, or more precisely, a blessing), can I, in that case, read the main part of the bracha, namely the following text: 'Baruch Ata Adonai, Eloheinu, Melech HaOlam,' or say 'Baruch Hashem,' or 'Baruch Ata Adonai, Al HaAretz,' to praise His Name, and then say with my words the rest of the blessing. I am confident that God will understand and hear me in this case, but I still wanted to ask you this question. Thank you in advance for your answer!

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Thank you for your question.

It is written in the Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim, (Laws of Prayer, section 113, subsection 9), The translation is:

"one should not deviate from the formula that the sages established, but in supplications or requests and praises that a person says on their own, we have no [objection] in it;"

This means that for the established prayers, one should follow the set wording created by the sages without changes. However, for personal supplications, requests, and praises, there is flexibility, and one can express these in their own words.

According to the above Halacha, the actual Blessing needs to be recited in the way set out by the sages, For guidance on articulating these blessings correctly, there are accessible booklets. These resources succinctly instruct on the proper enunciation of each Bracha, as well as the specific blessings designated for various foods. For example:

  https://www.kosher.com/jewish-learning/brachot-list

  https://www.artscroll.com/Books/9781422630297.html

During the day you feel you want to praise Hashem or to pray a heartfelt prayer, of course, that is a very special thing and permitted, however it shouldn’t be instead of the prayers that are already established like Shacharit Mincha and Arvit. (When praying your private prayer or praise, you should say ‘Hashem’ not Adonai)

Wishing you lots of success.

Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim, (Laws of Prayer, section 113, subsection 9)