Birkat Hamazon: Difference between revisions

# If a person ate a [[Kezayit]] of bread but wasn’t full, and now is in doubt whether he said Birkat HaMazon he shouldn’t go back and make Birkat HaMazon, but it’s preferable to wash again, make [[Hamotzei]], eat a [[Kezayit]] and make Birkat HaMazon. <Ref> S"A 184:4. Mishna Brurah 184:15 writes that according to many Rishonim only if one ate and is full is one Biblically obligated, therefore if one only had a [[Kezayit]] and is in doubt whether he said Birkat HaMazon one shouldn’t go back and say it out of doubt, rather it’s preferable to wash again, make [[hamotzei]], eat a [[Kezayit]] and make Birkat HaMazon. This is also the opinion of Yalkut Yosef ([[Brachot]] 286). </ref>

# If a person ate bread and is still thirsty becuase he didn't drink enough during the meal and now has a doubt whether he said Birkat HaMazon, some say he should repeat Birkat HaMazon and some say not to repeat it. <ref> yalkut Yosef ([[Brachot]] pg 289) writes that since the opinion of S"A is that even if one is still thirsty the obligation of Birkat HaMazon is Deoritta, in cases of doubt one should go back and say Birkat HaMazon. However, Kaf HaChaim 184:26, Ben Ish Chai. and Or Letzion 13:6 hold that since there's an opinion that Birkat HaMazon is only Derabbanan if one is still thirsty one shouldn't go back and say Birkat HaMazon. </ref>

# One should say Birkat HaMazon loud enough that one can hear oneself say the words, however if one said it quietly one fulfills one’s obligation as long as one enunciated the words with one’s lips and didn’t just read or think it. <ref>S”A 185:2, Mishna Brurah 185:2, Chazon Ovadia [[Berachot]] page 94, Mikor Chaim 101:2. Birkei Yosef 185:2 as well as the Shaare [[Teshuva]] 185:1 say in the name of the Sefer Charedim that if you cannot hear yourself most poskim hold that you didn't fulfill your obligation and based on that the Chesed La'alafim 185:1 and Ben Ish Chai Chukat 7 says that you should eat more bread and say [[birkat hamazon]]. However, Chacham Ovadia Yosef in Chazon Ovadia [[Berachot]] page 94-95 says this is based on a mistaken understanding of the sefer charedim and most poskim including rif, rambam, rosh, behag, sheiltot, eshkol, Smag, Raah, Meir, Ra'avyah, Or Zarua, Rabbeinu Yerucham, Orchot Chayim, Riaz, Tur and S"A all hold that you have fulfilled your obligation as long as you enunciated the words with your lips and therefore you wouldn't need to go back to eat more bread. </ref>

# There is a dispute whether women are obligated in Birkat HaMazon on Torah level or only Rabbinically. Therefore, if a woman ate bread and is full and is now unsure whether she said Birkat HaMazon, there’s is a dispute whether she should say it to be sure and there’s what to rely on to make it to be sure. Additionally, a woman can fulfill the obligation of a man if he listens to her Birkat HaMazon, however, she shouldn’t fulfill his obligation if the man ate to satisfaction but rather one if he ate a [[Kezayit]] and not to satisfaction. <Ref>S"A 186:1, Mishna Brurah 186:3. See Shitat HaKadmonim (last page of bava kama) referenced on the [[Mitzvot_Aseh_SheHazman_Grama]] page regarding the obligation of women in Birkat HaMazon. </ref>

# A child, who isn't yet [[Bar Mitzvah]]'ed, is obligated to say Birkat HaMazon on a derabbanan level because of [[Chinuch]]. <ref>S"A 186:2. Rav Moshe HaLevi (Birkat Hashem v. 2, p. 317) writes that after the fact a child who said the Birkat HaMazon in order to fulfill the obligation of an adult has fulfilled his obligation. Rabbi Mansour on [http://www.dailyhalacha.com/displayRead.asp?readID=1584 dailyhalacha.com] quotes this as halacha. </ref>Therefore, a child can't fulfill the obligation of an adult who doesn't know how to say Birkat HaMazon unless the adult didn't eat until he was satisfied, otherwise the adult is obligated on a deoritta level to say Birkat HaMazon and can't fulfill his obligation with that of a child.<ref>S"A 186:2. Mishna Brurah 186:6 writes that a child shouldn't fulfill the obligation of a woman because perhaps the woman's obligation is deoritta whereas the child's is only derabbanan. Mishna Brurah 186:7 adds that there is a dispute whether a child who didn't eat to satisfaction can fulfill the obligation of an adult considering that the child is only obligation by force of two derabbanan factors. He concludes that one should be stringent. </ref>

# It’s preferable to make a Birkat HaMazon over a cup of wine when making a [[Zimmun]] of three. <Ref>S”A 182:1, Kitzur S"A 45:1, Mishna Brurah 182:4 </ref>

# However, if one doesn’t have wine in the house one may use Chamer Medina (a drink which is drunk in the country but isn’t water). <Ref>Kitzur S"A 45:1, Mishna Brurah 182:14 </ref>

# The cup used in [[making Birkat HaMazon over wine]] should be washed out in the inside and outside before it is used, however, if it is already clean it doesn't need to be cleaned.<ref>S"A 183:1</ref>

# At the end of [[Birkat HaMazon]] for [[Melava Malka]], some authorities hold that one should say say "migdol yishuot malko" like on [[shabbat]] itself, instead of "magdil yishuot"<ref> Kaf Hachaim 189:11</ref>, while others say that one should say the regular "magdil yishuot" on [[Melava Malka]] just like during the week. <ref>Yalkut Yosef (Kitzur S"A 300:4) </ref>