Bracha Achrona

From Halachipedia

Minimum measures to be obligated in Bracha Achrona

Food

  1. One is only obligated to make a Bracha Achrona on a food if one eats a Kezayit of food in Kedi Achilat Pras.[1]
  2. How long is Kedi Achilat Pras?
    1. Shiurei Torah (Rav Chaim Noeh 3:15 pg 203) writes that Kedi Achilat Pras is 4 minutes. Vezot HaBracha (pg 6) writes that many poskim (and quotes Rav Elyashiv as one of them) agree. See Aruch HaShulchan 202:8 and Kaf HaChaim 210:8.
    2. Rav Ovadyah Yosef (Sh"t Yachave Daat 1:17) rules that Kedi Achilat Pras preferably is 4 minutes and after the fact (Bedieved) it is 7.5 minutes.
    3. Or Letzion (vol 2, 14:17) holds that Kedi Achilat Pras preferably is 4 minutes and after the fact (Bedieved) it is 6 minutes.

Drink

  1. One is only obligated to make a Bracha Achrona on a drink if one drinks a Revi'it of liquid in Kedi Shtiyat Reviyit. [2]
  2. How long is Kedi Shtiyat Reviyit?
    1. The simple reading of the Shaar HaTziyun 210:11 is that Kedi Shtiyat Reviyit is two gulps.
    2. Vezot HaBracha (Birur Halacha 11, pg 240-1) questions this because of the difficulty of swallowing a Revi'it in two gulps. He quotes and supports the explanation of the Haggadat Kol Dodi (Siman 2) [3]which writes that Kedi Shtiyat Reviyit is drinking a number of gulps without any break and without removing the cup from one's lips. [See Harerei Kedem (vol 2 pg 46) who quotes Rav Simcha Zissel who says that it's a third of Kedi Achilat Pras.]
    3. Rav Ovadyah Yosef (Sh"t Yabia Omer 5:18(2), Chazon Ovadyah (Brachot pg 259-260)) rules that Kedi Shtiyat Reviyit is one gulp. Or Letzion (vol 2, 14:17) agrees.

Boreh Nefashot

  1. If one ate a Kezayit of a fruit or vegetable not from the 7 species with which Israel is praised (i.e. wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, dates), and anything which doesn't grow from the ground, one should say a Boreh Nefashot. [4] For example, the Bracha Achrona for water is Boreh Nefashot. [5]
  2. If one ate a food that requires Boreh Nefashot and also drank a drink that requires Boreh Nefashot, one should make one Boreh Nefashot to cover them both. [6]
  3. The text of Boreh Nefashot is ברוך אתה ה' אלוקינו מלך העולם בורא נפשות רבות וחסרונן על כל מה שברא(ת) להחיות בהם נפש כל חי ברוך חי העולמים - Baruch Atta Hashem Elokeinu Melech HaOlam Boreh Nefashot Rabot VeChesronan Al Kol Mah SheBara(ta) LeHachayot Bahem Nefesh Kol Chay Baruch Chey HaOlamim. [7] Sepharadim pronounce the חי in the beracha with a patach as opposed to a tzere. [8]

Bracha Achat Mein Shalosh (Al HaMichya)

See the Bracha Achat Mein Shalosh page for more details

  1. If one ate a Kezayit of mezonot food (cake, cookies, etc) after one finishes eating one should make Al HaMichya. [9]
  2. The Bracha Achrona for grapes, figs, pomegranate, olives, and dates is Bracha Achat Mein Shalosh with the insert of Al HaEtz VeAl Pri HaEtz. [10]

Bracha Achrona on coffee or tea

  1. According to Sephardim, one should not make a Bracha Achrona after drinking coffee or tea. If one waited until it cooled down a little and then drank an amount which would obligate Bracha Achrona (Revi'it in Kedi Shtiyat Reviyit), for coffee, there is what to rely on to make Boreh Nefashot. However, if one were to ask, one should advise him not to make a Bracha Achrona, and for tea, one should make a Boreh Nefashot.[11]
  2. Certain Ashkenazic Poskim also say that tea or coffee do not warrant a bracha achrona. [12]

How long does one have to make Bracha Achrona?

Birkat Hamazon for bread

  1. If one ate bread and is full, preferably one should make Birkat HaMazon within 72 minutes and after the fact, one may make it as long as one is full from what one ate. However, after 72 minutes, if one is a little hungry, one can no longer make the Birkat HaMazon. [13]
  2. If it’s past 72 minutes and one is in doubt whether one is still full one can make Birkat HaMazon, yet, it’s preferable to eat another Kezayit before making Birkat Hamazon. [14]
  3. However, if one just had a Kezayit and was not full, one should try to make the Birkat HaMazon right away and if one didn't one may only make Birkat HaMazon up to 72 minutes after one ate. [15] Some add that if one waited more than a half hour it's preferable to have another Kezayit of bread before making Birkat HaMazon. [16]
  4. If one has a very long meal and continues to have appetizers or drinks, one may make the Birkat HaMazon as long as the meal continues even 4 or 5 hours. [17] One should have something to eat or drink every 72 minutes, however, if one didn't then one may still say Birkat HaMazon. [18]

Bracha Achrona on other foods

  1. If one ate any food and is full, preferably one should make Bracha Achrona within 72 minutes and after the fact, one may make it as long as one is full from what one ate. However, after 72 minutes, if one is a little hungry, one can no longer make the Bracha Achrona. [19]
  2. If it’s past 72 minutes and one is in doubt whether one is still full one may not make the Bracha Achrona, yet, it’s preferable to eat a Kezayit of another food make a Bracha Achrona on that to cover the earlier one. [20]
  3. If one ate any food and was not full, preferably one should make Bracha Achrona immediately or within 30 minutes, after the fact one has up to 72 minutes. [21]

Drinks

  1. If one drank a Revi'it in Kedi Shtiyat Reviyit, one should make a Bracha Achrona immediately and after the fact one may make the Bracha Achrona as long as one’s thirst is quenched. [22]
  2. If one is unsure whether one is thirsty and one’s thirst is no longer quenched from the original drink, should make the Bracha Achrona within 30 minutes, and afterwards one should make the Bracha Achrona but rather preferably one should eat or drink something else and cover the earlier food with it’s Bracha Achrona. [23]
  3. If one sat down with a drink and sip it from time to time, if one drank a Revi'it in Kedi Shtiyat Reviyit, as long as one drinks time to time each time being less than 30 minutes from the last drink, one can make a Bracha Achrona at the end. [24]
  4. If one did drank a Revi'it in Kedi Shtiyat Reviyit and it will be 30 minutes before the next time one drinks or one is unsure whether it will be 30 minutes before one drinks again, according to Ashkenazim, one should make a Bracha Achrona and a Bracha Rishona for the next time one drinks. [25] However, according to Sephardim, one should not make a Bracha Achrona but rather have in mind when making the first Bracha Rishona that it should cover all of the drinks that one has. However, if one leaves the building one would require another Bracha Rishona. [26]

Interruptions

  1. If one is saying Bracha Mein Shalosh (Al HaMichya) one should pause in order to answer Kaddish and Kedusha. [27]

If one said the wrong Bracha Achrona

If one said Birkat HaMazon

  1. If one ate a Mezonot food and then made Birkat HaMazon by accident one fulfilled one’s obligation and shouldn’t repeat Bracha Achrona. [28]
  2. If one ate a dates or drank wine and then made Birkat HaMazon by accident one fulfilled one’s obligation and shouldn’t repeat Bracha Achrona. [29]
  3. If one ate a different food which has the Bracha Achrona of Boreh Nefashot or Al HaEtz and then made Birkat HaMazon by accident according to most authorities one hasn’t fulfilled one’s obligation but in order to concerned for the minority opinion one should hear the correct Bracha Achrona from someone else or have another amount of food and make the correct Bracha Achrona. [30]
  4. In any case the fact that Birkat HaMazon fulfills one’s obligation after the fact, is true even if one only said the first paragraph of Birkat Hamazon. [31]
  5. If one ate foods that require a Bracha Mein Shalosh (Al HaMichya, Al HaEtz, Al HaGefen) and began saying Birkat HaMazon, if one remembered in middle of saying the first Bracha one should continue with Bracha Mein Shalosh from the words “Al Shehinchalta LeAvotenu”. [32]

If one vomited his food

  1. A person who ate and then threw up what he ate shouldn’t say Bracha Achrona and ideally he should try to eat more or listen to someone else recite that bracha for themselves.[33]

Related Pages

Sources

  1. Magen Avraham 210:1, Sh"t Chazon Ovadyah (Siman 12, pg 184)
  2. Vezot HaBracha (chap 5, pg 40) rules that one only makes a Bracha Achrona if one drank a Revi'it in Kedi Shtiyat Reviyit. He supports this with the ruling of the Mishna Brurah 210:1 regarding tea. Sh"t Yabia Omer 5:18(2) agrees.
  3. Rabbi Dovid Feinstein (Haggadah Kol Dodi, 5745 p. 5) writes that the shiur of kdei shtiyat revi’it is drinking from the cup two times, each time drinking several gulps without removing the cup from one’s lips, and removing the cup once between the two times.
  4. Shulchan Aruch 207:1, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 51:1
  5. Mishna Brurah 207:5
  6. Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 51:1
  7. Magen Avraham 207 (Introduction) writes that the above text is his text of Boreh Nefashot. Mishna Brurah 202:3 quotes this but changes Chesronan to Chesronam and SheBarata to SheBara but adds that some say SheBarata. The Hebrew Ashkenaz Artscroll Siddur (Siddur Yitzchak Yair HaShalem, 5753 edition, p. 88) has the version of Chesronan and both SheBarata and SheBara. Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 51:11
  8. BI"H Matot 16
  9. Shulchan Aruch 208:1 and 210:1
  10. Tur 208:1 writes that the fruit of the seven species with which Israel was praise have Bracha Achrona of Bracha Mein Shalosh. S”A 208:1 agrees.
  11. Yalkut Yosef 207:6, Chazon Ovadyah (Brachot p. 260-1), Sh"t Yechave Daat 5:21, Birkei Yosef 204:5, Moreh Bietzbah 3:96, Ben Ish Chai Masei 9
  12. Mishna Brurah 210:1 based on Magen Avraham 210:1, Chaye Adam 3:15, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 51:6. see however the Baal Hatanya in Seder Birkot Hanehenin 8:6 who says that you should say a beracha acharona on tea and coffee as long as you haven't waited kdei achilat pras. Maharam Shick OC 85 says this was the practice of the Chatam Sofer. Sh"t Melamed Lehoil OC 25 says this was the practice of Rabbi Shaul Yosef Nathanson and the Minchat Chinuch
  13. S”A 184:5 writes that one may Birkat HaMazon until one is hungry again. Vezot HaBracha (pg 49, chapter 5) and Yalkut Yosef (Brachot pg 300) rule that if one didn’t make Birkat HaMazon until after 72 minutes, one may surely recite Birkat HaMazon as long as one is still full and one isn't hungry. Vezot HaBracha quotes Rav Elyashiv who says that it’s preferable to eat a little more before making Birkat HaMazon. Aruch HaShulchan 184:7 and 8 writes that since we don't know the precise determination of when we're still full must make Birkat HaMazon within 72 minutes and if one didn't then one should eat another Kezayit and then say Birkat HaMazon. Kaf HaChaim 184:28 writes that in order to fulfill all opinions if it has been 72 minutes one should eat another Kezayit and if one doesn't have bread one may make Birkat HaMazon as long as one is full.
  14. Mishna Brurah 184:15, Vezot HaBracha (pg 49, chapter 5)
  15. Yalkut Yosef (Brachot pg 300), Mishna Brurah 184:20
  16. Vezot HaBracha (chap 5, pg 50)
  17. Mishna Brurah 184:18, Vezot HaBracha (chap 5, pg 50), Yalkut Yosef (Brachot pg 301)
  18. Vezot HaBracha (chap 5, pg 51) quoting the Magen Avraham 184:9
  19. Shulchan Aruch 184:5, Mishna Brurah 184:19, Vezot HaBracha (pg 49-50, chapter 5)
  20. Vezot HaBracha (pg 50, chapter 5)
  21. Mishna Brurah 184:20, Vezot HaBracha (pg 50, chapter 5)
  22. S”A 184:5, Vezot HaBracha (pg 51, chapter 5)
  23. Vezot HaBracha (pg 51, chapter 5)
  24. Vezot HaBracha (pg 52, chapter 5)
  25. Vezot HaBracha (pg 52-3, chapter 5)
  26. Yalkut Yosef 494:9
  27. http://www.dailyhalacha.com/displayRead.asp?readID=995 quoting Or Letzion
  28. Even though S”A 208:17 writes that Birkat HaMazon doesn’t cover saying Al HaMichya on a Tavshil Mezonot, many achronim including Mishna Brurah 208:75 and Halacha Brurah 208:60 argue that one has fulfilled one’s obligation and shouldn’t repeat Bracha Achrona.
  29. S”A 208:17
  30. Halacha Brurah 208:60
  31. S”A 208:17
  32. S”A 208:17
  33. Kaf HaChaim 184:34, Ben Ish Chai (Chukat no. 13), and Vezot HaBracha (p. 113) quoting the Shaarei Teshuva. Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 51:15 writes that one is not obligated to make a Bracha Achrona.