Bracha Achrona

From Halachipedia

Al HaMichya

  1. If one ate a kezayit of mezonot food (cake, cookies, etc) after one finishes eating one should make Al HaMichya. [1]
  2. As long as there is a proportion of 1 portion of flour to 6 parts of total ingredients one may say Al HaMichya upon eating a Kezayit of that food. [2]

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. [3]
  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. [4]
  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. [5] Some add that if one waited more than a half hour it's preferable to have another Kezayit of bread before making Birkat HaMazon. [6]
  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. [7] One should have something to eat or drink every 72 minutes, however, if one didn't then one may still say Birkat HaMazon. [8]

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. [9]
  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. [10]
  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. [11]

Drinks

  1. If one drank a 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. [12]
  2. If one is unsure whether one is thirsty and one’s thirst is no longer quenched from the orginal 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. [13]
  3. If one sat down with a drink and sip it from time to time, if one drank a reviyit in Shuir Kedi 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 at the end. [14]
  4. If one is unsure whether it’ll be longer than 30 minutes before the next time one drinks (in that same place) one should make the Bracha Achrona immediately and the next time one drinks one should make a new Bracha Rishona. [15]

Interruptions

  1. If one is saying Bracha Mein Shalosh (Al HaMichya) one should pause in order to answer Kaddish and Kedusha. [16]

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. [17]
  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. [18]
  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. [19]
  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. [20]
  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”. [21]

References

  1. S"A 208:1 and 210:1
  2. Chazon Ovadyah (Brachot pg 190), Birkat Hashem (vol 2, pg 166), Or Letzion (vol 2, pg 169), Daily Halacha
  3. 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.
  4. Mishna Brurah 184:15, Vezot HaBracha (pg 49, chapter 5)
  5. Yalkut Yosef (Brachot pg 300), Mishna Brurah 184:20
  6. Vezot HaBracha (chap 5, pg 50)
  7. Mishna Brurah 184:18, Vezot HaBracha (chap 5, pg 50), Yalkut Yosef (Brachot pg 301)
  8. Vezot HaBracha (chap 5, pg 51) quoting the Magan Avraham 184:9
  9. S"A 184:5, Mishna Brurah 184:19, Vezot HaBracha (pg 49-50, chapter 5)
  10. Vezot HaBracha (pg 50, chapter 5)
  11. Mishna Brurah 184:20, Vezot HaBracha (pg 50, chapter 5)
  12. S”A 184:5, Vezot HaBracha (pg 51, chapter 5)
  13. Vezot HaBracha (pg 51, chapter 5)
  14. Vezot HaBracha (pg 52, chapter 5)
  15. Vezot HaBracha (pg 52, chapter 5)
  16. http://www.dailyhalacha.com/displayRead.asp?readID=995 quoting Or Letzion
  17. 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.
  18. S”A 208:17
  19. Halacha Brurah 208:60
  20. S”A 208:17
  21. S”A 208:17