Halachipedia - User contributions [en]

Making the Beracha

2013-07-07T02:50:41Z

VaneWimsey:

==Sitting==
# One should sit while making Birkat HaMazon. Some say one should also sit for Al HaMichya. It’s preferable to sit for Boreh Nefashot, but in cases of need one may say it standing. <Ref>S”A 183:10 writes that one must sit while saying [[Birkat HaMazon]] and some say one should it while saying Al HaMichya. So agree the achronim including Yalkut Yosef 183:7. See Mishna Brurah 183:35 who writes that this is according to all opinions. Kaf HaChaim 183:51 and Ben Ish Chai Chukat 4 write that it’s proper to say Boreh Nefashot seated. VeZot HaBracha (pg 8) writes that if there’s a need one may be lenient and say it standing. </ref>
==Clean hands==
# One shouldn’t make a Bracha while one’s hands are dirty rather one should wipe one hands. <Ref> Kaf Hachaim 158:53 Shaar haTzion 181:32, VeZot HaBracha (pg 8) </ref>
==If one Mistakenly ate Without a Beracha==
# If one drank a liquid but forgot to make a beracha before it, and remembered before swallowing it he should swallow the liquid and not say a beracha rishona on what he already drank. <ref> Chazon Ovadia Berachot page 68, S"A 172:1. Although Rama 171:1 says that in this case when the person swallowed the liquid, he should stay say beracha rishona afterwards, Mishna Berura 171:5 and Eliya Rabba 172:1 say the opinion of most poskim is not to say a beracha rishona if you aren't going to drink more, but only to recite a beracha achrona if you drank enough in the first place. </ref> One can, however, think the beracha in his mind while the liquid is still in his mouth. <ref> Chazon Ovadia Berachot page 70-71, Ben Ish Chai Matot 14, Kaf Hachayim 172:1, Pri Megadim M.Z. 172:2 and A.A. 172:1, Ketzot Hashulchan 55:9. </ref>
# If one mistakenly stuck food in his mouth without reciting a beracha first, and remembered before swallowing if it is a food that will be disgusting if spit out, he should put it in the side of his mouth and recite the beracha, but if it won't be disgusting to spit it out, he should spit it out and say a beracha and put it back in his mouth. <ref> Chazon Ovadia Berachot page 68. </ref>
# If the food or drink is already swallowed no beracha is recited. <ref> Mishna Berura 172:3 </ref> However, one should attempt to quickly recite a beracha on another food or drink with the same beracha. <ref> Mishna Berura 167:49. Shaare Teshuva 206:2 adds that if done immediately this could help retroactively to correct having eaten without a beracha. </ref>
==Preparing the food==
# The food must be in front of the one making the Bracha, otherwise, the Bracha doesn’t have what to be effective upon and one would need to be a new Bracha. <Ref> S”A 206:5 </ref> If the food that’s brought afterwards is of the same kind as the one that the bracha was made upon or it has the same Bracha as the food that we made a Bracha on originally. <Ref> S”A 206:5 </ref>
==Text of the bracha==
'''Shem Umalchut'''
# For every Bracha it’s very important to say the words as they were established by the men of the Great Assembly. Words that are crucial to the Bracha and if one misses one of them, the Bracha doesn’t count: Baruch, either Hashem or Elokenu, Melech, and HaOlam. <Ref>S”A 214:1, Mishna Brurah 214:4 </ref> If the Bracha has a conclusion of Baruch Atta Hashem… then the name of Hashem is also crucial. <Ref>Mishna Brurah 214:5 </ref>
==Sources==
<references/>

Before the Bracha

2013-07-07T02:43:52Z

VaneWimsey:

== Physical preparations of one's body==
# When making a bracha, one's mouth should be empty so that one can fully praise Hashem. <ref> Gemara Brachot 50b writes that if one forgot and put food into one's mouth, if the food isn't something that's easily ruined it should be spit out. On this the gemara explains that one should spit it out so that one could have his entire mouth involved in praising Hashem based on the pasuk ימלא פי תהלתך (Tehillim 71:8). The Shulchan Aruch 172:2 rules like this gemara and the Kitzur S"A 6:2, Mishna Brurah 172:7, Kaf HaChaim 172:4, and Vezot HaBracha (p. 7) concur. </ref>
# One must wear a Kippah while making a Bracha. <ref> S"A 91:3 </ref> If one doesn't have a Kippah one should cover your head with your hand and a little bit of your sleeve or ask a friend to cover your head with his hand (even without a sleeve). <ref> S"A 91:4 writes that using one's hand to cover one's head isn't sufficient for a head-covering, but a friend covering one's head would be sufficient. Mishna Brurah 91:10 adds that it is considered a head-covering if one uses one's hand along with a bit of the sleeve. </ref>
# One should be dressed properly before making any bracha especially Birkat HaMazon <ref> S"A 74:4 writes that one should cover one's lower body (with pants) even if one's upper body is revealed prior to saying Shema. Yet, Mishan Brurah 74:22 writes clearly that this is only for extenuating circumstances, otherwise one should always dress properly even for regular brachot and all the more so for Shema. VZot HaBracha (pg 8) quotes Rav Elyashiv that one should dress properly for brachot even by the beach. Or Letzion 13:3 and VeTen Bracha (pg 212) in name of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach say that one must wear proper clothing for Birkat HaMazon just like the requirement of Ituf (see S"A 183:5)</ref>
# One should figure out which bracha one has to make before one begins to say the bracha so that one can have the proper intent when one says Hashem's name.<ref>Kitzur S"A 6:1</ref>
# One should be careful to make brachot with kavana (the proper intent) thinking about blessing with hashem's name, who granted us great kindness in allow one the fruit or bread one has or that he commanded one to perform a mitzvah that we are about to perform. Thus, a person should make the bracha slowly and loud out in order to inspire the requisite kavana. <ref>Kitzur S"A 6:1 quoting the Sefer Chasidim</ref>
==Preparation of the food==
# One should only make the Bracha only after one has the food available and present so that the Bracha can take effect on something. Therefore, one should open the packaging of the food prior to the Bracha. <Ref> Mishna Brurah 206:19, VeZot HaBracha (Chapter 1, pg 8) </ref>
# One who drinks from a water-fountain, ideally, should have the water in a cup prior to the Bracha, however if that’s not possible, one should let the water run from the faucet momentarily prior to making the Bracha. If that last options isn’t possible or one is concerned about wasting water, may make the Bracha on the water even before letting it run. <Ref> Vezot haBracha (Chapter 1, pg 8) based on Mishna Brurah 206:19 writes that ideally one should have water in a cup so that the food is present during the Bracha. However, if that’s impossible, Rav Pinchas Sheinburg (quoted by Vezot HaBracha) suggests letting the water run prior to the Bracha so that it’s evident what one is making a Bracha on. Lastly, if that’s impossible, one may make the Bracha even while the faucet is closed. </ref>
# One should prepare the food before making a bracha; for example, one should break open a nut or peel a fruit in order to eat it right after the Bracha. <ref> Mishna Brurah 206:19 writes that one should prepare food before the bracha so that it's ready to eat right after the bracha. Vezot HaBracha (Chapter 1) gives the examples of removing the shells a nut and peeling a fruit. </ref>
# However, one shouldn't cut a large or whole piece of food before the bracha; for example, one shouldn't cut a fruit, or a piece of meat before the bracha, rather make the bracha and then cut it. <ref> Vezot HaBracha (end of Chapter 1) based on Aruch HaShulchan 202:11, and Vezot HaBracha quotes the example of leaving a piece of meat in its full state from Rav Elyashiv and Rav Mordechai Eliyahu. </ref>

==Sources==
<References/>

Before the Bracha

2013-07-07T02:43:08Z

VaneWimsey:

== Physical preparations of one's body==
# When making a bracha, one's mouth should be empty so that one can fully praise Hashem. <ref> Gemara Brachot 50b writes that if one forgot and put food into one's mouth, if the food isn't something that's easily ruined it should be spit out. On this the gemara explains that one should spit it out so that one could have his entire mouth involved in praising Hashem based on the pasuk ימלא פי תהלתך (Tehillim 71:8). The Shulchan Aruch 172:2 rules like this gemara and the Kitzur S"A 6:2, Mishna Brurah 172:7, Kaf HaChaim 172:4, and Vezot HaBracha (p. 7) concur. </ref>
# One must wear a Kippah while making a Bracha. <ref> S"A 91:3 </ref> If one doesn't have a Kippah one should cover your head with your hand and a little bit of your sleeve or ask a friend to cover your head with his hand (even without a sleeve). <ref> S"A 91:4 writes that using one's hand to cover one's head isn't sufficient for a head-covering, but a friend covering one's head would be sufficient. Mishna Brurah 91:10 adds that it is considered a head-covering if one uses one's hand along with a bit of the sleeve. </ref>
# One should be dressed properly before making any bracha especially Birkat HaMazon <ref> S"A 74:4 writes that one should cover one's lower body (with pants) even if one's upper body is revealed prior to saying Shema. Yet, Mishan Brurah 74:22 writes clearly that this is only for extenuating circumstances, otherwise one should always dress properly even for regular brachot and all the more so for Shema. VZot HaBracha (pg 8) quotes Rav Elyashiv that one should dress properly for brachot even by the beach. Or Letzion 13:3 and VeTen Bracha (pg 212) in name of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach say that one must wear proper clothing for Birkat HaMazon just like the requirement of Ituf (see S"A 183:5)</ref>
# One should figure out which bracha one has to make before one begins to say the bracha so that one can have the proper intent when one says Hashem's name.<ref>Kitzur S"A 6:1</ref>
# One should be careful to make brachot with kavana (the proper intent) thinking about blessing with hashem's name, who granted us great kindness in allow one the fruit or bread one has or that he commanded one to perform a mitzvah that we are about to perform. Thus, a person should make the bracha slowly and loud out in order to inspire the requisite kavana. <ref>Kitzur S"A 6:1 quoting the Sefer Chasidim</ref>
==Preparation of the food==
# One should only make the Bracha only after one has the food available and present so that the Bracha can take effect on something. Therefore, one should open the packaging of the food prior to the Bracha. <Ref> Mishna Brurah 206:19, VeZot HaBracha (Chapter 1, pg 8) </ref>
# One who drinks from a water-fountain, ideally, should have the water in a cup prior to the Bracha, however if that’s not possible, one should let the water run from the faucet momentarily prior to making the Bracha. If that last options isn’t possible or one is concerned about wasting water, may make the Bracha on the water even before letting it run. <Ref> Vezot haBracha (Chapter 1, pg 8) based on Mishna Brurah 206:19 writes that ideally one should have water in a cup so that the food is present during the Bracha. However, if that’s impossible, Rav Pinchas Sheinburg (quoted by Vezot HaBracha) suggests letting the water run prior to the Bracha so that it’s evident what one is making a Bracha on. Lastly, if that’s impossible, one may make the Bracha even while the faucet is closed. </ref>
# One should prepare the food before making a bracha; for example, one should break open a nut or peel a fruit in order to eat it right after the Bracha. <ref> Mishna Brurah 206:19 writes that one should prepare food before the bracha so that it's ready to eat right after the bracha. Vezot HaBracha (Chapter 1) gives the examples of removing the shells a nut and peeling a fruit. </ref>
# However, one shouldn't cut a large or whole piece of food before the bracha; for example, one shouldn't cut a fruit, or a piece of meat beofre the bracha, rather make the bracha and then cut it. <ref> Vezot HaBracha (end of Chapter 1) based on Aruch HaShulchan 202:11, and Vezot HaBracha quotes the example of leaving a piece of meat in it's full state from Rav Elyashiv and Rav Mordechai Eliyahu. </ref>

==Sources==
<References/>