Making the Beracha

From Halachipedia

Sitting

  1. 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. [1]

Clean hands

  1. One shouldn’t make a Bracha while one’s hands are dirty rather one should wipe one hands. [2]

Preparing the food

  1. 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. [3] If the food that’s brought afterwards is of the same king 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. [4]

Text of the bracha

Shem Umalchut

  1. 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. [5] If the Bracha has a conclusion of Baruch Atta Hashem… then the name of Hashem is also crucial. [6]

References

  1. 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.
  2. Kaf Hachaim 158:53 Shaar haTzion 181:32, VeZot HaBracha (pg 8)
  3. S”A 206:5
  4. S”A 206:5
  5. S”A 214:1, Mishna Brurah 214:4
  6. Mishna Brurah 214:5