Zimmun: Difference between revisions

# One should say [[Al Neharot Bavel]] before [[benching]] after a meal and on days when there’s no [[tachanun]] one should say [[Shir HaMaalot]] BeShuv Hashem instead. The minhag is to say [[Shir HaMaalot]] at Seudot mitzvah as well. <Ref>Kitzur S"A 42:5, Mishna Brurah 1:10,11, Piskei Teshuvot 1:14 in the footnote. See also [http://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/744860/Rabbi_Aryeh_Lebowitz/Ten_Minute_Halacha_-_Al_Naharos_Bavel_and_Shir_Hama'alos Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz on the Ten Minute Halacha].</ref>

# If ten people ate bread together, they are supposed to add the word Elokenu in the Zimmun.<ref>S"A 192:1</ref>

# If seven people ate bread and three people ate a [[kezayit]] of another food or drank a [[reviyit]] of a drink other than water, they can join together for a Zimmun with the insertion of Elokenu. If there are only six people who ate bread they can't make a Zimmun with Elokenu. <ref>S"A 197:2</ref>

# If two people ate bread and a third person ate a [[kezayit]] of another food, some rishonim hold that they may not join together to make a zimmun, while other rishonim hold that they may join together for a zimmun. Many poskim hold that if the third person doesn't want to eat bread, one may join together for a zimmun. <Ref>S"A 197:3 writes that there are three opinions as to whether two who ate bread may join in a zimmun with a third person who didn't eat bread. The first opinion holds that one may not join together for a three person zimmun unless all three people ate bread. The second opinion holds that they may join together as long as the third person ate [[mezonot]]. The last opinion holds that as long as the third person ate anything, they may join together for a zimmun. S"A writes that in order to avoid a dispute one should not allow a third person who doesn't want to eat bread to join with the first two who are eating bread. The Mishna Brurah 197:22, however, writes that the minhag is in accordance with the last opinion allowing a zimmun of three as long as the third person ate something. Halacha Brurah 197:12 also writes that some are lenient. Chacham Ovadia Yosef in Sh"t Yachava Daat 4:13 (in the footnote) quotes the Knesset HaGedola who says that the minhag is to allow a zimmun of three as long as the third person ate something. He explains that the only reason S"A said one should avoid such a zimmun is because in his day people used to listen to the [[birkat hamazon]] of the leader of the zimmun, however, nowadays since everyone says the [[birkat hamazon]] to themselves such a zimmun is allowed. Mishna Brurah 197:20 notes that the third person must eat at least a [[kezayit]] in order to obligate a bracha achrona.</ref>

# The Ashkenazic minhag is not to include children under Bar mitzvah for zimmun<Ref>Rama 199:10, Kitzur S"A 45:22 </ref>, while the Sephardic minhag is to include children of age 6 who know to whom they are [[saying Birkat HaMazon]]. <ref>S"A 199:10, Sh"t Yechave Daat 4:13 </ref>

# Women who ate with a group of men who became obligated to make a zimmun are obligated to join in their zimmun. <ref>Kitzur S"A 45:22</ref>

# Women who ate together are obligated to make a zimmun and even if their are ten woman they say the zimmun as if they were a group of three. <ref>S"A 199:6</ref>

# The Mezamen, who is leading the zimmun, should invite everyone to say [[Birkat HaMazon]]. It may be said in any language. If one wants to say this invitation in Hebrew, one should say "Ten Lanu Kos UNivarech" (if one is [[saying Birkat HaMazon]] over a cup of wine) or "Bau UNivarech" (if one isn't [[saying Birkat HaMazon]] over a cup of wine). If one wants to say this invitation in Aramiac, one should say "Hav Lan UNivarech" or an extended version of this is "Hav Lan VeNivrich LeMalka Iylah Kiddisha", which many Sephardim have the custom of saying. If one wants to say this in Yiddush, the phrase one should say is "Rabbotai Mir Velin Benchin". <ref>The Magen Avraham (Intro to 192) quotes the Zohar which says that words of [[kedusha]] require preparation and that is the basis for the minhag to invite everyone to say Birkat Hamazon. The Magen Avraham writes that the Ashkenazic minhag was to say it in Yiddish with the words "Rabbotai Mir Velin Benchin". The Mishna Brurah 192:2 adds that it may be said in Hebrew with either the phrase "Ten Lanu Kos UNivarech" (if one is [[saying Birkat HaMazon]] over a cup of wine) or "Bau UNivarech" (if one isn't [[saying Birkat HaMazon]] over a cup of wine). The Kitzur S"A 45:6 adds that this invitation could be said in Aramiac with the words "Hav Lan UNivarech." Rav Mordechai Eliyahu (comments to Kitzur S"A 45:12) writes that the Sephardic minhag is to say this invitation in Aramiac with the words "Hav Lan VeNivrich LeMalka Iylah Kiddisha." </ref>

# Those who are participating in the Zimmun should answer to this invitation, according to Ashkenazim, "Yehey Shem Hashem Mivorach MeAtah VeAd Olam", and according to Sephardim, "Shamayim". <ref>The Magen Avraham (Intro to 192), Mishna Brurah 192:2, and Kitzur S"A 45:6 records the Ashkenazic minhag to answer the invitation with the pasuk "Yehey Shem Hashem Mivorach MeAtah VeAd Olam". Rav Mordechai Eliyahu (comments to Kitzur S"A 45:12) writes that the Sephardic minhag is that those participating in the [[Birkat HaMazon]] answer "Shamayim," meaning, that this should be done with the permission of heaven.</ref>

# After the invitation, the mezamen should begin the actual zimmun by saying "Nivarech She'achalnu Meshelo" or with an extended version of "Birshut Malka Iylah Kiddisha UBirshutchem, Nivarach She'achalnu Meshelo", as is the custom of some Sephardim. <ref>S"A 192:1 writes that the mezamen should begin the zimmun by saying "Nivarech She'achalnu Meshelo". Rav Mordechai Eliyahu (comments to Kitzur S"A 45:12) writes that the Sephardic minhag is the mezamen starts the zimmun with the words "Birshut Malka Iylah Kiddisha UBirshutchem, Nivarach She'achalnu Meshelo."</ref>

# Those participating in the zimmun should respond "Baruch She'achlnu Meshelo Ubituvo Chayinu." <ref>S"A 192:1 writes that those participating in the zimmun should respond "Baruch She'achlnu Meshelo Ubituvo Chayinu." </ref>

# Lastly, the mezamen should conclude "Baruch She'achlnu Meshelo Ubituvo Chayinu."<ref>S"A 192:1 writes that the mezamen should conclude "Baruch She'achlnu Meshelo Ubituvo Chayinu."</ref>

# If one hears Zimmun but didn’t eat should answer “Baruch UMevurach Shemo Tamid Leolam VaEd” - ברוך ומבורך שמו תמיד לעולם ועד - which has an acronym בושת לו. <Ref>S”A 198:1, Kitzur S"A 45:20, Vezot HaBracha (pg 129, chapter 14) </ref>