Hilchos Berachos part III
Eating and
nashing before a bread meal cont.
In the previous
sheet it was written that one may recite a
b'racha on food before a bread meal if it is to solve a problem of
a
safeik beracha.
One of the
examples involved reciting a
b'racha on fruit
~ Fruit served at the beginning of a meal
might require a
b'racha rishona, so to avoid the problem, one may recite a
b'racha on the fruit and eat some before washing.
The reason it was
written that fruit at the beginning of a meal
might require a
b'racha rishona is because an appetizer or enhancer does not
require a
b'racha during a meal. It is possible that fruit served as hors
d'oeuvres is an appetizer and does not require a
b'racha.
If, for whatever reason one
did not recite a בורא פרי העץ before washing,
one should recite a בורא פרי העץ on fruit
served at the beginning of a meal.
When is a b'racha acharona required before a meal?
When food eaten
before a meal is not halachically part of the meal, a
b'racha acharona must be recited before commencing the meal.
Food normally
consumed during a meal, such as chicken, rice and peas and is eaten prior to the
meal, will require a
b'racha acharona.
What is halachically part of a meal?
Appetizers and
enhancers
These food items
are eaten prior to a meal to enhance appetite and are "part" of the meal.
Benchting at the conclusion of the meal will cover these foods as
well because they are eaten as part of the meal.
Consequently they
do not require a
b'racha acharona before the meal.
~ Pickles and
olives eaten prior to the meal, even more than a
kezayis (size of an olive) will not necessitate a
b'racha acharona before washing for the bread. This is on
condition that one consumes pickles for that specific purpose, but if one
consumes pickles because one likes pickles, they are not enhancers, and require
a
b'racha acharona before the meal.
~ If one prefers
to drink before eating bread because one's mouth is dry and finds it hard to
eat, one may recite
shehakol and drink and only then wash for bread.
The drink will not necessitate a
b'racha acharona and it is covered by
bentching at the end of the meal.
Eating fruit
later
Fruit requires a
b'racha when consumed during a meal because it is not part of the
meal. If one intends on eating fruit during or at the end of a meal,
one may recite a
b'racha on fruit
before
the meal having in mind that the
b'racha will include fruit eaten during the meal. The two fruits
are connected and one is not required to recite a
b'racha acharona on the fruit consumed before the meal, even if
one ate more than a
kezayis.
~ You spy a nice
kiwi and instead of possibly losing it to others you want it now, prior to the
meal. If you intend eating kiwi or other fruit during the meal, have in mind
that the
בורא פרי העץ
over the
kiwi will cover the fruit eaten later and you will not recite a
b'racha acharona.
~ You spy the
same kiwi but do not intend on eating any other fruit during or at the end of
the meal. You must recite a
b'racha acharona before washing. There is no problem of a
b'racha she'eina tzricha in this case, because one would have had
to recite a
b'racha rishona on the kiwi during the meal.
The
sefer וזאת הברכה
cites many Sephardic
poskim who do not agree with this ruling and hold that either one
should refrain from eating fruit close to a meal but if one did, one must recite
a
b'racha acharona before the meal.
Cakes and
cookies
Mezonos
products are divided into two categories. Certain
mezonos have bread characteristics – פת
הבאה בכיסנין – such as sponge cake, cookies (biscuits), rogelach, etc.
Although we recite a
mezonos on these foods, they are considered
ספק פת (bread characteristics) and there is
more reason to say that bentching at the end of the meal will cover this food.
The other type of
mezonos, such as lokshen kugel (according to most poskim), bissli,
soup nuts, lokshen, porridge etc. do not have bread characteristics and when
eaten before a bread meal, one must recite a
b'racha acharona before washing.
Consequently:
·
If
one wishes to eat cake (the first type) before a meal, it is preferable to
recite a
b'racha acharona after the cake and make a break before washing.
·
If
one wishes to eat cake (the first type) before a meal and there is no time for a
break or one is not making a break, one should not recite a
b'racha acharona and
l'chatchila have in mind that bentching will include the
mezonos consumed prior to the meal.
·
If
one makes Kiddush and eats
mezonos (the first type) prior to the meal, one should not recite
a
b'racha acharona before the meal and it is correct to have the
mezonos in mind during bentching.
·
If
one makes Kiddush and eats
mezonos (the second type) prior to the meal, one should recite a
b'racha acharona before the meal. If one forgot,
b'diavad the bentching will include even this type of
mezonos.
