Question:
- When benching with a zimun of three and the mezamen is reciting Birkat HaMazon aloud, may the other two participants answer “Amen” at the end of each berachah, such as after the first paragraph (HaZan et ha’olam) and the subsequent berachot?
- When benching with a zimun of three and the mezamen is reciting Birkat HaMazon aloud, while the other two participants are also benching quietly on their own (so he is not being motzi them), may the other two answer “Amen” at the end of each berachah, such as after the first paragraph (HaZan et ha’olam) and the subsequent berachot?
- Does this depend on whether they are currently in the middle of a paragraph of Birkat HaMazon versus between paragraphs? In other words, would answering Amen in the middle of a paragraph be considered a hefsek?
Thank you.
Answer:
- The participants should answer amen after the mezamen; however, they should finish the berachah slightly quicker than he does in order to be between berachot when answering amen. This is especially true if the mezamen is motzi them (although nowadays we generally are not yotzei with the mezamen).
- Yes.
- During Birkat HaMazon, we may not answer amen when we are in the middle of one of the berachot. See Rema Orach Chaim 59-4.
Sources:
שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן קפג סעיף ז "נכון הדבר שכל אחד מהמסובין יאמר בלחש עם המברך כל ברכה וברכה, ואפילו החתימות. הגה: ויקדים לסיים קצת קודם המברך, כדי שיענה אמן,".
