Question: in benching after al yichasreinu there is an option to say a tefilla for the baal habayis. should one say this for his spouse? Answer: It is not customary… Read more »
Category: Laws of Meals
Rubbing hands after washing for bread
Question: When does one rub his/ her hands after washing for bread? After the washing, but before the Bracha or after the Bracha but before the drying? Answer: The Chayei… Read more »
Feeding my pet before eating
Question: in the morning we give our cat food before we eat. what about lunch? what if the cat eats later at 2 or 3. should we not eat until… Read more »
Birchat hamazon HARACHAMONS
Question: If a person says BIRCHAT HAMAZON alone, can he say the HARACHAMONS out loud like the rest of Birchat hamazon? Answer: As far as I know it is not… Read more »
Feeding fish before eating
Question: Shalom Shalom, Must one feed their fish before eating themselves? Thank you Answer: A person is obligated to feed his fish before eating, as with his other pets. However… Read more »
When do you say “Melech” on Rosh Chodesh?
Question: I’ve noticed in both the Artscroll and the Koren Siddurim, that there’s a difference between “Yaaleh v’yavo” in the Shmonei Esrei and in Birkat Hamazon. In the Shmonei Esrei,… Read more »
Eating breakfast late
Question: Pesachim 12: & O”H 157,1 says if you didn’t eat anything by Chatzos, the eating afterwards will be worthless, unless you tasted something beforehand. Is a drink enough for… Read more »
Zimun when Baal habayis is kohen
Question: A Baal habayis is a kohen and the person he asks to be mzamin is not a kohen, what is the nusach the mzamin should say? Thank you Answer:… Read more »
Nusach of zimun when kohen is present
Question: What is the proper nusach of zimun when kohen is present and the mezamin is non kohen? What is the proper nusach of zimun if the baal habyis is… Read more »
stepping on crumbs
Question: I have heard that one should not step on crumbs. How small of a crumb though should one be concerned with? Also, is the concern specifically with bread crumbs… Read more »
saying amen in bentching
Question: May one answer amen while one is in the midst of bentching, when the one leading the bentching recites out loud in yaalehv’yavo, ‘zachreinul’tova…u’fakdeinivol’bracha…. Answer: We should not answer… Read more »
Shinui Makom from terminal to airplane
Question: If I eat some “sh’hakol” foods or drink in the airplane terminal do I need a new bracha rishona when I get on the airplane? Would there be a… Read more »
The time between netilas yedayim and making hamotzi
Question: Hello, I believe I was taught that the reason we don’t talk after doing netilas yadayim is that we are trying to minimize the amount of stuff going on… Read more »
What do I have to know when cutting bread?
Question: How is one supposed to cut a loaf of bread? Cutting from part that baked first, from the best part? How big of a piece? The side, the top,… Read more »
If I have a bread that when it is picked up will split is it considered whole?
Question: If I have a loaf of bread that if I pick up one side (before making a slice in it), it will fall apart, is that a problem of… Read more »
retzei
Question: The halacha is that a person who has a safek if he said retzei on shabbos needs to repeat benching because we assume that he did not say it…. Read more »
hefsek
Question: One washes for bread at work and says al netilas yadayim. While walking to his desk etc., one is asked a question or approached by a supervisor, coworker, asked… Read more »
zimun
Question: If one goes to a wedding with in mind not to bentch with a “mezuman”, ( in order to leave whenever he wants without needing to wait for a… Read more »
washing for bread
Question: When one is in the middle of washing for bread (having washed one hand already), can he say Amen? What about after having washed both hands, and before the… Read more »
Netilat Yadayim 2
Greetings Rabbi If I wash my hands inside the bathroom do I need to dry them outside, or can I just dry them inside? inside is fine when not washing… Read more »
Netilat Yadayim Questions
Greetings Rabbi, I have a lot of questions regarding Hand Washing and Eating and I hope that you can answer them. Thank you. Washing (Netilat Yadayim) If I enter a… Read more »
Disposing of Old Bread
How should one treat left over old bread or challah? Halachically, how can it be thrown away? Answer: It may be wrapped up in a bag and then thrown away…. Read more »
Answering Amen During Bentching
Can one only answer amen during bentching, if one is inbetween the first beracah and the second beracah and one hears someone finish the first berachah. Answer: Yes, this is… Read more »
Interrupting Birkat Hamazon
May one interupet in the middle of Birkas Hamazon to answer amen to any berachah of Birkas Hamazon he hears from another. What is also the Halacha, for kaddish kedushah… Read more »
Amen After Mayim Achronim
Is one allowed to answer Amein between mayim achronim and starting benching? Answer: One should not answer Amen after Mayim Achronim, unless they can wash again after the Amen. Sources:… Read more »
Al Naharos Bavel
Why do we say Al Naharos Bavel/Shir HaMaalos? Why do few people still say Al Naharos Bavel? Which Poskim/Gedolim did or didn’t say it? Where did the paragraph of Tehillas… Read more »
Shehakol Before Washing
If I make a shahakol or hadama then decide to wash. Do I first make a borei nefoshos or can I wash and be yoitze with bentching Thank you Answer:… Read more »
Mayim Acharonim Alone
Do you have to wash your fingers for Birkat Hamazon if you eat by yourself? Answer: The halachah of mayim acharonim, washing hands before Birkat HaMazon, does not depend on… Read more »
Finished Eating after Nightfall on Rosh Chodesh
Dear Rabbi, If on erev rosh codseh one starts to eat some cake before shkiah and finishes eating the cake after nightfall, should they make the insertion for rosh chodesh… Read more »
Beracha on Food Before Meal
Dear Rabbi I was wondering on the following halacha. If one eats an appetizer in a restaurant before washing for the main meal (say for example they eat some vegetables… Read more »
Eating More Before Benching
Sometimes a person will eat a Kabeiyah of bread at a Sheva abrachos or Shabbos table at the beginning, and then there’s Divrei torah and speakers or talking, etc. for… Read more »
Skipped Berachah in Birkas HaMazon
Dear Rabbi, If one is reciting birkhat hamazon and accidently skipped out וְעַל הַכּל and רַחֶם נָא and only realised after concluding the bracha of בּוֹנֵה בְרַחֲמָיו, (although didn’t start… Read more »
Leaving Zimmun for Minyan
Can you leave a zimmun (10 or 3) to daven with a minyan (no minyan later and there will be zimmun and minyan without you)? Answer: No, it is not… Read more »
Benching After Long Meals
Sometimes on Shabbos or at a simcha one eats a kebeiyah of bread, and one continues eating the meal without bread until benching 2 or 3 hours later. What’s the… Read more »
Benching Before Oneg Shabbos
Is it halachically correct to make an oneg shabbos immediately after the shabbos seudah? i.e. Can one decide to bentch and then bring out dessert and cake which will necessitate… Read more »
Meal that Crosses Over from Hoshanah Rabbah to Shemini Atzeres
On Hoshanah Rabbah someone was eating in the sukkah and wanted to continue his seudah when the shmini etzeres started. He was pores mappah and continued. When he comes to… Read more »
Phone Call in Bread Meal
If someone is eating a bread meal or drinking or a fruit and receives a phone call. Does one need to wash or make a new bracha or bench first?… Read more »
Eating Other Foods for Zimun
Is there any source within the halachic literature that says that if there is a group of people who have eaten a meal together and some did not eat bread,… Read more »
Borei Nefashos for Bread
I washed and ate bread and then absent-mindedly said the bracha nefashot afterwards? Should I now also say Birkat Hamazon and what is status of the bracha nefashot? Thank you…. Read more »
Se’udas Mitzvah with Divrei Torah
The Rema in Hilchos Channukah Siman 670 writes that if zemiros and shvachos (songs and praise) are said by a Seudah on Channukah it becomes a “Seudas Mitzvah” (without this… Read more »
Joining for Zimmun after Planning to Leave
If someone goes to a simcha (wedding for example) with in mind not to join together and therefore will not by chiyuv in a zimmun what if the person ends… Read more »
Zimun With Someone who Doesn’t Know How
May a zimun be made with 3 men when one of them is unable to respond properly to the zimmun (because he can’t read hebrew or doesn’t understand how to… Read more »
Satiated from Foods Other than Bread
Someone who ate a cazayis of pas and other foods that brought him to “c’dei saviah” is his chiyuv in Bircas HaMazon d’oraisa or d’rabbanan. Answer: Because he has become… Read more »
Time for Benching after Eating
How long does a person have between the end of meal (eating has stopped) and when one can still bentsch? How much time must go by where benching is no… Read more »
Throwing Away Bread
Bread that is no longer fresh or in some way is no longer edible. How must it be thrown away? Does it need 1 wrapping? 2? None at all maybe?… Read more »
Unsatisfied with Water
A person is trying to keep away from soda. However, the person does not feel as satisfied with drinking water or seltzer. Regarding Birkas Ha-Mazon a satisfied feeling should be… Read more »
Mayim Acharonim from the Faucet
Can one wash for mayim ahachronim without a cup, i.e. just under the faucet lechatchilah? Answer: It is permitted to wash one’s hands for mayim acharonim under the faucet. Some,… Read more »
Fell Asleep after Meal
I Laid down thinking it was just going to be for a few minutes, then I woke up many hours later, But I realized that I forgot to bentch. Is… Read more »
Birkas Ha-Mazon after Throwing Up
How do we pasken by someone who eats a seudah then throws up afterwards do they still have to bentch bircas hamazon? Answer: Birkas Hamazon is not recited if the… Read more »
Extra Ha-Rachaman for Oneself
In my birchon it says to recite a harachaman for the baal habayit. Under that harachamn it says: “if eating at own table recite harachaman for self and wife”. My… Read more »