A question came up at a recent weekly shiur (class) during the Seudah Shlisheet (Shabbat afternoon meal), concerning when one needs to recite the full Birkat HaMazon, the Grace After Meals and what necessitates its full recitation. The reason for this question is steeped in halachic (Jewish law) consideration for purposes of reciting the traditional Grace After Meals.

Those washing their hands in the prescribed Torah–directed manner for spiritual purification purposes, with the accompanying blessing: “…al Netilat Yadayim”, followed up immediately by the recitation of the blessing: “…Hamotzi Lechem Min HaAretz” over bread, are then obligated for the full prayer knows as the Birkat HaMazon, the traditional “Grace After Meals”.

For those who choose to eat bread to begin their meal, the Birkat HaMazon is, with very few exceptions, then required to be said in its entirety.

As a general rule according to longstanding Jewish custom and practices, the eating of bread constitutes the formalization of an occasion of food consumption as an actual meal. Therefore, if one were to eat but one small scrap of bread and nothing else, one’s digestion of the bread formally and officially designated that intake as having been a “meal.”

Conversely, if one were to sit down to a seven course meal including, soup, salad, three different types of appetizers, three choices of main course entrees, side dishes including two types of vegetables, three types of starches, and four different desserts, BUT one chose not to eat bread at this banquet, officially this full, veritable feast would not qualify as a halachically-defined “meal.”

Many opinions of whether or not to recite the full Birkat HaMazon are based on this characterization of an official meal. (It should be noted that there is an appropriate after-meal prayer of thanks for ALL KINDS OF MEALS, based on what was actually consumed. More on that another time.)

However, there is another opinion that could obligate someone to recite the full Birkat Hamazon even if he/she did not eat bread. This is based on the concept of that person establishing the particular ingestion of food as an intended meal, with the purpose of designating the consumption of the identified food as one of the customary daily meals to which our society is accustomed. In Hebrew, this is called being “Kovea Seudah”. If one were to sit down at a kitchen table, put out a place setting with plate, bowl, glass, cutlery, and napkin, eat any type of amount of food with the intention of calling this occasion breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner,  hat person would be “Kovea Seudah”, establishing that serving of food as a “meal.” Following this line of thinking, one would then be obligated to recite the full Birkat HaMazon, even though one did not eat bread at that sitting.

As always, if there are any questions about these matters, I look forward to discussing them in person and doing my best to further clarify this topic.

B’Kavod Rav,
Rabbi Dr. Yaacov Dvorin