Search results for: ""Ha'motzi""
How Long Must Shabbat Candles Burn
Shabbat candles must burn at least until dark and you have also eaten the bread of ha'motzi.
Birkat HaMazon: Eating for Minyan
You may say birkat ha'mazon with a minyan if:
o At least seven men washed, said ha'motzi, and ate bread, with
o Enough other men who ate some food (anything other than water or salt) to total 10 men.
Note If the 10 men's eating overlapped in time with each other, they MAY say birkat ha'mazon with a minyan.
If the 10 men began eating at the same time, they MUST say birkat ha'mazon with a minyan.
o At least seven men washed, said ha'motzi, and ate bread, with
o Enough other men who ate some food (anything other than water or salt) to total 10 men.
Note If the 10 men's eating overlapped in time with each other, they MAY say birkat ha'mazon with a minyan.
If the 10 men began eating at the same time, they MUST say birkat ha'mazon with a minyan.
What To Eat for Se'uda Shlishit
Ideally, fulfill the commandment of a third meal (se'uda shlishit) by:
- Washing hands,
- Saying the ha'motzi blessing over two challot, and
- Eating at least the minimum amount (1.9 fl. oz., or 56 ml) of bread.
Note If you ate some food after completing your Shabbat day meal (the second meal of Shabbat) and after halachic midday, you can consider that to be your se'uda shlishit, even if you did not intend it to be when you ate it.
Forgetting Afikoman
If you said birkat ha'mazon at the seder but had forgotten to eat the afikoman, you must:
- Wash your hands,
- Say ha'motzi,
- Eat at least 1.3 fl. oz. (39 ml, or 1/6 cup) of matza,
- Say birkat ha'mazon again, and then
- Drink the third cup of wine.
Challot for Evening Kiddush
To use two challot for kiddush instead of wine:
- Wash hands and say blessing al netilat yadayim.
- Say kiddush but substitute ha'motzi for borei pri ha'gafen.
- As soon as you finish saying kiddush, eat the bread as normal.
Jewish Festivals: Candles: How Long Candles Must Burn
As on Shabbat, Jewish festivals candles must burn at least until you have eaten the bread of ha'motzi.
SheHakol: Which Foods: General Rule
Say she'hakol, the most general blessing, over any food or drink that does not fall into a higher category (HaMotzi, Borei Minei Mezonot, Borei Pri Ha'Eitz, Borei Pri HaGafen, and Borei Pri HaAdama).
Note One blessing of she'hakol covers both liquids and solids that will be eaten/drunk at the same snack or meal.
Introduction to Food Fore-Blessings (Bracha Rishona): The Five Grains
Bread or Mezonot: Intended Use
Whether a food made of the Five Grains qualifies as bread (ha'motzi) or mezonot (borei minei mezonot) depends on whether the food was intended to be eaten as a meal or as a snack, as follows:- Bread for a meal: Say ha'motzi.
- Mezonot (but you will eat a full meal): Say ha'motzi.
-
A snack (including bread as a snack): Say borei minei mezonot.
Note Some foods may qualify as either ha'motzi or mezonot (such as pizza).
Note Whether the bread/mezonot was made with fruit juice instead of water may not affect its blessing, since the blessing is determined by the food's intended use. “Mezonot” rolls on airline flights may still require the blessing of ha'motzi if you eat them as part of a meal.
Note Bread that has been cut into small pieces and fried may be reduced in status from bread to mezonot.
Bread/Mezonot: Amount of Five Grains Needed
In a non-bread food containing a mixture of grains, at least 20\% of the main ingredients must be from one of the Five Grains in order to require the fore-blessing (bracha rishona) of borei minei mezonot (after-blessing:al ha'michya).If at least 20\% of a bread's flour is from one of the Five Grains, say a fore-blessing of ha'motzi (and birkat ha'mazon afterward if you ate at least 1.3 fl. oz. within four minutes).
Note If you do not know the actual percent of each grain, such as in cereal, say she'hakol (after-blessing: borei nefashot). But you should try to determine the actual amounts of the grains.
Bread/Mezonot: Mixtures with Other Foods
Normally, the fore-blessing for bread (ha'motzi), or for other cooked or baked foods made from flour (borei minei mezonot), will override the remaining foods in a food mixture.
Note Bread that has been cut into small pieces and fried may be reduced in status from bread to mezonot.
Examples Saying HaMotzi over Bread Mixture
Wash and say ha'motzi over bread and bread-mixture foods such as French toast, if at least one piece is more than 1.3 fl. oz. (39 ml, or 1/6 cup) in volume.
If no individual piece is at least 1.3 fl. oz., say borei minei mezonot.
Reason Being fried changes the French toast's status, even if the total of all of the pieces is more than 1.3 fl. oz.
Examples Saying HaMotzi over Bread Mixture
Wash and say ha'motzi over bread and bread-mixture foods such as French toast, if at least one piece is more than 1.3 fl. oz. (39 ml, or 1/6 cup) in volume.
If no individual piece is at least 1.3 fl. oz., say borei minei mezonot.
Reason Being fried changes the French toast's status, even if the total of all of the pieces is more than 1.3 fl. oz.
Saying Borei Minei Mezonot over Mezonot Mixture
Say borei minei mezonot over:- Cholent whose main ingredient is barley;
- Ice cream cone (ice cream + cone)—see “ice cream cone” for further details;
- Pie; and
-
Cheesecake with any kind of crust.
Note Cheesecakes are sold in bakeries and not in cheese stores, indicating that the mezonot part is more important than the cheese part as regards fore- and after-blessings.
Jewish Festivals: Kiddush: Challot for Kiddush
To use two challot for kiddush instead of wine:
- Wash hands and say al netilat yadayim,
- Say kiddush but substitute ha'motzi for borei pri ha'gafen; and, as soon as you finish saying kiddush,
- Eat the bread as normal.
Birkat HaMazon: Eating for Mezuman
Say birkat ha'mazon as a mezuman if:
- You don't have enough men for a minyan (see above), AND
- Two men wash, said ha'motzi, and ate bread, AND
- One or more other men ate any food other than water and salt.
Note If the three men's eating overlapped in time with each other, they MAY say birkat ha'mazon with a mezuman.
If the three men began eating at the same time, they MUST say birkat ha'mazon with a mezuman.
If the three men began eating at the same time, they MUST say birkat ha'mazon with a mezuman.
How To Do Shabbat Evening Kiddush
To fulfill the two requirements for Shabbat evening kiddush:
-
Say, or hear, the Shabbat evening kiddush blessings/segments:
-
Borei pri ha'gafen (on wine or grape juice only), OR
Ha'motzi (on two challot if you have no wine or grape juice, as chamar medina is not permitted for Shabbat evening kiddush. See Challot for Evening Kiddush) AND - Mekadeish HaShabbat.
-
Borei pri ha'gafen (on wine or grape juice only), OR
-
Establish a halachic “meal” (kovei'a se'uda) by either:
- Drinking 4 fl. oz. (119 ml) of wine (or grape juice) within 30 seconds, OR
- Eating at least 1.9 fl. oz. (56 ml) of bread or mezonot of any type (within 4 minutes) shortly after saying or hearing kiddush.
Note For evening kiddush, the custom is to go straight to the meal without delay (with no mezonot or snacking first). B'di'avad if you snacked, it is still OK.
How To Fulfill Eating Jewish Festival Second Meal
You must eat a second meal on Jewish festival (or Shabbat) day with 1.9 fl. oz., or 56 ml, of bread--even if you already said ha'motzi and ate bread at kiddush.
Note There is no essential time limit for eating the second meal, but it must be before you get distracted (hesech da'at). Otherwise, you must hear kiddush again and drink wine (or grape juice) or eat bread/mezonot before eating anything.
Fore-Blessing: Bread/Cakes of Rice Flour and Mezonot Flour
In a bread containing rice flour, if at least 20\% of the flour is from one of the Five Grains, say the fore-blessing of ha'motzi (after-blessing: birkat ha'mazon).
In a cake containing mostly rice flour, if at least 20\% of the flour is from one of the Five Grains, say a fore-blessing of borei minei mezonot (after-blessing: al ha'michya).
In a cake containing mostly rice flour, if at least 20\% of the flour is from one of the Five Grains, say a fore-blessing of borei minei mezonot (after-blessing: al ha'michya).
Fore-Blessing: Bread or Mezonot
To be halachically considered “bread,” the item must have been baked and have air holes in it. To determine whether a food made of the Five Grains qualifies as bread (ha'motzi) or mezonot (borei minei mezonot), decide whether the food had been made to be eaten as a meal or as a snack. If it was made to be:
- Bread (that is, for a meal), say ha'motzi.
- Mezonot (but you will eat a full meal), say ha'motzi.
- A snack, say borei minei mezonot.
Note Some foods may qualify as either ha'motzi or mezonot (such as pizza).
NoteIf at least 20\% of a bread's flour is from one of the Five Grains, say a fore-blessing of ha'motzi on the bread (and birkat ha'mazon afterward, if you ate at least 1.3 fl. oz. within four minutes).
NoteWhether the bread/mezonot was made with fruit juice instead of water may not affect its blessing, since the blessing is determined by its intended use. Mezonot rolls on airline flights may still require the blessing of ha'motzi if you eat them as part of a meal.
Note Since it does not have air holes, wheat tortillas get the blessing of mezonot and not ha'motzi.
NOTE The fore-blessing on stuffing made of bread or a bread kugel is mezonot if none of the pieces are 1 fl. oz. or larger.
NoteIf at least 20\% of a bread's flour is from one of the Five Grains, say a fore-blessing of ha'motzi on the bread (and birkat ha'mazon afterward, if you ate at least 1.3 fl. oz. within four minutes).
NoteWhether the bread/mezonot was made with fruit juice instead of water may not affect its blessing, since the blessing is determined by its intended use. Mezonot rolls on airline flights may still require the blessing of ha'motzi if you eat them as part of a meal.
Note Since it does not have air holes, wheat tortillas get the blessing of mezonot and not ha'motzi.
NOTE The fore-blessing on stuffing made of bread or a bread kugel is mezonot if none of the pieces are 1 fl. oz. or larger.
Fore-Blessing: Bread/Cakes of Only Rice Flour
Bread or cakes made of only rice flour may not be used for any meal requiring eating bread and saying birkat ha'mazon. The blessing is borei minei mezonot, not ha'motzi.