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![]() | Ch. 48:1-10. Laws of the blessings on the five species of grain |
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| 48:1 |
Bread
which is from the five species of grain ** {wheat, barley, rye, oats, and spelt}
* {lit; bread in pockets - a category which includes cakes, pies, and "mezonos bread" - and is not considered as bread.}
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| 48:2 |
What is a "sweet roll" ?
Some say
that this is pastry (dough)
made like pockets
that are filled with fruit,
meat,
cheese,*
or the like;
also, (dough) that is baked like pies.* {The Shulchon Oruch HoRav 168:10 and the Mishnah B'rurah 168:94 maintain that meat pies, cheese pies, or vegetable pies that are eaten as the basis of a meal are not considered to be "sweet rolls". }
* {In his Piskei Siddur, Rav Shneur Zalman of Liadi states that a G-d-fearing person should eat "sweet rolls" only in the midst of a meal in which he has eaten bread.} ** {The Shulchon Oruch HoRav 168:12 and the Mishnah B'rurah 168:35 also quote a third opinion, which defines this type of food as crackers.} |
| 48:3 |
The measure of a normal meal
is not determined individually,
but rather by the majority of people
- what they would normally eat
at an afternoon meal,
or an evening meal,
to be satisfied.*
If a person eats this quantity
even though he (personally) is not satisfied,
in any case,
the laws of bread apply.* { The concept of eating to the point of satisfaction is significant regarding this law and many of the others mentioned in this chapter. When a person eats to the point of satisfaction, the obligation to say grace takes on the severity of a Torah command. Thus, the ruling "one must adopt stringencies in cases regarding doubt concerning a Torah command" applies. In contrast, if one has not eaten to the point of satisfaction, the obligation to say grace is only Rabbinic in origin. Hence, leniency may be exercised in cases of doubt.}
* { There are many opinions among the Sages concerning the exact amount implies by the "the measure of a normal meal." The Piskei Siddur of Rav Shneur Zalman of Liadi and the Mishnah B'ruroh 168:24 maintain that one should not eat more than a quantity equal to four k'beitzim of "sweet rolls", except in the midst of a meal in which he has eaten bread.} |
| 48:4 |
If he originally intended
to eat only a little
and (so) said:
"the creator of different kinds of food"
and afterwards
continued to eat
"the measure of a normal meal," (then): If the additional amount he wants to eat
is not "the measure of a normal meal"
except when added
to what he ate previously,
he should continue eating
and, afterwards, bless
the grace after meals. However,
if the additional amount which he wants to eat
is itself "the measure of a normal meal,"
he must wash hands
and say "Who brings forth..."
on what he wants to eat.
However, "on the sustenance"
is not needed
on what was already ate.
Because it is included
with what will be eaten
and is covered by the grace. |
| 48:5 |
Dough which was kneaded with water,
but has a soft texture,
if it was baked in an oven,
or even in a roasting pan
without liquid,
or even if oil was rubbed on the pan
so the dough will not burn,
this is not considered as (cooked) in liquid
and so it is considered as bread.
Even if one eats from it
only a k'zayis
one must wash hands
(say) "Who brings forth..."
(and afterwards) grace. If it (the dough) was fried in a liquid,
it is not considered bread
even if one eats from it
to satisfaction. Also those wafers
that are very thin
and are baked under pressure
between two trays,
are not considered bread,
and even if he eats from them
to satisfaction,
he only says
"the creator of different kinds of food"
and afterwards
"on the sustenance". Sometimes,
a very soft dough is made
- i.e., one places
flour and water in a pot
and mixes them together with a spoon
- and pours this
over vegetable leaves
then bakes in the oven with the leaves.
Then they are considered
(as) "sweet rolls". |
| 48:6 |
Dough which was cooked
and afterwards baked
- e.g.,
"bagels"
(or) "pretzels"
- is considered to be bread,
provided it was thoroughly cooked. |
| 48:7 |
Regular bread
which was cooked or fried
in butter or the like,
even if it no longer has
the appearance of bread
- e.g. it was coated with eggs
- if it is (at least) a k'zayis
all the laws for bread apply. However, if each piece is not
a k'zayis (in size),
even if
the process of cooking
caused the swelling
of the pieces up to a k'zayis in size;
or (small pieces became) stuck together
during the cooking
and formed a large mass.
even if these pieces still have
the appearance of bread.*
In any event,
it does not count as bread
and one blesses on it only
"the creator of different kinds of food"
and afterwards
"on the sustenance"
even if one eats
to the point of satisfaction.* {The Mishnoh B'rurah 168:56 explains that more stringent rules apply to bread which is fried. If it still has the appearance of bread, "who brings forth bread" and grace must be said even though the pieces are less than a k'zayis in size. Rav Shneur Zalman of Liadi (Piskei Siddur) renders a similar decision. Furthermore, he urges a person who is precise in his observance not to eat even small pieces of bread that have been cooked and still have the appearance of bread except while eating a meal in which he has eaten bread.}
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| 48:8 |
Dough,
even if kneaded with water alone,
and cooked,
one says over it (before eating)
"the creator of different kinds of food"
and afterwards
"on the sustenance".
Even if one ate
a (sufficient) quantity to be satisfied.** { The Shulchon Oruch, Orach Chayim 168:13 states that if the texture of the dough is thick, a G-d fearing person should partake of such foods only within a meal where bread was eaten. See also Shulchon Oruch HoRav 168:15 and Mishnoh B'rurah 168:76,77.}
* {Others suggest saying "that everything..." first on another food, with the intention of also including the soup or milk. } |
| 48:9 |
Foods which are made from matzah meal
or bread crumbs
(e.g. doughballs,
and pancakes)
mixed with fat,
eggs, or milk
and made into a dough-like mass,
then they are cooked or fried,
we say over them
"the creator of different kinds of food"
and afterwards
"on the sustenance". |
| 48:10 |
Grain products
which are cooked with other types of food
as is customary
when bits of dough are cooked
with beans
or legumes
(e.g., farfel, or bandlin or arevsin)
even
if there is a majority of one type (of food),
nethertheless,
since each one
is a separate entity,
two blessings must be said.*
First, one says
over the pieces of dough
"the creator of different kinds of food"
and eats them.
Afterwards,
one says over some of the beans
"the creator of the produce of the ground"
and eats,
and afterwards eats them together.
Any sauce [eaten with them] is secondary
and does not require a blessing.
(Furthermore, it is covered by the blessing
"the creator of the produce of the ground", see Ch. 54:2).* {The Misgeres Hashulchon (15) writes that if the two types of food are stuck together, one need say blessings over only the grain. It appears from the Mishnoh B'rurah 212:1 that even if the two types of food are cooked as separate entities, it is only necessary to say "the creator of different kinds of food" and "on the sustenance".}
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