Siman 177

Bread exempts all types of foods that come during the meal which belong to the meal. That is, things with which it is common to establish a meal, to relish the bread with them, such as meat and fish, eggs, vegetables, butter, cheese, milk, and porridge, and all types of cooked dishes that are for the purpose of eating and satiation, and likewise all types of salty foods. And even if one eats them without bread – they do not require a blessing before them, for the blessing of "Hamotzi" has exempted them; nor after them, for Birkat Hamazon exempts them. For those things that a person eats with the bread itself, we do not need a reason, for the blessing of "Hamotzi" has exempted them, as they are exempt by the logic of primary and secondary; rather, the reason for the blessing of "Hamotzi" is for those that are eaten without bread. (This is implied by Tosafot 41b, beginning with the words "Hilkhata," see there. Examine it and you will find it easy.) It emerges that there are two exemptions: the first is what the bread exempts, which refers to the foods that one eats bread with, and the exemption is because of primary and secondary. And the second is what the blessing of "Hamotzi" exempts, which refers to everything that comes for the purpose of eating and satiation, as in most of our cooked dishes which are the primary part of the meal.

And according to this, regarding what I have seen of one who is uncertain: if his desire is not to eat much bread in this meal and he eats a small amount of bread, are the foods exempt from a berakhah since it is not his will to eat much bread (Magen Avraham subsection 1)? There is no doubt in this at all: for it would be well if the exemption were due to the bread alone, we would rightly be uncertain in this. But the exemption is also by reason of the berakhah of "Hamotzi." And since he recited "Hamotzi" – all foods that come by reason of the meal are exempted even if he ate only a kezayit of bread, for with less than a kezayit he cannot recite Birkat HaMazon. And behold, for the foods as well we require Birkat HaMazon to exempt them from a berakhah acharonah as I have written. And how many wealthy people are there whose meal consists of a small amount of bread, and shall we differentiate between them and the rest of the world? (And the end of the words of the Magen Avraham in subsection 1 are without understanding. And the Machatzit HaShekel struggled with his intention, see there and in Yad Ephraim. And for the halakhah, the main point is as I have written. And so wrote the Even Ozer, see Sha'arei Teshuvah. And be precise and you will find it simple.)

And if one eats during the meal things that do not come on account of the meal, meaning that it is not the practice to eat bread with them, and it is not the practice to establish a meal upon them as they do not come for the purpose of satiation—such as figs and grapes and all types of fruit, and likewise types of cakes that do not come for satiation such as thin wafers and lekach and tart, and everything that was explained in siman 168, section 33, and there we explained in detail, see there—if one eats them without bread, they require a berakhah before them; for the berakhah of "Hamotzi" does not exempt them, as they are not part of the essence of the meal. But they do not require a berakhah after them, for everything within the meal, Birkat HaMazon exempts it; for Birkat HaMazon is superior to the berakhah of "Hamotzi" regarding this matter because it is from the Torah, as I wrote at the beginning of siman 174. However, when one eats bread with the fruits, one does not need a berakhah due to the principle of primary and secondary, for the fruits are secondary to the bread. And likewise when one eats thin wafers or lekach and tart with bread, it is also so, for the bread is primary relative to everything. Yet, it is not the practice to eat types of sweets with bread. Nevertheless, one who eats them does not need a berakhah, for regarding this matter it is not relevant to follow the majority of people, as each person eats according to what seems proper in his eyes (so it appears in my humble opinion).

But one who eats something after the meal, meaning that which in the Gemara they called "matters that come after the meal," before Birkat HaMazon; for in the time of the sages of the Shas, their custom was that at the end of the meal they would withdraw their hands from the bread and remove it, and establish themselves to eat fruit and to drink. Therefore, then, everything they bring before them—whether matters that come because of the meal, such as fish and meat, or matters that come not because of the meal—require a blessing, both before them and after them. For even Birkat HaMazon only exempts what comes during the meal, and not what comes after the meal (except for pat kisnin, which is like bread), as this is like one who eats without a meal. And according to the method of Rashi, this is only regarding matters whose way is to come after the meal. But matters whose way is to come during the meal, even if one eats them after the meal, do not require a blessing. And so it appears, seemingly, from the wording of the Rambam at the end of the fourth chapter, who wrote: And matters that come after the meal, whether because of the meal or not because of the meal, require a blessing, both before them and after them. Thus far his words. However, according to this, it is not understood what he wrote, "whether because of the meal..." Therefore, it appears more likely that he holds according to the method of the Tosafot and the Rosh and all the Rishonim. And this is why he wrote "whether because of the meal," meaning: even matters that come because of the meal (and so wrote the Kesef Mishneh and the Lechem Mishneh). And if he began during the meal, he does not need to bless after them.

Our teacher, the Beit Yosef, wrote at the end of section 2 regarding this law, and this is his wording: And this latter law is not common among us, because we do not withdraw our hands from the bread until after birkat hamazon. Thus far his words. And so wrote the Tosafot and the Rosh and all the Rishonim. It follows that for us it is always called "during the meal." And there is one who wrote that at large meals even now the custom is like in the time of the Shas (Levush). And there are those who disagree with this (Bach and Magen Avraham subsection 7), and they wrote that in the time of the Shas they were accustomed to remove the tables, as they had small tables; but now that the table is large and they do not remove it, everything is called "during the meal." And a doubt regarding blessings is ruled leniently. And it seems to me that now at large meals, and also among the very wealthy – they eat fruits after birkat hamazon. (The Magen Avraham subsection 6 brought a Tosefta: Salted food that comes at the beginning before the meal, and bread that comes with the salted food after the meal, requires a blessing… and I do not know why he brought it, for are these not the words of an individual and the first Tanna disagrees with this? And so it is taught there: Salted food and a slice – one recites a blessing on the salted food and exempts the slice. Rabbi Chanina ben Gamaliel says: Salted food that comes at the beginning… Furthermore: this is regarding the matter of primary and secondary, and not regarding the matter of the bread exempting, and it belongs to siman 212. And even there we do not rule like Rabbi Chanina ben Gamaliel but like the first Tanna. Examine it and you will find it simple.)

It has already been explained that one who eats fruits with bread does not need to recite a blessing over the fruits, because they are subordinate to the bread. And there are times that even when one eats them without bread in the middle of his meal, they do not require a blessing. How so? For example, if he established his meal as is his usual way, and in the middle of the meal they brought him fruits to relish the bread with them, and he ate a little of them with bread, and his intention is to eat more of them with bread. Then, even when he ate in the meantime without bread, they do not require a blessing since they brought them to relish the bread, and his intention is to eat more of them with bread. And even if afterward he changed his mind not to relish with them anymore, nevertheless, since at the time he ate them without bread his intention was that he would eat them more with bread, we have no concern regarding it. However, that which he eats after he changed his mind requires a blessing.

And this is when they brought them in the middle of the meal in order to relish the bread with them. But if they did not bring them to relish, but rather to eat them for pleasure in the manner of eating fruits, and when he ate them, he ate them with bread without the intention of relishing the bread, but rather because he so desired for some reason, such as it being pleasant for him to eat them with bread and the like, and his intention is to eat more of them with bread for this purpose, it is obvious that those which he eats with bread are exempt from a blessing. But if in the meantime he eats them without bread – he must recite a blessing even though he eats them at the beginning and the end with bread. And so too, even if they brought the fruits in order to relish the bread with them, but he began to eat them without bread – he must recite a blessing. For specifically when he began to eat them with bread, and his intention is to eat more with bread – then the middle ones are exempt, but not when they are at the beginning. And know that there are those who disagree even in such a case, so as not to exempt the middle ones from a blessing (Sefer Mitzvot Gadol and Hagahot Maimoniyot, see Beit Yosef). And although the primary ruling follows the opinion of those who exempt, and so our teacher, the Beit Yosef, ruled in section 1, and so it is explained from the wording of the Tur, see there – nevertheless, all the great authorities wrote that it is good to conduct oneself that when they bring him fruits in the middle of a meal, even though his intention is to relish the bread with them, nevertheless he should eat a little of them without bread and recite a blessing over them, in order to fulfill his obligation according to all opinions. And every God-fearing person should conduct himself so. However, for the law, the primary ruling is as I have written. (And so wrote the Magen Avraham subsection 3, and the Taz at the end of subsection 3, see there. For they incline so for the law because of concerns, see there.)

All that has been explained applies when he did not establish his meal upon the fruits from the outset, but rather in the middle of the meal they brought him fruits to relish the bread with them. However, if from the outset he establishes his meal only upon the fruits, such as the poor in countries where fruits are inexpensive and cooked dishes are dear, and he sits to eat bread with fruits—in this case, the fruits are like things that come by virtue of the meal itself, for even if he eats from them first without bread, they do not require a blessing; just as when one eats meat without bread, he does not require a blessing either before them or after them. However, in this matter there are those who disagree, and they hold that even in such a case, he must eat them first with bread, and afterwards he may eat them even without bread. But the beginning of his eating must specifically be with bread. And the reason is that since it is not the way of the world to relish bread with them, but rather he chose them, therefore the beginning of his eating must be with bread. And it is not similar to other cooked dishes (Semaq and Hagahot Maimoniyot). Therefore, it is good that he should eat them at first with bread, and then even if he eats them afterwards without bread—they are exempt from a blessing; and even though he does not return to eat with them afterwards with bread, since the primary establishment of the meal was upon them. And there are those who wrote that dates in any case are exempt from a blessing, because they are satiating like bread (Magen Avraham subsection 3). And it requires further study as to the law. And it is proper to eat first some other fruit and recite "ha-etz" over it, and he will fulfill his obligation regarding the dates regardless.

And know that in any case where fruits are exempted by the blessing of the bread, even if the fruits were not on the table—they are exempted, since it was his intention to bring them. And in any case where they are not exempted by the blessing of the bread, even if they are placed on the table—they are not exempted. Our teacher, the Beit Yosef, wrote in section 5: If after he recited the blessing over the bread, they sent to him from the house of others upon whom he does not rely (that they should feed him), and his intention was not upon the gift, even regarding things that are typically used to accompany the bread—he must recite a blessing over them according to the law of one who changed his mind. Thus far his words. And it is simple. Our teacher, the Rema, wrote regarding this, and this is his wording: And I have not seen people being careful in this. And it is possible that the reason is that a person's general intention is upon everything they bring to him during the meal. Thus far his words. And this is not a sufficient reason, understood, unless it is in a place where it is the way of neighbors to send to one another, or relatives send to one another. But otherwise, if by chance one sent to his fellow in the middle of the meal some cooked dish—he must recite its blessing over it; unless when he eats them with bread, for then it becomes secondary to the bread and he does not need to recite a blessing. And it is simple that if they sent him fruits that he must recite a blessing in any case, even when they are accustomed to sending to him, unless he eats everything sent to him with bread (see Magen Avraham subsection 10).

And know that according to all the laws that have been explained in this siman, for us, all flour-based foods fried in butter or fat, such as kreplach, blintzes, teigachz, pampushkes, and the like, even if they are filled with fruit—everything is considered part of the meal, for the flour is the primary element and the fruit is secondary. And even though they are served for pleasure by the wealthy, nevertheless, in the end they satisfy the body and do not require a berakhah. Similarly, when one cooks potatoes with meat or fat and places plum fruits in them, which are called ploimen, and this is called tzimmes, which is eaten among us for the most part on Friday night—the ploimen are secondary. And they do not require a berakhah even if one eats from them little by little without the potatoes. Unless one does not want to eat the potatoes at all, but only the ploimen alone, for then one must recite the berakhah "borei peri ha'etz" over them. And see in section 11.

But when one cooks fruits alone, such as apple tzimmes and plums and raisins and septalin, and provides this at the end of the meals—one is obligated to recite a blessing over them, for this is called "not on account of the meal"; as they come only for pleasure, and they do not satiate the body. And know that it is common to say that when one cooks the fruits with meat or with fat, that it is called "things that come on account of the meal" and they are exempt from a blessing (see Magen Avraham, subsection 3). And there is no correct reason for this unless one eats them with bread, and it is good to do so. And all types of sweets like lekach and tart—one must recite a blessing even when they contain fat. But over fladen one does not need to recite a blessing, for this is on account of the meal as is known, as it is actual dough and satiates the body.

It appears to me that even though certainly one who eats fruits before the meal, which have no connection to the meal but rather he desired to eat, and afterward he sits for the meal, he must recite a beracha achrona over the fruits (and so wrote the Magen Avraham, subsection 3). Nevertheless, if his desire is to eat more of the fruits but his desire is to eat them during the meal—he does not need to recite a beracha achrona, and also not a beracha rishona when he eats them during the meal, and they are drawn after the previous blessing. And automatically, afterward he will be exempt from a beracha achrona through birkat hamazon, as has been explained regarding during the meal in section 3.