Siman 191

Workers who perform labor for a homeowner, because of the loss of labor for the homeowner, the sages were lenient with them to shorten birkat hamazon, as is taught in Berakhot (16a). And just as they were lenient with them regarding prayer to pray "Havineni," as I wrote in siman 110, so too they were lenient with them regarding birkat hamazon. How so? The first blessing is according to its institution, for it is the primary obligation, therefore they do not shorten it. However, in the second blessing he begins with the blessing of the land, and includes within it the blessing of "Who builds Jerusalem." And thus he says: We thank You, Hashem our God, for having given as a heritage to our ancestors a desirable, good, and spacious land, and Your city Jerusalem that You shall build speedily in our days, and for Your covenant which You sealed in our flesh, and for Your Torah which You taught us, we thank You. Blessed are You, Hashem, for the land and for the food. For the blessing of the land and the blessing of Jerusalem are similar (Rashi). That is to say: even though they are from the Torah, nevertheless from the Torah there is no necessity that each one should have a blessing unto itself, but rather they instituted it thus (Magen Avraham). And all the more so since there are those who hold that the number of blessings is not from the Torah (Beit Yosef and Bach). Therefore, regarding workers, because of the loss of labor—they established it according to the Torah law (and see Tosafot ibid.).

And this is when the homeowner is not reclining with them, for perhaps he is fastidious regarding the neglect of work. But when he reclines with them—they should bless with him according to its proper form, for behold, he knows and waives. And whichever way you look at it: if he is fastidious, let him tell them to shorten. However, Israel are not suspected of being fastidious over such a small amount of time, and if he is fastidious, he is fastidious. But not in his presence, they should not be lenient with the work of others. And even if he is not reclining with them, this is only when they take a wage in addition to their sustenance. But if they work only for their sustenance, or take money only to sustain themselves—they do not shorten and they bless according to their proper form, for in such a case the sages were not concerned for his fastidiousness.

And it is simple that they do not recite the blessing of "ha-tov ve-ha-meitiv," because it is rabbinic. And they do not wait for the zimun (Sma, siman 337). And there are those who question this (Magen Avraham). And it appears that if the zimun is before them—they recite the blessing with a zimun. For it appears that it is from the Torah, and it is also only a few moments. But to wait—they are forbidden. And regarding the blessing of "ha-motzi," the version before us in the Gemara and also in the Rambam in the second chapter is that they do not recite the blessing. And the reason: because it is rabbinic. But in the Rif and the Rosh the version is: and they recite the blessing before them. And so wrote the Tur, and so appears to be the primary view (Ma'adanei Yom Tov). For even though it is rabbinic, nevertheless, behold he says it in a brief moment, and there is no bitul melacha in this. And so too regarding all blessings before eating and drinking—they are obligated. And they are also obligated in the final blessings, for they are short and there is no bitul melacha in them.

The poskim wrote that all this was in their days. But nowadays, one always recites all four blessings in their proper form, for it is not the way of people now to be particular about this. And presumably, it is with this understanding that they hire workers, that they shall recite all four blessings in their proper form. And even if he says afterward that he is particular—we do not listen to him. And so it is now regarding prayer, as I wrote in siman 110. And it further appears to me: that even if he hires them on this condition that they should shorten the prayer and the birkat hamazon—we do not listen to him. For since the whole world does not practice this way, and it is as if they accepted it upon themselves as an obligation—an individual does not have the power to remove himself from the collective and nullify the mitzvah.

In the Yerushalmi it asks: Why should they not always bless according to their enactment, and bless the two blessings "Who builds Jerusalem" and "Who is good and does good" while they are engaged in their work? And they said that this implies that it is forbidden to do work while one is blessing. And in all blessings and all mitzvot it is so, that there is a prohibition to engage in any other matter at the time of the blessing or the performance of the mitzvah. And regarding this it is said: "And if you walk with Me casually," meaning: that you perform My mitzvot in a manner of happenstance and chance and without intention. And even to think about words of Torah is forbidden at the time of the blessing, for every blessing must be with intention (Taz).