Siman 210

It has already been explained that the first berakhah has no minimum measure, for even if one ate any amount or drank any amount—he is obligated to recite a berakhah. The measure of a kezayit and a revit applies only regarding the final berakhah and not the first, for it is forbidden to derive benefit from this world without a berakhah, and the berakhah for each item is according to what it is even in an amount less than a kezayit, unlike the one who holds that for less than a kezayit of anything the berakhah is only "shehakol" (see Beit Yosef), for it is not so; rather, the berakhah for less than a kezayit is the same as for a kezayit, and likewise for liquids. And so we explained at the beginning of siman 202 that all foods join together to form a kezayit and all liquids to form a revit, and that he must eat the kezayit within the time of kedei akhilat pras. And how much is akhilat pras and the joining of liquids: there is a dispute, and liquids that are upon foods are considered like foods. Regarding the fundamental law of liquids, that a revit is required for a final berakhah, this is the opinion of the Rambam in chapter 3, whether for wine or for other liquids, but our teachers the authors of the Tosafot were in doubt regarding wine whether it requires a revit or if a kezayit is sufficient for a final berakhah; therefore, one must be careful to drink either less than a kezayit or a revit, and the general practice follows the Rambam, and such appears to be the opinion of our teachers the authors of the Shulchan Arukh. And some hold the measure of a melo lugmav, see in siman 190. And we further explained there that there is no difference between one liquid and another, unlike the one who holds that regarding brandy, since it is strong, less than a revit is also sufficient for a final berakhah (see Taz subsection 1), for it is not so, and for all types of liquids a revit is required. The measure of a revit is according to that which displaces an egg and a half from a vessel full of water (Eliyah Rabbah see there, and the Magen Avraham subsection 2 requires wine but it is not compelling), and we measure with average eggs. There are those who wish to double the measures now because the eggs have diminished, but we have already explained that it is not so and the measures have not changed and will not change, and that there are always large and small eggs, and we brought this from the words of the Tashbetz and from other poskim as written in siman 168 see there. There is one who says that a revit holds as much as would fill two shells of a hen's egg (Shelah), as this is the measure of the displacement of an egg and a half of water, and we are accustomed to measure a revit as one part in a hundred of a hin, and we call this measure a "kvartel" or "chvertka." A kezayit that shriveled and became less than a kezayit—does not require a final berakhah, and likewise the opposite—requires a final berakhah, and the air pockets in foods do not join to form a kezayit, and all this we explained in siman 202 see there.

There is one who wrote in this language: "It appears to me that if one ate less than the required measure and went outside and returned to his place—that he must recite a blessing a second time at the beginning even over bread, for it does not require a final blessing and its law is like other things; therefore, it requires further study whether, if he returned and ate less than the required measure, they combine, as it is like a distraction of the mind, and it appears to me that they do combine." Thus far his words (Magen Avraham, end of subsection 1). And in my humble opinion, it appears that since it was explained at the beginning of siman 158 that for less than a kezayit of bread one does not need netilat yadayim, see there, therefore it depends on this: If he washed his hands—certainly they combine and likewise he does not need to recite a blessing a second time, for certainly his intention was to eat a kezayit or more than a kezayit, as there are those who say that up to a kebeitzah one does not need netilat yadayim, as is explained there. And if he did not wash his hands—he must recite a blessing a second time and they do not combine with one another, for if you say that they combine if he eats many times, each time less than a kezayit, it would turn out that he ate without netilat yadayim (so it appears in my humble opinion).

In the Yerushalmi (chapter 6, halacha 1) it is stated: that Rava Yochanan ate an olive and recited a blessing over it before and after, even though when the pit—which is not edible—is removed there is not a kezait, because a thing that is a complete beriah does not require a kezait. And it says there: even if one ate a single grape seed, he must recite a final blessing even though it does not contain a kezait. According to this, one who eats a single legume or a single lentil or a single bean must recite a final blessing. However, our teachers, the authors of the Tosafot (39a, s.v. "Batzar"), were in doubt regarding this, because this incident is also found in the Gemara there and it also raises a difficulty against Rabbi Yochanan as in the Yerushalmi, and it answers that Rabbi Yochanan ate a large olive, so that even though the pit is removed, an average kezait still remains, and the measure of a kezait is an average one. And since the Gemara does not answer based on the reason of beriah, one may infer that our Gemara does not hold like the Yerushalmi regarding the law of beriah, and the halacha follows our Gemara. However, one could say that the incident in our Gemara is not the incident of the Yerushalmi, and our Gemara is dealing with one who ate a salted olive, see there, and one could say that its pit had already been removed from there and it was no longer in its state of beriah, and therefore it was necessary to answer that he ate a large olive. In any event, the Tur and the Shulchan Aruch ruled that the law of beriah is a legal doubt, and therefore every person should distance himself from eating a beriah smaller than a kezait and should eat many of them, for if not, he will enter into a state of a doubtful blessing. And the Rambam did not mention anything of this, from which one may infer that he holds that the halacha does not follow the Yerushalmi.

And some say in this manner: that if it is a thing that is not usually eaten with the pit, such as an olive or plums, cherries, and the like, where the pit within them is a hard shell—this is not a beriah, for it will never be a complete beriah, as if you remove the pit as is the way to remove it, it is not whole. But a thing that is usually eaten in its entirety with the pit, such as grapes, figs, pomegranates, and our small fruits such as gooseberries or currants and all types of berries—it is certainly a beriah (Tari). And this is the approach of our teacher, the Rema, who wrote that it is not called a beriah unless he ate it as it is, but if he took the pit from it, it is not called a beriah. Thus far his words. And if he ate what is inside the pit, for inside the hard shell there is food, some say that it is a beriah (Magen Avraham subsection 4). And it is simple that if it is missing even the slightest amount, or if he did not eat all of it, even if he left over the slightest amount—it is not a beriah; however, if a little bit fell from it through cooking, that which usually falls—it is a beriah. And it also appears that the outer peel does not prevent this, and if he ate one broken nut, since he ate all the food within it—it is a beriah. And the peel that is fit for eating, if he did not eat it, it is a hindrance and it is not considered a beriah; therefore, with nuts, when he peeled the soft skin that is upon the food—it is not a beriah, and similarly with legumes. And know that there are those who eat sunflower seeds and they are very small, and they peel and eat, and it is unlikely that he will eat a kezayit of them within the time of kedei achilat pras as is known, and it is proper for a God-fearing person to be careful to exit the category of doubt and to eat at that time something that certainly contains a kezayit or to drink a revit, so that he can recite a beracha acharonah with simplicity.

The Tur wrote: "One who eats of the seven species less than a kezayit, such that he cannot recite the abridged three-fold blessing over it, the Ri wrote that he should recite 'Borei Nefashot.' And my master, my father the Rosh, of blessed memory, wrote that this is not clear, for it stands to reason that regarding something for which it is appropriate to recite the abridged three-fold blessing, on account of the lack of the required measure, another blessing does not apply to it. And so it appears from the words of the Rambam, of blessed memory, who wrote: 'One who eats less than a kezayit, whether of bread or of other foods, and one who drinks less than a revit, whether of wine or of other liquids—he recites the appropriate initial blessing for that species, but afterwards he does not recite a blessing at all,' and he does not distinguish between a biryah and other things, nor between the seven species and other species." Thus far his words. And he also does not distinguish regarding the measure of a revit between wine and other things. (And were it not for the words of our teachers regarding this biryah in the Yerushalmi, I would have said that the Yerushalmi follows Rabbi Shimon, who holds in Makkot 17a that a single grain of wheat is a biryah, whereas our Talmud follows the Sages, that specifically the creation of a soul is considered a biryah; and we rule in Yoreh Deah siman 100 like the Sages, and this is the reason the Rif and the Rambam omitted it).

We say in the Gemara (14a): "One who tastes food does not require a blessing, and one who is immersed in a fast may taste and there is nothing to it. Until how much? Until the measure of a revi'it." The Tur wrote: "On the surface it implies even if he tastes and swallows, and so wrote the Rambam, of blessed memory (in chapter 1): 'Standard tasting does not require a blessing up to a revi'it.' But Rabbeinu Chananel explained specifically when one tastes and spits out, but if he swallows—even in any amount he must recite a blessing. However, when he spits out—he does not need to recite a blessing even for a large amount." Thus far his words. And it is not understood, for the Gemara says explicitly "until a revi'it," and according to the method of Rabbeinu Chananel it is specifically regarding spitting out, so how can he say that even for more than a revi'it one does not need a blessing? And it must be said that he holds that this is only regarding the matter of a fast, but regarding the matter of a blessing, since he spits it out, how could he recite a blessing? And what does it matter to me if it is less than a revi'it or more than a revi'it; ultimately his innards did not benefit from it (Beit Yosef).

And from the Rambam it is implied that he interpreted "spitting out" only regarding a fast and not regarding a blessing, for regarding a blessing he wrote in chapter 1: A standard tasting does not require a blessing, and in chapter 1 of Ta'anit he wrote that it is permitted to taste up to a revi'it provided that he spits it out, see there, for he holds that a blessing is not required even with swallowing, since his intention is not for enjoyment at all. And regarding a blessing he also mentioned up to a revi'it, for with a revi'it it departs from the category of tasting. And this is what our teacher, the Beit Yosef, wrote in section 3: "One who tastes... does not need to bless up to a revi'it even if he swallows it, and some say that if he swallows it, it requires a blessing and they only exempted him when he returns and spits it out, and then even for a large amount he does not need a blessing, and a doubt regarding blessings is ruled leniently." Thus far his words, and the first opinion is the view of the Rambam. And eating when one tastes also requires chewing and spitting out. And there is one who wrote that when swallowing one certainly must bless even for any amount (Magen Avraham subsection 10), and I wonder at this, for this is against the view of the Rambam. (And also what he wrote in subsection 6 to distinguish between one tasting and another tasting requires further study, and the Aggadah of Yonatan that he brought is a contradiction to his words, and also what he wrote in subsection 7 that it is permitted even from several pots, see there, it requires further study if it is also permitted to swallow in such a case. And what he wrote regarding the blessing over tobacco smoke will be explained with the help of Heaven in siman 216, and delve into this).