Laws Relating to Birkat HaMazon (6)

 

Laws Relating to Birkat Ha-mazon (Part 6) 

 

"YA'ALE VE-YAVO" AT A ROSH CHODESH MEAL THAT EXTENDS INTO THE EVENING; BIRKAT HA-MAZON ON ROSH CHODESH THAT BEGINS ON MOTZAEI SHABBAT.

 

     If one began eating before Rosh Chodesh and his meal extended into Rosh Chodesh (and he ate bread during the nighttime segment of his meal), or if he began a meal on Rosh Chodesh and continued until after Rosh Chodesh ended, he recites "ya'ale ve-yavo" in birkat ha-mazon.

 

     Considerable controversy exists among the Acharonim regarding birkat ha-mazon on Rosh Chodesh that begins on Motzaei Shabbat, whether one should recite only "ya'ale ve-yavo," only "retzei," or both.  One should therefore try to recite birkat ha-mazon before sundown or at least finish eating bread before that time.  If one nevertheless finds himself in this situation, it would seem that he should recite only "retzei."

 

     The seven special blessings of "sheva berakhot" are not recited when the meal began on the seventh day from the wedding and continued into the night of the eighth.

 

THE SOURCE OF THE HALAKHA

 

     The Rishonim dispute whether the beginning or end of a meal determines what to include in birkat ha-mazon.

 

     As for the final halakha, the Shulchan Arukh (188:10) rules that the beginning of the meal determines what to recite in birkat ha-mazon: "If one was eating and Shabbat left, he mentions Shabbat [i.e. recites "retzei"] in birkat ha-mazon, since we follow the beginning of the meal.  The same applies to Rosh Chodesh, Purim and Chanuka."

 

     The Shulchan Arukh seems to contradict his own ruling in the laws of kiddush (271:6).  There he writes that if one began a meal prior to Shabbat and continued into Shabbat, he must mention Shabbat in birkat ha-mazon, implying that we follow the end of the meal.  Sure enough, the Rema there argues on the Shulchan Arukh's position and claims that in such a situation one does not recite "retzei," whereas the beginning of the meal is the critical factor. 

 

     Later, in the laws of Purim (695:3), the Shulchan Arukh addresses the case of the Purim feast that extends into the night, and he cites both positions.  There he appears to adopt the view that one recites "al hanissim" whereas the meal began on Purim day.  (He cites the second view, that we follow the conclusion of the meal, in the name of "yesh mi she-omer" - "there is one who says.")  Consistent with his comments in Hilkhot Kiddush, the Rema in Hilkhot Purim claims that the halakha follows the first view cited by the Shulchan Arukh, that we follow the beginning of the meal.

 

     The Magen Avraham (271:14) poses a possible resolution for the apparent contradiction in the Shulchan Arukh's position.  He suggests that the Shulchan Arukh could not arrive at a definite ruling regarding this controversy among the Rishonim.  He therefore adopted the stringency of both positions, and thus one should always recite "retzei" when even part of his meal - either the beginning or the end - took place on a weekday.  Since one loses nothing by including "retzei" in birkat ha-mazon, the Shulchan Arukh felt that to avoid the controversy altogether it is advisable to always recite "retzei" in these situations.

 

     It would thus turn out that one who began his meal on Rosh Chodesh but did not recite birkat ha-mazon until nighttime should recite "ya'ale ve-yavo" in birkat ha-mazon (in accordance with the ruling of the Shulchan Arukh 188:10; this is indeed the ruling of the Mishna Berura 188:34).

 

     Likewise, if one began eating before Rosh Chodesh and continued into the night, after the onset of Rosh Chodesh, he includes "ya'ale ve-yavo" in birkat ha-mazon.  Although the Arukh Ha-shulchan (188:23) maintains that one must always follow the beginning of the meal, it appears from the writings of the Acharonim that if one ate bread during the nighttime segment of his meal, he recites "ya'ale ve-yavo," as the Magen Avraham explained.  (See Mishna Berura 188:33; Kitzur Shulchan Arukh 44.)

 

SE'UDA SHELISHIT ON SHABBAT THAT EXTENDED PAST THE ONSET OF ROSH CHODESH

 

     A major controversy among the Acharonim exists regarding such a situation, when Rosh Chodesh falls on Motzaei Shabbat and se'uda shelishit extends past nightfall.  According to the Taz (188), one must recite both "retzei" and "ya'ale ve-yavo."  The Acharonim generally rejected this view, as reciting both inserts constitutes a "tartei de-satrei" - an inherent contradiction (see Eliya Rabba, 20).

 

     Of course, these Acharonim then face the problem of to which of the two one should afford preference.  If essentially one should recite both "retzei" and "ya'ale ve-yavo" in this situation, but may not do so because of the technical problem mentioned, then by what criterion shall we decide which to include and which to omit?  On the one hand, one may wish to afford preference to "ya'ale ve-yavo," in light of the ruling of some authorities never to recite "retzei" after se'uda shelishit when it extends into the night, past the end of Shabbat.  Regarding Rosh Chodesh, by contrast, all authorities agree that one must recite "ya'ale ve-yavo."  On the other hand, in this situation perhaps "retzei" should take precedence, since according to all views one need not repeat birkat ha-mazon if he omitted "ya'ale ve-yavo" on Rosh Chodesh, as explicitly posited in the Gemara (Masekhet Berakhot 49a).  By contrast, some Rishoniim require one to repeat birkat ha-mazon should he omit "retzei" from birkat ha-mazon after se'uda shelishit.  (We are generally lenient in this regard since we do not recite berakhot whose obligation is subject to doubt.)

 

     Indeed, the different views among the Acharonim pose these two conflicting arguments.  The Magen Avraham (188) maintains that if one ate bread during the nighttime portion of se'uda shelishit, he should recite "ya'ale ve-yavo" and not "retzei."  According to the Sha'agat Aryeh (Piskei Halakhot, published in the work, Midei Chodesh Be-chodsho, vol. 2, p. 93), one includes only "retzei."

 

     In light of this controversy, it is preferable on Shabbat Erev Rosh Chodesh to recite birkat ha-mazon before sunset or at least finish eating bread (see Mishna Berura 188:33) before sunset, and then include only "retzei" in birkat ha-mazon.

 

     If one did eat bread after sundown, it appears from the Mishna Berura (ibid.) that he recites "ya'ale ve-yavo" and perhaps even "retzei."  Many other authorities, however, write that in such a situation one recites only "retzei," since according to all views one fulfills his requirement even should he omit "ya'ale ve-yavo."  It seems that this indeed is preferable, as ruled in Yehaveh Da'at (vol. 3, 55).  The work "Beirur Halakha" observes that this is the prevalent practice.

 

     In conclusion, we should mention another instance of a meal that continues into the night, and that is a "sheva berakhot" conducted on the seventh day from the wedding.  If the meal extends into the night of the eighth day, the seven special blessings are not recited.  (See Ginat Veradim, O.C. 1:28, cited in Pitchei Teshuva 62:12.)