Shulchan Aroukh · Orach Chaim

מי שהכניס אוכלין ומשקין בלא ברכה — in-depth study

סימן קע״ב · ב׳ סעיפים

ברכת הנהנין · אוכלין ומשקין · בולען · יפלטנו

iyun, pilpul, the shitot of the Rishonim and Acharonim

⚡ For learners and talmidei chachamim ⚡

✦ ❖ ✦

Deep pilpul

Sugyot, sources, the underlying hakira, the Mechaber/Rama dispute,
halachic nafka minot and analysis of the shitot

Topic:
Shulchan Aroukh Orach Chaim siman קע״ב — ב׳ סעיפים
with the nosei kelim: Beit Yossef, Tur, Rambam (Hilchot Berachot), Magen Avraham, Taz, Aliya Rabba, Peri Megadim, Mishna Berura, Aroukh haShulchan, Kaf haChaim

Root of the din:
the gader of the obligation to bless over la-asiyatan — the language of the Mechaber «שכח והכניס משקין לתוך פיו בלא ברכה בולען ואינו מברך עליהם ברכה ראשונה» (שו״ע או״ח קע״ב:א) · the language of the Rama «וי״א דמברך עליהם וכן נראה עיקר» (רמ״א או״ח קע״ב:א)

Editing and iyun:
רב יוסף חיים סממה · DAAT

📑 Table of contents

Introduction to the sugya — the gader of the obligation to bless over la-asiyatan, and the underlying hakira once already in the mouth (loss of the blessing / mi'us / bal tashchit)
משקין — he swallows it, and the Mechaber/Rama dispute — «שכח והכניס משקין לתוך פיו בלא ברכה בולען ואינו מברך עליהם ברכה ראשונה» (שו״ע או״ח קע״ב:א), «וי״א דמברך עליהם וכן נראה עיקר» (רמ״א או״ח קע״ב:א)
אוכלין — he spits it out or moves it to the side — «שכח והכניס אוכלין לתוך פיו בלא ברכה» (שו״ע או״ח קע״ב:ב), «אם הוא דבר שאינו נמאס אם יפלטנו יפלטנו ויברך עליו» (קע״ב:ב), «ואם הוא דבר שנמאס מסלקו לצד אחר ומברך» (קע״ב:ב) · practical nafka mina · tables

📜 The text of the Choulhan Aroukh — the seifim

מי שהכניס אוכלין ומשקין בלא ברכה. וּבוֹ ב״ סְעִיפִים:
סעיף א׳ (משקין): שכח והכניס משקין לתוך פיו בלא ברכה — בולען, ואינו מברך עליהם ברכה ראשונה ; והרמ״א מכריע דמברך עליהם, וכן נראה עיקר. סעיף ב׳ (אוכלין): שכח והכניס אוכלין — אם דבר שאינו נמאס לפולטו, יפלטנו ויברך ; ואם דבר שנמאס, מסלקו לצד אחר ומברך.

Summary: the whole siman is one theme — how to remedy a birkat ha-nehenin that was forgotten once the food is already in the mouth, without falling into mi'us (repulsion) or bal tashchit (waste). (1) A drink cannot be spat out cleanly, so the Mechaber rules one swallows it without a first blessing, while the Rama rules one does bless. (2) Solid food can be spat out (if not repulsive) or moved to the side, so all agree one blesses.

1. Introduction to the sugya — the gader of blessing over la-asiyatan once already in the mouth

מרן פותח בדין מי ששכח לברך והכניס לפיו — the language of the Mechaber «שכח והכניס משקין לתוך פיו בלא ברכה» (שו״ע או״ח קע״ב:א).

Foundational note. Birkat ha-nehenin was instituted by the Sages so that one should not derive benefit from this world without a blessing, and its takana is over la-asiyatan — before the enjoyment. In brief: one who has already put it in his mouth has passed the moment of "before the act" for what is in his mouth, and the question is whether a remedy remains. For drinks and foods the ruling differs: a drink cannot be spat out with dignity — hence the Mechaber/Rama dispute whether he swallows without blessing or blesses ; food can be spat out or moved aside — hence all agree he blesses. Every practical ruling — to a qualified Rav.

The underlying hakira — once it is already in the mouth without a blessing, does the obligation to bless still stand, or has it lapsed?

Side A — it still stands and must be remedied: the obligation remains as long as he has not swallowed and fully benefited ; hence for food «יפלטנו ויברך עליו» (שו״ע או״ח קע״ב:ב), and even for a drink the Rama holds «וי״א דמברך עליהם וכן נראה עיקר» (רמ״א או״ח קע״ב:א).
Side B — it has lapsed or is set aside: since it is already in the mouth and cannot be blessed properly, the Mechaber for a drink holds «בולען ואינו מברך עליהם ברכה ראשונה» (שו״ע או״ח קע״ב:א) — one does not bless over what is already in the mouth in an improper manner.

The nafka mina: whether he blesses over the drink in his mouth ; and what the ruling is for food that is repulsive to remove — each weighed between remedying the blessing and avoiding mi'us and bal tashchit. (Every practical ruling — to a qualified Rav.)

2. משקין — "he swallows it" and the Mechaber/Rama dispute (שו״ע או״ח קע״ב:א)

The language of the Shulchan Aroukh

סעיף א׳ (שו״ע או״ח קע״ב:א): «שכח והכניס משקין לתוך פיו בלא ברכה», «בולען ואינו מברך עליהם ברכה ראשונה». הגה (רמ״א שם): «וי״א דמברך עליהם וכן נראה עיקר».

Root of the din (the Rishonim cited by the Rama). In brief: the Rama noted the source of his view — the Rashba in the name of the Raavad, the Rosh, and likewise the Rambam in Hilchot Berachot — who hold that even once it is already in the mouth one blesses, since his enjoyment is not complete until he swallows, and a blessing over what is in the mouth is a valid blessing. The Mechaber, by contrast, held that for a drink one swallows and does not bless — for there is no proper way to bless over a drink in the mouth, nor to spit it out, on account of mi'us and bal tashchit.

Hakira — the Mechaber's "he swallows it": is it because the blessing has lapsed, or because it cannot be recited?

Side A — it lapsed: since it is already in his mouth and his throat has benefited, a first blessing is no longer applicable ; hence «בולען ואינו מברך עליהם ברכה ראשונה» (שו״ע או״ח קע״ב:א) — not merely that there is no proper way, but that there is no obligation.
Side B — a technical impediment: the obligation stands, but it cannot be fulfilled properly — to spit out a drink is repulsive and disgraceful, and to bless over what is in the mouth is difficult ; on this view, were it possible he would bless — which is the root of the Rama's ruling.

The nafka mina: on Side B, it is well understood that the Rama disagrees and holds «וי״א דמברך עליהם וכן נראה עיקר» (רמ״א או״ח קע״ב:א) — the obligation is in place, and one may bless even over what is in the mouth. (Every practical ruling — to a qualified Rav.)

The Mechaber/Rama dispute:

The Mechaber: «בולען ואינו מברך עליהם ברכה ראשונה» (שו״ע או״ח קע״ב:א) — for a drink one does not bless, since it is already in his mouth and there is no way to bless over it.
The Rama: «וי״א דמברך עליהם וכן נראה עיקר» (רמ״א או״ח קע״ב:א) — one does bless even over a drink, for the obligation is in place.

In brief: in practice, Ashkenazim follow the Rama and bless, while for Sefaradim it is to be weighed per one's Rav's ruling ; some wrote to avoid the doubt by means of intention, and the like. (Every practical ruling — to a qualified Rav.)

The yesod:
«שכח והכניס משקין לתוך פיו בלא ברכה בולען ואינו מברך עליהם ברכה ראשונה» (שו״ע או״ח קע״ב:א) — the Mechaber ; «וי״א דמברך עליהם וכן נראה עיקר» (רמ״א או״ח קע״ב:א) — the Rama's ruling, that the obligation to bless stands even once it is already in the mouth.

3. אוכלין — "he spits it out and blesses" or "moves it to the side and blesses" (שו״ע או״ח קע״ב:ב)

The language of the Shulchan Aroukh

סעיף ב׳ (שו״ע או״ח קע״ב:ב): «שכח והכניס אוכלין לתוך פיו בלא ברכה», «אם הוא דבר שאינו נמאס אם יפלטנו יפלטנו ויברך עליו», «ואם הוא דבר שנמאס מסלקו לצד אחר ומברך».

Root of the din. In brief: for food, all agree one blesses, since a remedy is possible — either by spitting it out or by moving it aside. This is unlike a drink, over which they disagree, because for a drink there is no practical way to bless properly, whereas for solid food there is. The Mechaber distinguishes food that is not repulsive (which he spits out entirely) from food that is repulsive (which he does not spit out, but moves aside).

Kashya — why, for food that is not repulsive, does he "spit it out" entirely, rather than merely moving it aside as with repulsive food?

Teruts: when one can spit it out without mi'us, it is preferable to spit it out and bless over the food while it is before him — so that the blessing is truly over la-asiyatan — and then eat it again as the law requires. But when the food becomes repulsive upon being spat out, one cannot spit it out (on account of mi'us and bal tashchit) ; hence it suffices to, in the Mechaber's words, «מסלקו לצד אחר ומברך» (שו״ע או״ח קע״ב:ב) — move it to one side of the mouth and bless. Thus both cases share one aim: to bless over one's enjoyment before swallowing, each according to what is possible. (Every practical ruling — to a qualified Rav.)

Pilpul — why does the ruling for food differ from that for a drink? For a drink the Mechaber and Rama disagree, whereas for food all agree one blesses. The reason: the Mechaber's words for food are «אם הוא דבר שאינו נמאס אם יפלטנו יפלטנו ויברך עליו» (שו״ע או״ח קע״ב:ב) — there is a practical way to set the blessing before the act, whether by spitting out or by moving aside. But a drink cannot be spat out (it would become repulsive and be lost) nor moved to the side like solid food ; hence the Mechaber's ruling «בולען ואינו מברך» (שו״ע או״ח קע״ב:א). The distinction, then, is not in the obligation itself but in the practical possibility of fulfilling it. (Every practical ruling — to a qualified Rav.)

Nafka mina — in practice: (a) a drink that entered the mouth without a blessing — per the Mechaber «בולען ואינו מברך» (קע״ב:א), and per the Rama «מברך עליהם» (קע״ב:א). (b) food not repulsive — «יפלטנו ויברך עליו» (קע״ב:ב). (c) food repulsive — «מסלקו לצד אחר ומברך» (קע״ב:ב). (Every practical ruling — to a qualified Rav.)

Table — sources of the sugya

Topic	Ruling	Source
Drink — the Mechaber	«בולען ואינו מברך עליהם ברכה ראשונה»	שו״ע או״ח קע״ב:א
Drink — the Rama	«וי״א דמברך עליהם וכן נראה עיקר»	רמ״א או״ח קע״ב:א
Food not repulsive	«יפלטנו ויברך עליו»	שו״ע או״ח קע״ב:ב
Food repulsive	«מסלקו לצד אחר ומברך»	שו״ע או״ח קע״ב:ב

Rishonim and the Mechaber: Rambam (Hilchot Berachot) · the Rashba in the name of the Raavad · Rosh · Tur (O.C. קע״ב) · Beit Yossef · Shulchan Aroukh · Rama

Poskim and nosei kelim: Magen Avraham · Taz · Aliya Rabba · Peri Megadim · Ba'er Hetev · Sha'arei Teshuva · Mishna Berura · Aroukh haShulchan · Kaf haChaim

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DAAT · רב יוסף חיים סממה

Pilpul and iyun on Orach Chaim · Siman קע״ב · One who put food or drink in his mouth without a blessing · ⚡ Level 2 — Lamdan

⚠️ This content is for study only. For any practical ruling (le-maaseh), one must consult a qualified Rav.

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