✦ ❖ ✦
DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION
Siman קע״ד · The blessing on wine during the meal
דין ברכת היין בסעודה — which blessing one recites on the wine drunk during the meal, why the bread does not exempt it, how that wine exempts all beverages, the role of the wine of קידוש and הבדלה, when one blessing suffices (and the נמלך), and the status of מים ושאר משקין during the meal
סימן קע״ד · ח סעיפים
דין ברכת היין בסעודה
🌱 Introductory level · מתחילים
✦ ❖ ✦
This siman teaches the blessing on wine during the meal: on the wine one recites בורא פרי הגפן, for the bread does not exempt it (wine is important and fixes its own blessing), and that wine exempts all beverages (יין פוטר כל מיני משקין). It then treats the wine of קידוש and הבדלה, the rule of ברכה אחת and נמלך, the after-blessing covered by the Birkat haMazon, the status of מים ושאר משקין, and the fact that each one blesses for himself. Hebrew text, fluent English translation and explanation of the ח seifim, with a section of practical cases.
Topic: The blessing on wine during the meal — בורא פרי הגפן, יין פוטר משקין, קידוש והבדלה, מים ושאר משקין
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן קע״ד · ח סעיפים
Compiled by: רב יוסף חיים סממה
DAAT · daattorah.com
After the rules of serving and washing the hands, the Choulhan Aroukh devotes this siman to the wine drunk during the meal. The principle is that wine, unlike the other foods of the meal, is not absorbed by the bread: it is important enough to fix its own blessing (קובע ברכה לעצמו) — and, conversely, to exempt all the other beverages. Around this core, the siman settles the case of a single cup, the wine of קידוש and הבדלה, the logic of the נמלך, the blessing after the wine, the מים ושאר משקין, and the reason why each one blesses for himself. We study here at the level of principle; for personal conduct, one refers to the ruling of the Rav.
📑 Study outline
A. יין שבתוך הסעודה (seifim 1-3) — בורא פרי הגפן, wine exempts beverages, one cup
B. יין של קידוש והבדלה (seif 4) — the wine of kiddush and havdala exempts
C. ברכה אחת ונמלך (seif 5) — one blessing, unless one changes his mind
D. ברכה אחרונה על היין (seif 6) — the Birkat haMazon exempts
E. מים ושאר משקין (seif 7) — water and other beverages in the meal
F. כל אחד מברך לעצמו (seif 8) — each one blesses for himself
1-3. Practical cases and comprehension questions
A. יין שבתוך הסעודה — wine during the meal
יַיִן שֶׁבְּתוֹךְ הַסְּעוּדָה — the wine drunk during the meal. Unlike the other foods, it is not "absorbed" by the bread: it is judged important (חשוב) and fixes its own blessing (קובע ברכה לעצמו) — בורא פרי הגפן before it, and it exempts all beverages (פוטר כל מיני משקין).
Seif 1 — בורא פרי הגפן : the bread does not exempt the wine
יין שבתוך הסעודה מברך עליו בורא פרי הגפן ואין הפת פוטרו:
Seif 1: on the wine drunk during the meal, one recites on it "בורא פרי הגפן", and the bread does not exempt it.
Wine has its own blessing. All the foods of the meal are covered by the המוציא of the bread — but not the wine. Wine is important enough (חשוב) to fix its own blessing: one recites over it "בורא פרי הגפן" even in the middle of the meal.
Seif 2 — יין פוטר כל מיני משקין : wine exempts all beverages
יין פוטר כל מיני משקין: הגה אפילו מברכה ראשונה (הר״י פרק כיצד מברכין וב״י בשם הפוסקים):
Seif 2: wine exempts all kinds of beverages. Rama's gloss: even from the first blessing (the Ri, chapter Keitsad mevarkhin, and the Beit Yossef in the name of the Poskim).
Wine covers the rest. Since it is the most important of beverages, once one has blessed "בורא פרי הגפן" on the wine, one need not bless on the water or the other beverages of the meal. The Rama specifies: the wine exempts them even from the initial blessing (מברכה ראשונה) — its dignity covers all beverages.
Seif 3 — כוס אחד : having only one cup
אם אין לו אלא כוס אחד מניחו עד לאחר המזון ומברך עליו:
Seif 3: if he has only one cup [of wine], he reserves it until after the meal and recites [the blessing] on it.
Reserve the single cup for the end. Wine drunk during the meal needs no blessing after it (the Birkat haMazon exempts it). But wine after the meal needs its own after-blessing. So, with a single cup, it is better to keep it for after the meal, so as not to lose that blessing.
B. יין של קידוש והבדלה — the wine of kiddush and havdala
Seif 4 — קידוש והבדלה פוטרים : wine fixed before the meal
אם קבע לשתות לפני המזון אין צריך לברך על יין שבתוך המזון דיין שלפני המזון פוטרו וכן יין של קידוש פוטר יין שבתוך המזון וכן המבדיל על השלחן פוטר היין שבתוך המזון ויש אומרים שאין ברכת יין הבדלה פוטר אא״כ נטל ידיו קודם הבדלה הלכך המבדיל קודם נטילה יכוין שלא להוציא יין (וע״ל סי׳ רצ״ט סעיף ז׳) שבתוך הסעודה ובדיעבד שלא כיון כך פוטר יין שבתוך הסעודה דספק ברכות דרבנן להקל:
Seif 4: if he fixed himself to drink [wine] before the meal, he need not bless on the wine drunk during the meal, for the wine before the meal exempts it. Likewise, the wine of the kiddush exempts the wine drunk during the meal; and likewise one who makes havdala at the table exempts the wine drunk during the meal. And there are those who say that the blessing of the havdala wine does not exempt unless he washed his hands before the havdala. Therefore, one who makes havdala before washing the hands should have in mind not to exempt (cf. above siman רצ״ט seif 7) the wine drunk during the meal; and post facto, if he did not have this intention, [the havdala wine] exempts the wine drunk during the meal all the same, for a doubt over a rabbinic blessing — one is lenient.
A wine already blessed covers the meal's wine. The wine drunk before the meal, that of the kiddush, and that of the havdala recited at the table exempt the wine drunk during the meal — since they are continuous with it. Caveat: according to one view, the havdala exempts only if one washed his hands first (otherwise he was not yet "in the meal"). In doubt, one rules by ספק ברכות להקל — a doubt over a rabbinic blessing is settled leniently.
C. ברכה אחת ונמלך — one blessing, unless one changes his mind
נִמְלָךְ — one who "changes his mind": he had decided to drink only one cup, then reconsiders and wants another. Since his first blessing did not intend that second cup, he must bless again. As long as one's intention covers what follows, a single blessing suffices for all one's drinking in the meal.
Seif 5 — די לו בברכה אחת : when one blessing suffices
כל מה ששותה בתוך הסעודה די לו בברכה אחת אא״כ כשבירך לא היה דעתו לשתות אלא אותו הכוס ונמלך לשתות אחר: הגה וכן מי שבא לסעודה ומושיטין לו הרבה כוסות מברך על כל אחד ואח׳ דהוי נמלך (כל בו) וע״ל סי׳ קע״ט. וכן מי שבירך על כוס ברכת נישואין ואין יודע להיכן יגיע הכוס כל אחד צריך לברך דמקרי נמלך: (אגודה פרק ערבי פסחים וע״ל סי׳ ק״צ):
Seif 5: all that one drinks during the meal suffices with one blessing, unless, when he blessed, he intended to drink only that cup and then changed his mind (נמלך) to drink another. Rama's gloss: likewise one who comes to a meal and is handed many cups — he blesses on each, for it is [a case of] נמלך (Kol Bo, and cf. siman קע״ט). And likewise one who blessed on a cup of birkat nissuin (wedding blessing) and does not know how far the cup will reach — each one must bless, for this is called נמלך (Agouda, chapter Arvei Pesachim, and cf. siman ק״צ).
Intention covers what follows — except upon changing one's mind. By default, a single blessing on the wine covers all that one will drink in the meal. But if, when blessing, one intended only that cup and then reconsiders (נמלך) to drink another, one must bless again. So too when the arrival of further cups is unforeseeable (cups handed to you, a wedding cup passed around): each time is a נמלך.
D. ברכה אחרונה על היין — the blessing after the wine
Seif 6 — ברכת המזון פוטרתו : the Birkat haMazon exempts
אין לברך אחר יין שבסעודה דברכת המזון פוטרתו וכן פוטרת יין שלפני המזון ואפי׳ לא היה לו יין בתוך המזון (וע״ל ס״ס ער״ב) ולענין יין של הבדלה שלפני המזון (ע״ל סי׳ רצ״ט ס״ח):
Seif 6: one does not bless after the wine drunk during the meal, for the Birkat haMazon exempts it; and likewise it exempts the wine drunk before the meal, and that even if he had no wine during the meal (cf. above, end of siman ער״ב). And as for the havdala wine that precedes the meal (cf. above siman רצ״ט seif 8).
No after-blessing proper to the wine. Wine drunk during or before the meal receives no blessing after it: the Birkat haMazon — recited at the end of the bread meal — encompasses and exempts it. This holds even if one drank no wine in the meal itself: the wine before it is already bound to the meal.
E. מים ושאר משקין — water and other beverages
Seif 7 — אין לברך עליהם : water comes "on account of the meal"
אם אין לו יין ושותה מים או שאר משקה אין לברך עליהם דחשיבי כבאים מחמת הסעודה לפי שאין דרך לאכול בלא שתיה ואף יין לא היה צריך ברכה לפניו אלא מפני שהוא חשוב וקובע ברכה לעצמו אבל מים או שאר משקין לא חשיבי ואינם טעונים ברכה ואפי׳ אם היה צמא קודם סעודה כיון שלא רצה לשתות אז כדי שלא יזיקו לו המים נמצא כי שתיית המים בסבת הפת היא ופת פוטרתו. וי״א לברך על המים שבסעודה ויש מחמירין עוד לברך עליהם בכל פעם דסתמא נמלך הוא בכל פעם והרוצה להסתלק מן הספק ישב קודם נטילה במקום סעודתו ויברך על דעת לשתות בתוך סעודתו: הגה והמנהג כסברא הראשונה:
Seif 7: if he has no wine and drinks water or another beverage, one does not bless on them, for they are considered as coming "on account of the meal" (מחמת הסעודה), since it is not usual to eat without drinking. And even wine would not have needed a blessing before it, were it not that it is important and fixes its own blessing; but water or the other beverages are not [as] important and do not require a blessing. And even if he was thirsty before the meal — since he did not want to drink then so that the water would not harm him, it turns out that drinking the water is on account of the bread, and the bread exempts it. And there are those who say to bless on the water of the meal, and there are those who are stricter still, to bless on it every time, for he is by default "reconsidering" (נמלך) each time; and one who wishes to remove himself from the doubt sits before washing the hands at the place of his meal and blesses with the intention to drink during his meal. Rama's gloss: and the custom is according to the first opinion.
Without wine, water is not blessed — this is the custom. Wine is important; water and the other beverages are not, and do not "fix" a blessing. They come "on account of the meal" (מחמת הסעודה), so the bread exempts them. One view holds to bless (each sip being a נמלך), and the cautious blesses on water before washing the hands. But the Rama rules: the custom is not to bless (כסברא הראשונה).
F. כל אחד מברך לעצמו — each one blesses for himself
Seif 8 — שמא יקדים קנה לוושט : why one does not exempt another
על יין שבתוך המזון כל אחד ואחד מברך לעצמו אפילו הסיבו יחד: הגה דלא יכולין לענות אמן (טור) משום דחיישינן שמא יקדים קנה לוושט: הגה וי״א דאם אמר להם סברי רבותי וישמעו ויכוונו לברכה ולא יאכלו אז ויענו אמן אחד מברך לכולם וכן נוהגין (הגהת מיימוני פ״ז מהלכות ברכות ומרדכי ס״פ כיצד מברכין וטור בשם רש״י) ויאמר סברי רבותי ר״ל סוברים אתם לצאת בברכה זו ולא יאמר ברשות רבותי וכן כל מקום שמברכין על היין משום ברכת היין שבתוך הסעודה אין אומרים ברשות אלא סברי מטעם שנתבאר: (ב״י סי׳ קפ״ז בשם שבולי הלקט):
Seif 8: on the wine drunk during the meal, each one blesses for himself, even if they are reclining together. Rama's gloss: for they cannot answer "Amen" (Tur), because we are concerned lest "the windpipe precede the esophagus" (שמא יקדים קנה לוושט, i.e. that one choke by speaking while his mouth is full). Rama's gloss: and there are those who say that if he says to them "סברי רבותי" ("what is your view, my masters") and they listen, intend to be exempted, and do not eat at that moment but answer "Amen" — one blesses for all, and so is the custom (Haggahot Maimoni ch. 7 of Hilchot Berachot, Mordechai end of the chapter Keitsad mevarkhin, and the Tur in the name of Rashi). And he says "סברי רבותי", meaning "are you of a mind to be exempted by this blessing", and he does not say "ברשות רבותי" ("with the permission of my masters"); and likewise everywhere one blesses on wine on account of the blessing of the wine during the meal, one does not say "ברשות" but "סברי", for the reason explained.
Each for himself, out of caution. In principle, on the wine during the meal, each one blesses for himself — for the diners, their mouths full, cannot answer "Amen" without risk of choking (שמא יקדים קנה לוושט). One view nonetheless permits a single one to bless for all if he announces "סברי רבותי" (and not "ברשות"), the others pausing from eating to listen and answer "Amen"; this is the custom.
The siman in one sentence: wine is the only beverage important enough to fix its own blessing during the meal (בורא פרי הגפן, אין הפת פוטרו) — and thereby it exempts all beverages; the wine of קידוש והבדלה exempts that of the meal, a single blessing suffices unless נמלך, the Birkat haMazon serves as the after-blessing, water is not blessed (custom), and each one blesses for himself lest one speak with a full mouth.
Practical cases
Case 1 — Wine in the middle of the meal
Situation: I am in the midst of the meal (I already recited the המוציא on the bread) and wine is brought to me. Must I bless on it, and what?
Conduct: yes — the bread does not exempt the wine. One recites "בורא פרי הגפן" (seif 1), and this blessing also exempts the other beverages of the meal (seif 2). After the wine one says nothing: the Birkat haMazon exempts it (seif 6). For the details (quantity, spirits), one follows one's Rav.
Case 2 — The kiddush wine and the meal
Situation: I made kiddush on the wine, then began the meal with wine. Must I re-bless on the wine of the meal?
Conduct: no — the kiddush wine exempts the wine drunk during the meal (seif 4), for it is continuous with it. So too the havdala at the table (with the caveat of washing the hands according to one view). For borderline cases (interruption, change of place), one refers to one's Rav.
Case 3 — Water at the table, without wine
Situation: I have no wine and drink water (or a soda) during the meal. Must one bless on it?
Conduct: according to the accepted custom (the Rama, כסברא הראשונה), one does not bless on water and beverages drunk during the meal — they come "on account of the meal" and the bread exempts them (seif 7). One who wishes to leave the doubt may bless on a beverage before washing the hands. In practice, one follows one's Rav.
Comprehension questions
Check your understanding:
- Why does the bread not exempt the wine drunk during the meal, whereas it exempts the other foods (seif 1)?
- What is "יין פוטר כל מיני משקין", and how far does this exemption reach according to the Rama (seif 2)?
- How does the wine of קידוש or הבדלה act on the wine of the meal, and what is the caveat for havdala (seif 4)?
- What is a נמלך, and why does it require blessing again (seif 5)?
- Why does each one bless for himself on the wine of the meal, and under what condition may one bless for all (seif 8)?
Going further
If you wish to deepen this siman:
📖Join the chavrusa
- 📚 Level 2 — Lamdan: for the pilpul — למה יין קובע ברכה לעצמו ואין הפת פוטרו ; גדר יין פוטר כל מיני משקין ; דין נמלך ומחלוקת הנטילה קודם הבדלה
- ✨ Level 3 — Synthesis: for review and quick memorization
- 👑 Level 4 — Daat HaRav (the Alter Rebbe): the shitah of the Choulhan Aroukh HaRav — ברכת היין בסעודה, קידוש והבדלה ומים ושאר משקין