The Siman — Choulhan Aroukh, Orach Chaim siman קפ״ג (י״ב סעיפים)
כוס של ברכה טעון הדחה מבפנים ושטיפה מבחוץ ; יתן היין לתוכו חי עד שמגיע לברכת הארץ ואז מוזגו ; וימלאנו על כל גדותיו ; צריך לחזור אחר כוס שלם ; מקבלו בשתי ידיו וכשמתחיל לברך נוטלו בימינו, ומגביהו מן הקרקע טפח ונותן בו עיניו, ומשגרו לאשתו ; ואם המברך אטר אוחז הכוס בימינו שהוא שמאל כל אדם ; משנתנו לו כוס לברך לא ישיח ; נכון שכל אחד מהמסובין יאמר בלחש עם המברך כל ברכה וברכה ; אין נותנין כוס של ברכה אלא לטוב עין ; לשאול בברכת המזון דינה כתפלה ; צריך לישב בשעה שמברך, ואף ברכה מעין שלש מיושב ; ומהלך בדרך אין צריך לישב ; ואסור לברך והוא עוסק במלאכתו.
And it contains twelve seifim (י״ב סעיפים): the cup of blessing (כוס של ברכה) carries the ten things said of it (עשרה דברים נאמרו בכוס של ברכה, Berakhot 51a). One rinses it inside and washes it outside ; pours in the wine cru then mixes it at birkat haaretz ; fills it to the brim and seeks a whole cup. One receives it in two hands then holds it in the right, raises it a tefach, sets the eyes upon it, and sends it to his wife. The mevarech and diners do not speak, each says quietly with the mevarech ; asking a question during Birkat haMazon has the status of the tefila ; and one must bless seated (מיושב).
The 4 levels of study — Siman קפ״ג, י״ב סעיפים
01
Availableרמת המתחיל
Level 1 — Beginner & Intermediate
Hebrew text of the י״ב סעיפים with a fluent English translation. Explanation: עשרה דברים נאמרו בכוס של ברכה, הדחה ושטיפה, the cru wine and the cup מלא ושלם, מקבלו בשתי ידיו ונוטלו בימינו, מגביהו טפח ונותן בו עיניו, ומשגרו לאשתו, אין להשיח, and לברך מיושב. Practical daily cases.
02
Availableרמת הלמדן
Lamdan — Advanced Pilpul
In-depth pilpul: the ten things said of the cup of blessing and their source (Berakhot 51a) ; the definition of kos shel beracha ; rinsing and washing ; cru, mixing, full and whole ; holding in two hands and in the right, raising a tefach and setting the eyes upon it ; not to speak and saying quietly with the mevarech ; and blessing seated. Beit Yossef, Tur, רמב״ם (הל׳ ברכות), מג״א, ט״ז, Mishna Berura and Beour Halakha, Aroukh haShulchan, Kaf haChaim.
03
Availableחזרה וסיכום
Master Synthesis
Structured summary for review: the thread of the י״ב סעיפים — the cup of blessing, its holding and raising, not speaking, and blessing seated. Conduct le-maaseh in daily life, with a referral to the Rav and cf. siman 182 and 184.
04
Availableדעת הרב
Daat HaRav (the Alter Rebbe)
The Choulhan Aroukh HaRav of the Admour HaZaken on Orach Chaim siman 183: full text and the force of the psak relative to the Mechaber — כוס של ברכה, its holding, and the conduct of the mevarech. The yesod and the conduct le-maaseh developed from the Rav's actual text. For in-depth study, a referral to a Chabad Rav.
05
Personalizedלימוד אישי
Study according to my Poskim
Rebuild this siman according to the Rabbanim YOU follow. Choose your Poskim (Rav Ovadia, the Admour HaZaken, the Rebbe, Ben Ish Chai, Mishna Berura, Rav Mordechai Eliyahu…) — Daat AI rebuilds the siman with their opinions, their reasoning, and their disagreements. If your Poskim do not address a point, the AI asks you before expanding.
The main themes of the Siman
עֲשָׂרָה דְּבָרִים בְּכוֹס שֶׁל בְּרָכָה
the ten things — the cup of blessing
עשרה דברים נאמרו בכוס של ברכה (Berakhot 51a) ; among them rinsing and washing, cru and full, raised a tefach with the eyes upon it.
הֲדָחָה וּשְׁטִיפָה
rinsing and washing
כוס של ברכה טעון הדחה מבפנים ושטיפה מבחוץ ; and if it is clean and has no remnants of cups it is not necessary (seif 1).
נוֹטְלוֹ בִּימִינוֹ וּמַגְבִּיהוֹ טֶפַח
held in the right, raised a tefach
מקבלו בשתי ידיו ונוטלו בימינו (seif 4) ; and raises it a tefach with the eyes upon it, so as not to be distracted.
לְבָרֵךְ מְיֻשָּׁב
blessing seated
צריך לישב בשעה שמברך (seif 9) ; and even the meein shalosh blessing must be said seated (seif 10).
Structure of the Siman — the י״ב סעיפים
| Seif | Case | Din | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| א׳ | rinsing and washing | ✦ clean cup | The cup of blessing requires rinsing inside and washing outside ; if clean and without remnants of cups, not necessary. |
| ב׳ | the wine: cru and mixing | cru · mixed | Pour the wine cru until birkat haaretz then mix it ; and the Rama: fill it to the brim. |
| ג׳ | a whole cup | whole | One must seek out a whole cup for the blessing. |
| ד׳ | holding and raising | in the right · a tefach | Received in two hands and held in the right, raised a tefach, the eyes upon it, sent to his wife. |
| ה׳ | a left-handed person | the left of all | A left-handed mevarech holds the cup in his right, which is everyone's left. |
| ו׳ | not to speak | do not speak | Once given the cup to bless, the mevarech and diners do not speak ; if they spoke while he blesses, they did not fulfill. |
| ז׳ | saying with the mevarech | ✦ quietly | It is proper for each diner to say quietly with the mevarech ; the cup is given only to a generous eye. |
| ח׳ | a question during BhM | like the tefila | Asking out of fear or honor — one authority says its law is like the tefila. |
| ט׳ | blessing seated | ✦ seated | One must sit when blessing, to concentrate better, and sit with awe. |
| י׳ | meein shalosh | seated | Some say the meein shalosh blessing too must be said seated. |
| י״א | walking on the road | need not | One walking on the road while eating need not sit, since his mind is not settled. |
| י״ב | engaged in work | forbidden | It is forbidden to bless while engaged in one's work. |
כוס של ברכה — the conduct in practice
| Case | Source | Conduct | Central idea |
|---|---|---|---|
| הדחה ושטיפה | Mechaber · seif 1 | ✦ cleanliness | Rinse the cup inside and wash it outside before blessing. |
| חי ומלא | Mechaber & Rama · seif 2 | cru wine, to the brim | Cru wine then mixed at birkat haaretz ; the cup full on all its brims. |
| בימינו · טפח | Mechaber · seif 4 | right hand, a tefach | Received in two hands, held in the right, raised a tefach, the eyes upon it. |
| אין להשיח | Mechaber · seif 6 | do not speak | Do not speak once given the cup ; say quietly with the mevarech. |
| מיושב | Mechaber · seifim 9-10 | ✦ seated | Bless seated, with awe, to concentrate better. |
Frequently asked questions — Siman קפ״ג
How is the cup of blessing prepared according to Siman 183?
According to the Choulhan Aroukh, Orach Chaim 183:1, the cup of blessing requires rinsing and washing: « כוס של ברכה טעון הדחה מבפנים ושטיפה מבחוץ » — rinsed inside, washed outside ; and if it is clean and has no remnants of other cups, it is not necessary. This reflects the ten things said of the cup of blessing: « עשרה דברים נאמרו בכוס של ברכה » (Berakhot 51a).
How is the cup of birkat hamazon held according to Siman 183?
According to the Choulhan Aroukh, Orach Chaim 183:4, « מקבלו בשתי ידיו וכשמתחיל לברך נוטלו בימינו ולא יסייע בשמאל » — one receives it in two hands and, when beginning to bless, holds it in the right hand without the left assisting ; one raises it a tefach above the table (מגביהו מהקרקע טפח) and sets the eyes upon it so as not to be distracted (ונותן בו עיניו שלא יסיח דעתו).
Must one bless seated according to Siman 183?
Yes. According to the Choulhan Aroukh, Orach Chaim 183:9, « צריך לישב בשעה שמברך » — one must sit down when blessing, in order to concentrate better and to bless with awe (באימה) ; and per 183:10, even the meein shalosh blessing must be said seated. One who was walking on the road while eating, however, need not sit (183:11).