✦ ❖ ✦
DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION

Siman קפ״ה · Saying birkat hamazon aloud

לברך ברכת המזון בקול רם ויתר פרטים — the birkat hamazon may be said in any language (בכל לשון), one must make one's ears hear it (but bediavad one is yotze), the householder blesses aloud to discharge his household, even a drunk person may still bless, and the doubt when there were feces or full drunkenness
סימן קפ״ה · ה סעיפים
לברך ברכת המזון בקול רם ויתר פרטים
🌱 Introduction Level · מתחילים
✦ ❖ ✦

This siman teaches the details of reciting birkat hamazon. It may be said in any language (בכל לשון) one understands. One must make one's ears hear (משמיע לאזניו) it ; but bediavad, if one did not hear oneself, one is yotze provided one articulated with the lips. The householder blesses aloud (בקול רם) to discharge his children and wife. Even a drunk person (שיכור) may say birkat hamazon — unlike the tefila ; and the siman closes with the doubt over צואה כנגדו. Hebrew text, English translation and explanation of the ה seifim, with a section of practical cases.

Subject: Birkat hamazon — בכל לשון, משמיע לאזניו, בקול רם, the drunk person
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן קפ״ה · ה סעיפים

Compiled by: רב יוסף חיים סממה
DAAT · daattorah.com

After settling the place and time of birkat hamazon (previous siman), the Choulhan Aroukh here specifies the modalities of its recitation. The thread of the siman: birkat hamazon is among the texts said בכל לשון — אלו נאמרין בכל לשון … וברכת המזון (משנה סוטה ז׳:א) ; one must make one's ears hear it, but bediavad articulation suffices ; one blesses aloud to discharge others ; and even a drunk person blesses. We study here at the level of principle ; for personal conduct, one refers to the ruling of the Rav.

📑 Study outline

A. בכל לשון (seif 1) — birkat hamazon in any language
B. משמיע לאזניו (seif 2) — making one's ears hear, and the bediavad יצא
C. בקול רם (seif 3) — the householder who discharges his household
D. השיכור (seifim 4-5) — the drunk person who blesses, and the doubt (feces / fully drunk)
1-3. Practical cases and comprehension questions

A. בכל לשון — birkat hamazon in any language

בְּכָל לָשׁוֹן — "in any language": birkat hamazon does not require the holy tongue (Hebrew) ; it may be said in any language one understands. The Mishna (Sotah 7:1) lists birkat hamazon among the texts said בכל לשון, alongside קריאת שמע and תפילה.

Seif 1 — birkat hamazon may be said in any language

ברכת המזון נאמרה בכל לשון:
Seif 1: birkat hamazon may be said in any language.
Birkat hamazon is not bound to Hebrew: ברכת המזון נאמרה בכל לשון. The Mishna teaches it among the texts said in any language — אלו נאמרין בכל לשון … וברכת המזון (משנה סוטה ז׳:א) — provided one understands the language, so that one who does not know Hebrew is yotze in his own tongue.

B. משמיע לאזניו — making one's ears hear

Seif 2 — making one's ears hear, and bediavad yotze

צריך שישמיע לאזניו מה שמוציא בשפתיו ואם לא השמיע לאזניו יצא ובלבד שיוציא בשפתיו:
Seif 2: one must make one's ears hear what one utters with one's lips ; and if one did not make one's ears hear it, one is yotze, provided one articulated with one's lips.
Lekhat'hila, one hears oneself: צריך שישמיע לאזניו מה שמוציא בשפתיו. But bediavad, ואם לא השמיע לאזניו יצא ובלבד שיוציא בשפתיו — the essential is the articulation of the lips ; thought alone would not suffice, but hearing is not indispensable after the fact. It is the same principle as for קריאת שמע (הקורא את שמע ולא השמיע לאזנו יצא, משנה ברכות ב׳:ג).

C. בקול רם — the householder who discharges his household

Seif 3 — the householder blesses aloud

יש מי שאומר דבעל הבית עם בניו ואשתו צריך לברך בקול רם כדי שיצאו בברכתו:
Seif 3: there is an opinion that the householder, with his children and wife, must bless aloud so that they are discharged with his blessing.
When the householder discharges his household, he blesses aloud: יש מי שאומר דבעל הבית עם בניו ואשתו צריך לברך בקול רם כדי שיצאו בברכתו. The קול רם here has a precise function: to let those listening hear and be discharged (שומע כעונה).

D. השיכור בברכת המזון — the drunk person who blesses, and the doubt

Seif 4 — even a drunk person may bless

אפי׳ נשתכר כל כך עד שאינו יכול לדבר כראוי יכול לברך ברכת המזון:
Seif 4: even one who became so drunk that he cannot speak properly may say birkat hamazon.
Unlike the tefila (where the drunk does not pray), birkat hamazon remains permitted: אפילו נשתכר כל כך עד שאינו יכול לדבר כראוי יכול לברך ברכת המזון. Summary: birkat hamazon is a duty of thanksgiving after the meal and is not compared to the tefila that "stands before the King" ; drunkenness therefore does not bar it.

Seif 5 — feces facing him or fully drunk — a doubt

אם בירך והיתה צואה כנגדו או שהי׳ שכור [פי׳ לגמרי] נסתפקו התוספות והרא״ש אם צריך לחזור ולברך ומשום מי רגלים פשיטא שאינו חוזר לברך:
Seif 5: if one blessed while there were feces facing him, or while he was drunk [i.e. completely], Tosafot and the Rosh are in doubt whether one must go back and bless again ; and because of urine, it is obvious that one does not go back and bless.
Two cases of doubt: אם בירך והיתה צואה כנגדו או שהיה שכור לגמרי — נסתפקו התוספות והרא״ש אם צריך לחזור ולברך. In practice, on a doubt of a blessing one is lenient (one does not repeat). But for urine (מי רגלים), which is lighter, פשיטא שאינו חוזר לברך. The exact conduct is settled with one's Rav.
The siman in one sentence: the birkat hamazon is said בכל לשון (in a language one understands) ; one makes one's ears hear it lekhat'hila, but bediavad articulation suffices (יצא) ; the householder blesses בקול רם to discharge his household ; even a drunk person may bless ; and over צואה כנגדו or full drunkenness, Tosafot and the Rosh are in doubt, while for urine one does not repeat.

Practical cases

Case 1 — Blessing in one's own language

Situation: I do not yet understand Hebrew and would like to be discharged of birkat hamazon. May I say it in English?
Conduct: yes — ברכת המזון נאמרה בכל לשון (seif 1). Birkat hamazon may be said in a language one understands. For a faithful translation and the details, one follows one's Rav.

Case 2 — Discharging one's household

Situation: I want to say birkat hamazon for the whole family. Should I say it quietly or aloud?
Conduct: aloud — בעל הבית … צריך לברך בקול רם כדי שיצאו בברכתו (seif 3). The others must hear in order to be discharged (shomea ke-oneh) ; each one either stays silent and listens or remains attentive. In practice, one follows one's Rav.

Case 3 — After a festive meal with drink

Situation: at a simcha meal I drank and do not feel very clear. May I still say birkat hamazon?
Conduct: yes — אפילו נשתכר … יכול לברך ברכת המזון (seif 4), unlike the tefila. If, however, one was completely drunk, or facing feces, there is a doubt (seif 5): one does not repeat by default. The exact conduct is settled with one's Rav.

Comprehension questions

Check your understanding:
  1. In what language may birkat hamazon be said, and what is its source (seif 1)?
  2. What does משמיע לאזניו mean, and what happens bediavad if one did not hear oneself (seif 2)?
  3. Why does the householder bless בקול רם, and what principle underlies it (seif 3)?
  4. May a drunk person say birkat hamazon, and how does it differ from the tefila (seif 4)?
  5. What is the doubt in the case of צואה כנגדו or full drunkenness, and what of urine (seif 5)?

To go further

If you wish to deepen this siman:
Continue to the next simanSiman 186 →
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
DAAT · רב יוסף חיים סממה

סימן קפ״ה · ה סעיפים · Level 1 — Introduction
♥ Support DAAT
📖Join the chavrusa