The Siman — Choulhan Aroukh, Orach Chaim siman קפ״ה (ה סעיפים)
ברכת המזון נאמרת בכל לשון ; וצריך שישמיע לאזניו מה שמוציא בשפתיו, ובדיעבד אם לא השמיע לאזניו יצא ובלבד שיוציא בשפתיו ; בעל הבית עם בניו ואשתו צריך לברך בקול רם כדי שיצאו בברכתו ; אפילו נשתכר כל כך עד שאינו יכול לדבר כראוי יכול לברך ברכת המזון ; ואם בירך והיתה צואה כנגדו או שהיה שכור לגמרי, נסתפקו התוספות והרא״ש אם צריך לחזור ולברך, ומשום מי רגלים פשיטא שאינו חוזר.
And it contains five seifim (ה סעיפים): the birkat hamazon may be said in any language (בכל לשון). One must make one's ears hear (משמיע לאזניו) what one utters with one's lips — but bediavad, if he did not make his ears hear it, he is yotze provided he articulated with his lips. The householder with his children and wife blesses aloud (בקול רם) so as to discharge them with his blessing. Even one who became so drunk that he cannot speak properly may say birkat hamazon (unlike the tefila). Finally, if one blessed while there were feces facing him or while fully drunk, Tosafot and the Rosh are in doubt whether to repeat ; but for urine, one does not repeat.
The 4 levels of study — Siman קפ״ה, ה סעיפים
01
Availableרמת המתחיל
Level 1 — Beginner & Intermediate
Hebrew text of the ה סעיפים with a fluent English translation. Explanation: ברכת המזון נאמרה בכל לשון, the requirement of משמיע לאזניו (and bediavad יצא), the בעל הבית who blesses בקול רם, the case of the שיכור, and the doubt over צואה כנגדו. Practical daily cases.
02
Availableרמת הלמדן
Lamdan — Advanced Pilpul
In-depth pilpul: birkat hamazon in any language and its source (משנה סוטה ז׳:א) ; the law of aloud and making one's ears hear, and whether it is me'akev ; the requirement of kavana and the householder discharging his household ; the drunk person in birkat hamazon versus tefila ; and the doubt of Tosafot and the Rosh. Beit Yossef, Tur, רמב״ם (הל׳ ברכות), מג״א, ט״ז, Mishna Berura and Beour Halakha, Aroukh haShulchan.
03
Availableחזרה וסיכום
Master Synthesis
Structured summary for review: the thread of the ה סעיפים — any language, making one's ears hear, aloud, the drunk person, and the doubt over feces. Conduct le-maaseh in daily life, with a referral to the Rav and cf. siman 184 and 186.
04
Availableדעת הרב
Daat HaRav (the Alter Rebbe)
The Choulhan Aroukh HaRav of the Admour HaZaken on Orach Chaim siman 185: full text and the force of the psak relative to the Mechaber — בכל לשון, משמיע לאזניו, קול רם and the law of the drunk person. 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
בְּכָל לָשׁוֹן
birkat hamazon in any language
ברכת המזון נאמרה בכל לשון (seif 1) ; its source in the Mishna — אלו נאמרין בכל לשון … וברכת המזון (Sotah 7:1).
מַשְׁמִיעַ לְאׇזְנוֹ
making one's ears hear
צריך שישמיע לאזניו מה שמוציא בשפתיו ; and bediavad אם לא השמיע לאזניו יצא ובלבד שיוציא בשפתיו (seif 2).
בְּקוֹל רָם
aloud — to discharge
בעל הבית עם בניו ואשתו צריך לברך בקול רם כדי שיצאו בברכתו (seif 3).
שִׁכּוֹר בְּבִרְכַּת הַמָּזוֹן
the drunk in birkat hamazon
אפילו נשתכר … יכול לברך ברכת המזון (seif 4) ; and the doubt of Tosafot and the Rosh over feces or full drunkenness (seif 5).
Structure of the Siman — the ה סעיפים
| Seif | Case | Din | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| א׳ | any language | ✦ בכל לשון | Birkat hamazon may be said in any language ; source in the Mishna, אלו נאמרין בכל לשון … וברכת המזון (Sotah 32a). |
| ב׳ | make ears hear | lekhat'hila / bediavad yotze | One must make one's ears hear what one utters ; if he did not, he is yotze provided he articulated with his lips. |
| ג׳ | aloud | householder discharges | The householder with his children and wife blesses aloud so they are discharged with his blessing. |
| ד׳ | drunk | ✦ may bless | Even one so drunk he cannot speak properly may say birkat hamazon. |
| ה׳ | feces facing / fully drunk | doubt | If one blessed with feces facing him or fully drunk — Tosafot and the Rosh doubt whether to repeat ; but for urine, one does not repeat. |
לברך ברכת המזון בקול רם — the conduct in practice
| Case | Source | Conduct | Central idea |
|---|---|---|---|
| בכל לשון | Mechaber · seif 1 | ✦ any language | Birkat hamazon may be said in a language one understands, not only in Hebrew. |
| משמיע לאזניו | Mechaber · seif 2 | lekhat'hila | One hears oneself ; bediavad, articulating with the lips suffices. |
| בקול רם | Mechaber · seif 3 | discharge one's household | The householder blesses aloud to discharge his children and wife. |
| שיכור | Mechaber · seif 4 | ✦ may bless | Even quite drunk, one may say birkat hamazon — unlike the tefila. |
| צואה / שכור לגמרי | Mechaber · seif 5 | doubt | Doubt of Tosafot and the Rosh ; but for urine one does not repeat. Follow your Rav. |
Frequently asked questions — Siman קפ״ה
May birkat hamazon be said in a language other than Hebrew according to Siman 185?
Yes. According to the Choulhan Aroukh, Orach Chaim 185:1, « ברכת המזון נאמרה בכל לשון » — birkat hamazon may be said in any language. The source is the Mishna (Sotah 7:1): « אלו נאמרין בכל לשון … וברכת המזון » — birkat hamazon is among the texts said in any language, provided one understands it.
Must one make one's ears hear the birkat hamazon according to Siman 185?
Lekhat'hila yes. According to the Choulhan Aroukh, Orach Chaim 185:2, « צריך שישמיע לאזניו מה שמוציא בשפתיו » — one must make one's ears hear what one utters ; but bediavad, « ואם לא השמיע לאזניו יצא ובלבד שיוציא בשפתיו » — if he did not make his ears hear it, he is yotze, provided he articulated with his lips.
May a drunk person say birkat hamazon according to Siman 185?
Yes. According to the Choulhan Aroukh, Orach Chaim 185:4, « אפילו נשתכר כל כך עד שאינו יכול לדבר כראוי יכול לברך ברכת המזון » — even one who became so drunk that he cannot speak properly may say birkat hamazon, unlike the tefila. And if one blessed while there were feces facing him or while fully drunk, Tosafot and the Rosh (185:5) are in doubt whether to repeat.