The Siman — Choulhan Aroukh, Orach Chaim siman ק״צ (ה׳ סעיפים)
אחר שסיים ברכת המזון מברך בורא פרי הגפן ויטעום המברך, ואחר כך יטעמו האחרים ; ואם כולם זקוקים לכוס אחד לא יטעמו עד שיטעום הוא, ואם אינם זקוקים לכוסו יכולים לטעום קודם ; ואין צריך המברך לשפוך מכוסו לכוס המסובין אלא אם כוסם פגום ; אחר ששתה כוס של ברכת המזון יברך ברכה אחת מעין שלש ; ושיעור שתיית יין להתחייב בברכה אחרונה יש ספק אם די בכזית או ברביעית, ולפי שכל דבר שצריך כוס צריך לשתות ממנו כמלא לוגמיו שהוא רוב רביעית — ישתה רביעית שלם ; ואם המברך אינו רוצה לטעום, יטעום אחד מהמסובין כשיעור, ואין שתיית שנים מצטרפת, ומצוה מן המובחר שיטעמו כולם ; וכשמסובין בסעודה גדולה ואין יודעים עד היכן יגיע כוס של ברכת המזון, כל אחד מהמסופקים אם יגיע לו צריך לברך בורא פרי הגפן.
And it contains five seifim (ה׳ סעיפים): after Birkat haMazon the siman turns to the cup and what is done with it. One recites boreh peri hagafen and the one who blessed tastes (טעימת המברך); the diners bound to his cup wait until he has tasted, those with their own wine do not; and he pours from his cup into theirs only if theirs is blemished (פגום). After drinking, one says the final blessing — ברכה אחת מעין שלש. The volume that obligates that blessing is in doubt — kazayit or revi'it — but since every cup of blessing requires a cheekful (כמלא לוגמיו), which is most of a revi'it, one drinks a full revi'it. If the one who blessed does not wish to taste, a diner drinks the measure — and the drinking of two does not combine. Finally, at a large meal where one does not know how far the cup will reach, each one blesses for himself.
The 4 levels of study — Siman ק״צ, ה׳ סעיפים
01
Availableרמת המתחיל
Level 1 — Beginner & Intermediate
Hebrew text of the ה׳ סעיפים with a fluent English translation. Explanation: טעימת המברך, כוס פגום, the diners bound to one cup, ברכה אחת מעין שלש, the doubt of כזית or רביעית, כמלא לוגמיו שהוא רוב רביעית, and a large meal. Practical daily cases.
02
Availableרמת הלמדן
Lamdan — Advanced Pilpul
In-depth pilpul: the cup of blessing and its tasting (Berakhot 51-52); why the blesser tastes and the bond of one cup; the blemished cup and its remedy; the single blessing mei'ein shalosh; the doubt of kazayit or revi'it and melo lugmav (Yoma 80a, Pesachim 108b); and why the drinking of two does not combine. Beit Yossef, Tur, רמב״ם (הל׳ ברכות), רא״ש, 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 ה׳ סעיפים — the blesser's tasting, the blemished cup, mei'ein shalosh, melo lugmav and revi'it, and the diners. Conduct le-maaseh in daily life, with a referral to the Rav and cf. siman 189 and 191.
04
Availableדעת הרב
Daat HaRav (the Alter Rebbe)
The Choulhan Aroukh HaRav of the Admour HaZaken on Orach Chaim siman 190: full text and the force of the psak relative to the Mechaber — כוס של ברכה, the blesser's tasting, and the measure of drinking. 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
טְעִימַת הַמְבָרֵךְ
the blesser tastes first
After finishing Birkat haMazon he blesses boreh peri hagafen and tastes, and afterwards the others taste (seif 1); and if he does not wish to taste, one of the diners tastes (seif 4).
כּוֹס פָּגוּם
the blemished cup
The blesser need not pour from his cup into the diners' cup unless the cup in their hand is blemished (seif 1); cf. above siman 182.
מְלֹא לוּגְמָיו
a cheekful
Anything requiring a cup requires drinking a cheekful from it, which is most of a revi'it — therefore one drinks a full revi'it (seif 3); and the drinking of two does not combine (seif 4).
בְּרָכָה אַחֲרוֹנָה
the final blessing
After drinking the cup of Birkat haMazon one says a single blessing mei'ein shalosh (seif 2); and the measure that obligates it is a doubt — kazayit or revi'it (seif 3).
Structure of the Siman — the ה׳ סעיפים
| Seif | Case | Din | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| א׳ | the blesser tastes | ✦ he tastes first | After finishing Birkat haMazon he blesses boreh peri hagafen and tastes, then the others taste; those bound to one cup do not taste until he has tasted; and he need not pour from his cup unless theirs is blemished. |
| ב׳ | the final blessing | mei'ein shalosh | After drinking the cup of Birkat haMazon one says a single blessing mei'ein shalosh. |
| ג׳ | the measure of drinking | ✦ a full revi'it | There is a doubt whether a kazayit suffices or a revi'it; and here, whatever requires a cup requires drinking a cheekful from it, which is most of a revi'it — therefore one drinks a full revi'it. |
| ד׳ | the blesser does not taste | one of the diners | One of the diners tastes the measure, and the drinking of two does not combine; nevertheless the most perfect performance is that all of them taste. |
| ה׳ | a large meal | ✦ each blesses himself | When one does not know how far the cup of Birkat haMazon will reach, each of those in doubt whether it will reach him must bless boreh peri hagafen. |
כוס של ברכה — the conduct in practice
| Case | Source | Conduct | Central idea |
|---|---|---|---|
| טעימת המברך | Mechaber · seif 1 | ✦ he drinks first | The one who blessed drinks first; those bound to his cup wait, the others need not. |
| כוס פגום | Mechaber · seif 1 | pour if blemished | He pours from his cup into the diners' cup only when theirs is blemished. |
| מעין שלש | Mechaber · seif 2 | ✦ final blessing | After drinking the cup one says "al hagefen" — a single blessing mei'ein shalosh. |
| the measure | Mechaber · seif 3 | a full revi'it | Doubt kazayit / revi'it; the cup requires a cheekful = most of a revi'it, so one drinks a full revi'it. |
| המסובין | Mechaber · seifim 4-5 | a single drinker | One diner may drink the measure — but two do not combine; at a large meal each blesses for himself. |
Frequently asked questions — Siman ק״צ
Who drinks the cup after Birkat haMazon according to Siman 190?
According to the Choulhan Aroukh, Orach Chaim 190:1, « אחר שסיים ברכת המזון מברך בורא פרי הגפן ויטעום המברך » — after finishing Birkat haMazon one recites « boreh peri hagafen » and the one who blessed tastes first; afterwards the other diners taste. And if all of them are bound to a single cup, « לא יטעמו עד שיטעום הוא » (190:1); but if they are not bound to his cup, « יכולים לטעום קודם שיטעום הוא » (190:1).
How much wine must one drink from the cup according to Siman 190?
According to the Choulhan Aroukh, Orach Chaim 190:3, the measure that obligates the final blessing is in doubt — « יש ספק אם די בכזית או ברביעית » (190:3). But with the cup of blessing it is impossible to drink less than a kazayit, for « צריך לשתות ממנו כמלא לוגמיו שהוא רוב רביעית » (190:3) — hence the conclusion « הלכך ישתה רביעית שלם » (190:3), one drinks a full revi'it. And after drinking, « יברך ברכה אחת מעין שלש » (190:2).
What if the one who blessed does not wish to taste the cup (Siman 190)?
According to the Choulhan Aroukh, Orach Chaim 190:4, « אם המברך אינו רוצה לטעום יטעום א׳ מהמסובין כשיעו׳ » — one of the diners shall taste the required measure; and « ואין שתיית שנים מצטרפת » (190:4), the drinking of two does not combine. Nevertheless « מצוה מן המובחר שיטעמו כלם » (190:4), the most perfect performance is that all of them taste.