Why a Level 4 devoted to the Alter Rebbe ? The Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch is not a commentary on the Mehaber (מחבר) — it is a complete, self-standing Shulchan Aruch, written by the Alter Rebbe (Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Habad, disciple of the Maggid (מגיד) of Mezeritch). Its singularity: it combines halakhah (הלכה) + טעמי המצוות + the inner dimension in a single work, and it decides with a unique talmudic rigour.
For Habad, the Alter Rebbe is הפוסק האחרון — his psak is the deciding authority. This page gathers the Rav’s way on siman רי״ג — מִי שֶׁיָּצָא אִם מוֹצִיא אֲחֵרִים (one who has already discharged his obligation — does he discharge others?), which in the Rav runs to ז׳ סְעִיפִים (seven seifim) where the Mehaber has only three. One thread runs through them, from the widest case to the narrowest: when several people eat or drink together, one blesses for them all — provided there is a settled sitting, which for us has taken the place of the reclining of former generations; the wine of Kiddush and Havdalah escapes that condition, being an obligation rather than an enjoyment; the after-blessing, by contrast, is said by each for himself, since the common body dissolves at the moment of parting; and to discharge another one must oneself be obligated in the blessing, while the listener must hear it from beginning to end and intend to be discharged; incense and the Havdalah flame, enjoyed together, dispense even with sitting; then the Rav settles the tension between “berov am hadrat melekh” and the merit of multiplying necessary blessings; and he closes with the case where the mitzvah is complete only among several, where a single blessing is no longer merely permitted but required.
שולחן ערוך הרב — סימן רי״ג — מִי שֶׁיָּצָא אִם מוֹצִיא אֲחֵרִים
The full text of the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch
שולחן ערוך הרב, סימן רי״ג — מִי שֶׁיָּצָא אִם מוֹצִיא אֲחֵרִים — וּבוֹ ז׳ סְעִיפִים
The Alter Rebbe’s own text (Sefaria source Shulchan_Arukh_HaRav,_Orach_Chayim.213), followed by our English translation. The siman has seven seifim (ז׳ סְעִיפִים ; seif k → .213.k).
סעיף א אֶחָד מְבָרֵךְ לְכֻלָּם — קְבִיעוּת בִּישִׁיבָה, וְיֵין קִדּוּשׁ וְהַבְדָּלָה אַף בַּעֲמִידָה.
מִי שֶׁיָּצָא אִם מוֹצִיא אֲחֵרִים, וּבוֹ ז׳ סְעִיפִים:
עַל כָּל פֵּרוֹת וּשְׁאָר אֳכָלִים חוּץ מִפַּת, וְכָל מַשְׁקִין חוּץ מִיַּיִן, אִם הָאוֹכְלִים אוֹ הַשּׁוֹתִים הֵם שְׁנַיִם אוֹ יוֹתֵר — אֶחָד מְבָרֵךְ לְכֻלָּם, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא הֵסֵבּוּ עַל הַמִּטּוֹת.
וַאֲפִלּוּ בִּימֵיהֶם שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה קֶבַע לִסְעוּדָה בְּלֹא הֲסִבָּה, אִם הֵם אוֹרְחִים הַסּוֹעֲדִים אֵצֶל בַּעַל הַבַּיִת וְכָל אֶחָד שֻׁלְחָן קָטָן לְפָנָיו שֶׁאֵינָם יוֹדְעִים קְבִיעוּתָם יַחַד עַד שֶׁהֵסֵבּוּ יַחַד, וְכָל זְמַן שֶׁלֹּא נִקְבְּעוּ יַחַד אֵין אֶחָד פּוֹטֵר אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ בְּבִרְכָתוֹ בְּפַת וְיַיִן שֶׁהֵם חֲשׁוּבִים וְדַרְכָּם לִקְבֹּעַ עֲלֵיהֶם בַּהֲסִבָּה מִפְּנֵי חֲשִׁיבוּתָם, מִכָּל מָקוֹם, בִּשְׁאָר דְּבָרִים שֶׁאֵינָן חֲשׁוּבִים כָּל כָּךְ וְאֵין דַּרְכָּם כָּל כָּךְ בַּהֲסִבָּה — פּוֹטֵר אֶחָד אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ בְּלֹא הֲסִבָּה. וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם, צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ קְבוּעִים יַחַד בִּישִׁיבָה וְלֹא בַּעֲמִידָה.
וּבַזְּמַן הַזֶּה שֶׁאֵין דַּרְכֵּנוּ בַּהֲסִבָּה כְּלָל — אֵין חִלּוּק בֵּין פַּת וְיַיִן לִשְׁאָר דְּבָרִים, שֶׁבְּלֹא יְשִׁיבָה גַּם בִּשְׁאָר דְּבָרִים אֵינוֹ פּוֹטֵר, וּבִישִׁיבָה גַּם בְּפַת וְיַיִן פּוֹטֵר. וְהוּא שֶׁיָּשְׁבוּ כֻּלָּם בְּשֻׁלְחָן אֶחָד, אוֹ בְּלֹא שֻׁלְחָן בְּמַפָּה אַחַת בִּדְבָרִים שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ קְבִיעוּת אֲכִילָתָם הִיא עַל הַמַּפָּה, וּדְבָרִים שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ לִקְבֹּעַ עֲלֵיהֶן אַף בְּלֹא מַפָּה, כְּגוֹן יַיִן וְכַיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ, מִשֶּׁיָּשְׁבוּ בִּקְבִיעוּת יַחַד עַל הַסַּפְסָלִים אוֹ עַל הַקָּתֶדְרָאוֹת זֶה אֵצֶל זֶה — זוֹ הִיא קְבִיעוּתָם, אֲבָל לֹא כְּשֶׁיָּשְׁבוּ זֶה בְּכֹה וְזֶה בְּכֹה.
בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים? בְּיֵין הָרְשׁוּת, אֲבָל בְּיֵין קִדּוּשׁ וְהַבְדָּלָה — פּוֹטֵר אֶחָד אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ אֲפִלּוּ בַּעֲמִידָה. וַאֲפִלּוּ אֵין עוֹמְדִים בְּמָקוֹם אֶחָד, אֶלָּא כָּל אֶחָד בְּבֵיתוֹ, שֶׁאֶחָד מְקַדֵּשׁ אוֹ מַבְדִּיל בְּבֵיתוֹ וּמִתְכַּוֵּן לְהוֹצִיא שְׁכֵנוֹ, וּשְׁכֵנוֹ שׁוֹמֵעַ עַל הַכּוֹס שֶׁבְּיָדוֹ וְשׁוֹתֶה, הוֹאִיל וְהִיא חוֹבָה, וְאֵינָהּ כְּבִרְכַּת הַנֶּהֱנִין, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן רע״ג.
וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם כְּבָר טָעַם הַמְקַדֵּשׁ אוֹ הַמַּבְדִּיל כִּמְלֹא לֻגְמָיו, וְשׁוּב אֵין הַשּׁוֹמְעִים צְרִיכִים לִטְעֹם אֶלָּא לְמִצְוָה מִן הַמֻּבְחָר — אַף עַל פִּי כֵן נִפְטָרִים בְּבִרְכָתוֹ אֲפִלּוּ בַּעֲמִידָה, שֶׁמִּתּוֹךְ שֶׁהֵם מִצְטָרְפִים יַחַד לָצֵאת יְדֵי קִדּוּשׁ וְהַבְדָּלָה — מִצְטָרְפִים גַּם כֵּן לָצֵאת יְדֵי בִּרְכַּת הַיַּיִן.
וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁבִּשְׁאָר דְּבָרִים חוּץ מִפַּת וְיַיִן אֵין אֶחָד פּוֹטֵר אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ וַאֲפִלּוּ הֵסֵבּוּ, שֶׁכֵּיוָן שֶׁאֵין דַּרְכָּם לִקְבֹּעַ עֲלֵיהֶם כָּל כָּךְ — אֵין קְבִיעוּת מוֹעֶלֶת בָּהֶם, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן בָּאוּ בְּתוֹךְ הַסְּעוּדָה, שֶׁמִּתּוֹךְ שֶׁמּוֹעֶלֶת קְבִיעוּת לְהַפַּת — מוֹעֶלֶת גַּם כֵּן לִשְׁאָר דְּבָרִים.
וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָעִקָּר כַּסְּבָרָא הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, נָהֲגוּ בִּמְדִינוֹת אֵלּוּ לְבָרֵךְ כָּל אֶחָד לְעַצְמוֹ בִּשְׁאָר דְּבָרִים לָחֹשׁ לַסְּבָרָא הָאַחֲרוֹנָה, חוּץ מִשֵּׁכָר וּמֵי דְּבַשׁ, לְפִי שֶׁרְגִילִין לִקְבֹּעַ עֲלֵיהֶם אַף בְּלֹא סְעוּדָה, לְפִיכָךְ מוֹעֶלֶת בָּהֶם קְבִיעוּת כְּמוֹ בְּיַיִן.
וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם, אַף בְּיַיִן, אִם שְׁנַיִם אוֹ שְׁלֹשָׁה נִכְנָסִים לְבֵית אָדָם אֶחָד וְנוֹתְנִים לָהֶם יַיִן לִשְׁתּוֹת דֶּרֶךְ עֲרַאי — כָּל אֶחָד מְבָרֵךְ לְעַצְמוֹ, אֲפִלּוּ יוֹשְׁבִים בְּשֻׁלְחָן אֶחָד, שֶׁאֵין אֶחָד פּוֹטֵר חֲבֵרוֹ בְּכָל הַדְּבָרִים אֶלָּא בִּישִׁיבַת קֶבַע עַל דַּעַת שֶׁלֹּא לַעֲקֹר מִיָּד מִמָּקוֹם זֶה אֲפִלּוּ לֵילֵךְ לִקְבֹּעַ בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר, וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר אִם אֵין דַּעְתָּם לִקְבֹּעַ כְּלָל, אֶלָּא לִשְׁתּוֹת בְּדֶרֶךְ עֲרַאי:
One who has already discharged his obligation — does he discharge others? And it contains seven seifim. Over all fruits and other foods except bread, and over all drinks except wine — if those eating or drinking are two or more, one blesses for them all, even though they did not recline upon the couches.
And even in their days, when there was no settled fixity for a meal without reclining: if they are guests dining at a householder’s, each with a small table before him, so that they do not know that they are settled together until they have reclined together — and as long as they have not settled together one does not discharge his fellow with his blessing — that is with bread and wine, which are important and upon which it is the way to settle by reclining because of their importance; but with other things, which are not so important and whose way is not so much to be taken while reclining, one does discharge his fellow even without reclining. Still, they must be settled together, seated and not standing.
And in these times, when reclining is not our way at all — there is no difference between bread and wine and other things: without sitting he does not discharge even with other things, and while sitting he discharges even with bread and wine. And that is when they all sat at one table, or, without a table, on one cloth, with things whose settled manner of eating is upon the cloth; while with things upon which it is the way to settle even without a cloth, such as wine and the like — once they have sat down together in a settled way upon the benches or upon the chairs, one beside the other, that is their settling; but not when they sat one here and one there.
In what case is this said? With wine of the optional sort; but with the wine of Kiddush and Havdalah — one discharges his fellow even standing. And even if they are not standing in one place, but each in his own house: one recites Kiddush or Havdalah in his house intending to discharge his neighbour, and his neighbour listens over the cup in his own hand and drinks — since it is an obligation, and is not like a blessing of enjoyment, as will be explained in siman רע״ג.
And even if the one reciting Kiddush or Havdalah has already tasted a cheekful, so that the listeners no longer need to taste except for the choicest performance of the mitzvah — they are nevertheless discharged by his blessing even standing: since they join together to fulfil Kiddush and Havdalah, they join likewise to fulfil the blessing over the wine.
And there are those who say that with other things apart from bread and wine one does not discharge his fellow, and that even if they reclined: since it is not the way to settle upon them to such a degree, settling is of no effect with them — unless they came in the course of the meal, for since settling is effective for the bread it is effective for the other things as well.
And although the essential ruling is like the first opinion, the practice taken up in these lands is that each blesses for himself over other things, out of concern for the latter opinion — apart from beer and mead, since people regularly settle upon them even outside a meal, and therefore settling is effective with them as with wine.
And nevertheless, even with wine: if two or three enter a man’s house and are given wine to drink in a casual manner — each blesses for himself, even if they are sitting at one table; for one discharges his fellow, in all these things, only by a settled sitting with the intention not to leave this place at once, even to go and settle elsewhere; and it goes without saying when they have no intention of settling at all, but only of drinking casually.
סעיף ב בְּרָכָה אַחֲרוֹנָה — כָּל אֶחָד לְעַצְמוֹ, וְעַכְשָׁו יְבָרֵךְ אֶחָד בְּקוֹל רָם.
וְכָל זֶה בִּבְרָכָה רִאשׁוֹנָה, שֶׁדַּעְתָּם לְהִתְחַבֵּר וְלִקְבֹּעַ עַצְמָן לֶאֱכֹל וְלִשְׁתּוֹת יַחַד — הֲרֵי קְבִיעוּתָם זוֹ מְצָרַפְתָּם לְהֵחָשֵׁב כְּגוּף אֶחָד, וּבְרָכָה אַחַת לְכֻלָּם, אֲבָל בַּבְּרָכָה הָאַחֲרוֹנָה, כֵּיוָן שֶׁכְּבָר אָכְלוּ וְהֵם מִתְפָּרְדִים זֶה מִזֶּה — אֵינָן מִצְטָרְפִים זֶה עִם זֶה לְהֵחָשֵׁב כְּגוּף אֶחָד, וְצָרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ כָּל אֶחָד בְּעַצְמוֹ עַל הֲנָאַת גּוּפוֹ. וְלֹא אָמְרוּ שֶׁיְּבָרֵךְ אֶחָד לְכֻלָּם, אֶלָּא בְּפַת שֶׁמְּבָרְכִים עָלֶיהָ בִּרְכַּת הַמָּזוֹן, וְלֹא בִּשְׁאָר בְּרָכוֹת אַחֲרוֹנוֹת שֶׁאֵינָן חֲשׁוּבוֹת כְּבִרְכַּת הַמָּזוֹן לוֹמַר עֲלֵיהֶם "נְבָרֵךְ" בַּתְּחִלָּה.
וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם, בְּדִיעֲבַד שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֶחָד וְנִתְכַּוֵּן לְהוֹצִיא הַשּׁוֹמְעִים וְהֵם נִתְכַּוְּנוּ לָצֵאת יְדֵי חוֹבָתָם — יָצְאוּ, אִם הָיוּ קְבוּעִים בַּאֲכִילָתָם קְבִיעוּת הַמּוֹעֶלֶת לְצָרְפָם לִבְרָכָה רִאשׁוֹנָה.
וְאִם אֶחָד אֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ לְבָרֵךְ בְּעַצְמוֹ — יוֹצֵא לְכַתְּחִלָּה בְּבִרְכַּת חֲבֵרוֹ שֶׁקָּבַע עִמּוֹ.
וְעַכְשָׁו שֶׁהֶהָמוֹן מְזַלְזְלִים מְאֹד בִּבְרָכָה אַחֲרוֹנָה — יֵשׁ לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן לְכַתְּחִלָּה, שֶׁיְּבָרֵךְ אֶחָד בְּקוֹל רָם לְהוֹצִיא כָּל הַשּׁוֹמְעִים, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיּוֹדְעִים לְבָרֵךְ בְּעַצְמָן:
And all this concerns the first blessing: since their intention is to join and settle themselves to eat and drink together, this settling of theirs joins them to be reckoned as one body, and one blessing serves them all. But with the after-blessing, since they have already eaten and are parting from one another — they no longer join with one another to be reckoned as one body, and each must bless for himself over the enjoyment of his own body. And it was said that one blesses for all only with bread, over which Birkat Hamazon is recited, and not with the other after-blessings, which are not important like Birkat Hamazon so as to say “nevarekh” over them at the outset.
And nevertheless, after the fact, if one blessed intending to discharge the listeners and they intended to fulfil their obligation — they have fulfilled it, provided they were settled in their eating with a settling effective enough to join them for the first blessing.
And if one of them does not know how to bless for himself — he may, at the outset, fulfil his obligation through the blessing of the fellow with whom he settled.
And now, when the multitude are very lax about the after-blessing — this should be done at the outset: that one bless aloud so as to discharge all the listeners, even though they know how to bless for themselves.
סעיף ג אֵין מוֹצִיא אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן גַּם הוּא חַיָּב בִּבְרָכָה זוֹ.
כְּבָר נִתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן קס״ז שֶׁבִּרְכַּת הַנֶּהֱנִין אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְבָרֵךְ לְהוֹצִיא חֲבֵרוֹ יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן גַּם הוּא חַיָּב בִּבְרָכָה זוֹ, בֵּין שֶׁהִיא בְּרָכָה רִאשׁוֹנָה, אוֹ אֲפִלּוּ בְּרָכָה אַחֲרוֹנָה, מִטַּעַם שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן קצ״ז. וַאֲפִלּוּ בְּדִיעֲבַד, אִם מִי שֶׁלֹּא נִתְחַיֵּב בִּבְרָכָה זוֹ בֵּרַךְ לְהוֹצִיא הַשּׁוֹמְעִים, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּתְכַּוְּנוּ לָצֵאת בִּשְׁמִיעָתָם וְגַם עָנוּ "אָמֵן" — לֹא יָצְאוּ, שֶׁאַף שֶׁהַשּׁוֹמֵעַ כְּעוֹנֶה, מִכָּל מָקוֹם, כֵּיוָן שֶׁבִּרְכָתוֹ הָיְתָה לְבַטָּלָה — הֲרֵי לֹא שָׁמְעוּ בְּרָכָה הֲגוּנָה:
It has already been explained in siman קס״ז that with a blessing of enjoyment one cannot bless so as to discharge his fellow unless he too is obligated in this blessing, whether it be the first blessing or even the after-blessing, for the reason explained in siman קצ״ז. And even after the fact: if one who was not obligated in this blessing blessed in order to discharge the listeners, although they intended to fulfil their obligation by hearing it and even answered “amen” — they have not fulfilled it; for although one who hears is as one who recites, since his own blessing was a blessing in vain — they did not hear a proper blessing.
סעיף ד שְׁמָעָהּ מִתְּחִלָּתָהּ וְעַד סוֹפָהּ, וְנִתְכַּוֵּן לָצֵאת וְהַמְבָרֵךְ לְהוֹצִיאוֹ.
אֵין אָדָם יוֹצֵא יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ בִּשְׁמִיעַת הַבְּרָכָה אֲפִלּוּ עָנָה "אָמֵן", אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן שְׁמָעָהּ מִתְּחִלָּתָהּ וְעַד סוֹפָהּ וְנִתְכַּוֵּן לָצֵאת בָּהּ יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ וְהַמְבָרֵךְ נִתְכַּוֵּן לְהוֹצִיאוֹ. וְאָז יוֹצֵא יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ בְּדִיעֲבַד אֲפִלּוּ לֹא עָנָה "אָמֵן".
(וּלְדִבְרֵי הָאוֹמְרִים שֶׁמִּצְוֹת שֶׁל דִּבְרֵיהֶם אֵין צְרִיכִים כַּוָּנָה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא נִתְכַּוֵּן הַמְבָרֵךְ לְהוֹצִיאוֹ וְגַם הוּא לֹא נִתְכַּוֵּן לָצֵאת בָּהּ — יָצָא, בֵּין בִּבְרָכָה אַחֲרוֹנָה בֵּין בִּבְרָכָה רִאשׁוֹנָה, כְּגוֹן מִי שֶׁנָּטַל פְּרִי בְּיָדוֹ לְאָכְלוֹ, אוֹ מִצְוָה לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ, וְקֹדֶם שֶׁהִסְפִּיק לְבָרֵךְ שָׁמַע בְּרָכָה זוֹ מִפִּי אַחֵר הַמְבָרֵךְ לְעַצְמוֹ — אֵין צָרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ. וְיֵשׁ לָחֹשׁ לְדִבְרֵיהֶם וְלִזָּהֵר שֶׁלֹּא לִכָּנֵס בִּסְפֵק בְּרָכָה לְבַטָּלָה):
A person does not fulfil his obligation by hearing the blessing, even if he answered “amen,” unless he heard it from its beginning to its end, and intended to fulfil his obligation by it, and the one blessing intended to discharge him. And then he fulfils his obligation after the fact even if he did not answer “amen.”
(And according to those who say that mitzvot of rabbinic institution require no intention, then even though the one blessing did not intend to discharge him and he too did not intend to fulfil his obligation by it — he has fulfilled it, whether with the after-blessing or with the first blessing; for instance, one who took a fruit in his hand to eat it, or a mitzvah to perform, and before he managed to bless he heard this blessing from the mouth of another who was blessing for himself — he need not bless. And one should take their words into account and be careful not to enter into a doubt of a blessing in vain.)
סעיף ה מֻגְמָר וּבִרְכַּת הָאוּר — פּוֹטֵר אֶחָד אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ אֲפִלּוּ בַּעֲמִידָה.
לֹא הִצְרִיכוּ שֶׁיִּהְיוּ הַמְבָרֵךְ וְהַשּׁוֹמְעִים קְבוּעִים יַחַד בִּישִׁיבָה אֶלָּא בַּהֲנָאַת אֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה, שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד נֶהֱנָה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ, אֲבָל בְּמֻגְמָר שֶׁכֻּלָּם נֶהֱנִים בְּיַחַד מֵהָרֵיחַ הָעוֹלֶה מִמֶּנּוּ — פּוֹטֵר אֶחָד אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ אֲפִלּוּ בַּעֲמִידָה, וַאֲפִלּוּ אֵינָן קְבוּעִים בְּמָקוֹם אֶחָד, אֶלָּא זֶה בְּכֹה וְזֶה בְּכֹה. וְכֵן בְּבִרְכַּת הָאוּר בְּמוֹצָאֵי שַׁבָּת.
(וְעוֹד, שֶׁבִּרְכַּת הָאוּר אֵינָהּ כְּבִרְכַּת הַנֶּהֱנִין מַמָּשׁ, כִּי הִיא הֲנָאָה כְּעֵין חוֹבָה. וּמִטַּעַם זֶה גַּם בְּבִרְכַּת הָרֵיחַ שֶׁבְּמוֹצָאֵי שַׁבָּת פּוֹטֵר אֶחָד אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ שֶׁלֹּא בִּקְבִיעוּת יְשִׁיבָה, אֲפִלּוּ מְרִיחִים זֶה אַחַר זֶה, וַאֲפִלּוּ שֶׁלֹּא בִּשְׁעַת הַבְדָּלָה):
They required the one blessing and the listeners to be settled together in sitting only with the enjoyment of eating and drinking, where each enjoys it on his own; but with fragrant incense, from which they all enjoy together the scent rising from it — one discharges his fellow even standing, and even if they are not settled in one place but one here and one there. And likewise with the blessing over the flame at the going-out of Shabbat.
(And furthermore, the blessing over the flame is not truly like a blessing of enjoyment, for it is an enjoyment of the nature of an obligation. And for this reason, with the blessing over fragrance at the going-out of Shabbat too, one discharges his fellow without a settled sitting, even if they smell one after another, and even not at the time of Havdalah.)
סעיף ו בְּרָב עָם הַדְרַת מֶלֶךְ — בִּרְכַּת הַנֶּהֱנִין מִצְוָה, וּבִרְכַּת הַמִּצְוֹת רְשׁוּת.
כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁאֶחָד פּוֹטֵר אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ בְּבִרְכַּת הַנֶּהֱנִין מִפְּנֵי קְבִיעוּתָם יַחַד, אוֹ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁנֶּהֱנִים בְּיַחַד — מִצְוָה שֶׁאֶחָד יְבָרֵךְ לְכֻלָּם וְלֹא כָּל אֶחָד לְעַצְמוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "בְּרָב עָם הַדְרַת מֶלֶךְ".
אֲבָל בְּבִרְכַּת הַמִּצְוֹת, אִם כָּל אֶחָד עוֹשֶׂה מִצְוָה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ, אַף שֶׁכֻּלָּן מִצְוָה אַחַת, כְּגוֹן שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד מִתְעַטֵּף בְּצִיצִית אוֹ לוֹבֵשׁ תְּפִלִּין — הָרְשׁוּת בְּיָדָם, אִם רָצוּ — אֶחָד מְבָרֵךְ לְכֻלָּם, כְּדֵי לְקַיֵּם "בְּרָב עָם הַדְרַת מֶלֶךְ", וְאִם רָצוּ — כָּל אֶחָד מְבָרֵךְ לְעַצְמוֹ (כְּדֵי לְהַרְבּוֹת בַּבְּרָכוֹת, כִּי לְעוֹלָם יַרְבֶּה אָדָם בַּבְּרָכוֹת הַצְּרִיכוֹת.
וְאַף שֶׁהַשּׁוֹמֵעַ כְּעוֹנֶה, מִכָּל מָקוֹם, הַמְבָרֵךְ הוּא עִקָּר, שֶׁהוּא נַעֲשָׂה שָׁלִיחַ לְכֻלָּם לְהוֹצִיאָם יְדֵי חוֹבָתָן, וְכֻלָּם מְקַיְּמִים מִצְוַת הַבְּרָכָה עַל יָדוֹ, וּכְאִלּוּ כֻּלָּם מְבָרְכִים בְּרָכָה אַחַת הַיּוֹצֵא מִפִּי הַמְבָרֵךְ, שֶׁפִּיו כְּפִיהֶם, וְרָאוּי יוֹתֵר שֶׁיְּקַיֵּם כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד בְּעַצְמוֹ מִצְוַת הַבְּרָכָה מִשֶּׁיְּקַיְּמֶנָּה עַל יְדֵי שָׁלִיחַ, שֶׁכֵּיוָן שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד חַיָּב בִּבְרָכָה זוֹ לְעַצְמוֹ — הֲרֵי זֶה רִבּוּי בְּרָכוֹת הַצְּרִיכוֹת, וְאֵינָם דּוֹמוֹת כְּלָל לַחֲזָרַת הַשְּׁלִיחַ צִבּוּר וּלְבִרְכַּת הַזִּמּוּן, שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן קצ״ב.
מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בְּבִרְכוֹת הַנֶּהֱנִין, כְּשֶׁכֻּלָּן קְבוּעִים יַחַד שֶׁהֵם נֶחְשָׁבִים כְּגוּף אֶחָד נֶהֱנֶה, וְלָכֵן דַּי לָהֶם בִּבְרָכָה אַחַת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן קס״ז, אִם כֵּן אִם יְבָרְכוּ כָּל אֶחָד לְעַצְמוֹ — אֵינָן בְּרָכוֹת הַצְּרִיכוֹת כְּלָל, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהֲנָאַת כֻּלָּם נֶחְשֶׁבֶת כַּהֲנָאַת גּוּף אֶחָד עַל יְדֵי קְבִיעָתָם יַחַד, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן תְּחִלַּת קְבִיעוּתָם הָיְתָה עַל דַּעַת שֶׁלֹּא לְהִצְטָרֵף לִבְרָכָה אַחַת, שֶׁאָז נַעֲשָׂה כְּאִלּוּ לֹא נִקְבְּעוּ כְּלָל יַחַד, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן קצ״ג) .
אֲבָל כְּשֶׁקָּבְעוּ עַצְמָן סְתָם — נַעֲשׂוּ כְּגוּף אֶחָד, וְאֵין מַעֲלָה כָּל כָּךְ בְּרִבּוּי הַבְּרָכוֹת. וְאַף שֶׁאֵין בָּזֶה אִסּוּר בְּרָכָה שֶׁאֵינָהּ צְרִיכָה, כֵּיוָן שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד חַיָּב בִּבְרָכָה זוֹ, וְגַם עַכְשָׁו שֶׁשּׁוֹמְעִים הֵם כְּעוֹנִים, מִכָּל מָקוֹם, כֵּיוָן שֶׁאֵין מַעֲלָה בְּרִבּוּי הַבְּרָכוֹת — צָרִיךְ שֶׁיְּבָרֵךְ אֶחָד, לְקַיֵּם "בְּרָב עָם וְכוּ׳".
וְכֵן כְּשֶׁכֻּלָּם נֶהֱנִים בְּיַחַד — דַּי בִּבְרָכָה אַחַת לְכֻלָּם, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא נִקְבְּעוּ יַחַד, וְאֵין מַעֲלָה כָּל כָּךְ בְּרִבּוּי הַבְּרָכוֹת.
וְהוּא הַדִּין בְּבִרְכוֹת הַמִּצְוֹת כְּשֶׁכֻּלָּם מְקַיְּמִים הַמִּצְוָה בְּיַחַד, כְּגוֹן שְׁמִיעַת קוֹל שׁוֹפָר אוֹ מְגִלָּה — מִצְוָה שֶׁאֶחָד מְבָרֵךְ לְכֻלָּם, בֵּין הַתּוֹקֵעַ אוֹ הַקּוֹרֵא, בֵּין אֶחָד מִן הַשּׁוֹמְעִים. וְכֵן אִם יוֹשְׁבִים בְּסֻכָּה אַחַת.
אֲבָל אִם רָצוּ לְקַיֵּם כָּל אֶחָד הַמִּצְוָה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ וּלְבָרֵךְ לְעַצְמָן — הָרְשׁוּת בְּיָדָם, כְּגוֹן שֶׁיִּקְרָא כָּל אֶחָד הַמְּגִלָּה לְעַצְמוֹ אִם אֵין שָׁם עֲשָׂרָה, אוֹ שֶׁיִּתְקַע לְעַצְמוֹ. וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם, טוֹב שֶׁיִּקְרָא אֶחָד לְכֻלָּם, לְקַיֵּם "בְּרָב עָם הַדְרַת מֶלֶךְ", אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין חִיּוּב בַּדָּבָר, שֶׁאֵין לְחַיֵּב אָדָם שֶׁיְּקַיֵּם הַמִּצְוָה הַמֻּטֶּלֶת עָלָיו עַל יְדֵי שָׁלִיחַ כְּשֶׁיָּכוֹל לְקַיְּמָהּ בְּעַצְמוֹ. וְכֵן בְּקִדּוּשׁ וְהַבְדָּלָה, וְכָל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן:
Wherever one discharges his fellow in a blessing of enjoyment because of their being settled together, or because they enjoy it together — it is a mitzvah that one bless for them all and not each for himself, for it is said, “berov am hadrat melekh” (משלי י״ד:כ״ח).
But with the blessings over mitzvot, if each performs a mitzvah on his own — even though for all of them it is one and the same mitzvah, as when each wraps himself in tzitzit or dons tefillin — the choice is theirs: if they wish, one blesses for them all, so as to fulfil “berov am hadrat melekh”; and if they wish, each blesses for himself (so as to increase blessings, for a man should always increase the blessings that are needed.
And although one who hears is as one who recites, still the one who blesses is the principal, for he is made the agent of them all to discharge them, and they all fulfil the mitzvah of the blessing through him — as though they all blessed one blessing issuing from the mouth of the one who blesses, his mouth being as their mouth; and it is more fitting that each and every one fulfil the mitzvah of the blessing himself rather than fulfil it through an agent: since each is obligated in this blessing for himself, this is a multiplying of blessings that are needed, and they are in no way comparable to the repetition of the prayer-leader or to the blessing of the zimun, which was explained in siman קצ״ב.
Not so with the blessings of enjoyment: when they are all settled together they are reckoned as one body enjoying, and therefore one blessing suffices for them, as was explained in siman קס״ז; if so, were they to bless each for himself these would not be needed blessings at all, since the enjoyment of them all is reckoned as the enjoyment of one body by reason of their settling together — unless the beginning of their settling was on the understanding that they would not join for a single blessing, in which case it is as though they had not settled together at all, as was explained in siman קצ״ג.)
But when they settled themselves without further specification — they became as one body, and there is not so much merit in multiplying the blessings. And although there is in this no prohibition of an unnecessary blessing, since each is obligated in this blessing, and since even now the listeners are as those reciting — nevertheless, since there is no merit in multiplying the blessings, one must bless, so as to fulfil “berov am, etc.”
And likewise when they all enjoy it together — one blessing for them all suffices, even though they did not settle together, and there is not so much merit in multiplying the blessings.
And the same holds with the blessings over mitzvot when they all fulfil the mitzvah together, such as hearing the sound of the shofar or the Megillah — it is a mitzvah that one bless for them all, whether the one who blows or the one who reads, or one of the listeners. And likewise if they sit in one sukkah.
But if they wish each to fulfil the mitzvah on his own and to bless for themselves — the choice is theirs, such as that each read the Megillah for himself if there are not ten there, or that he blow for himself. And nevertheless it is good that one read for them all, so as to fulfil “berov am hadrat melekh,” even though there is no obligation in the matter, for one cannot compel a man to fulfil through an agent the mitzvah incumbent upon him when he can fulfil it himself. And likewise with Kiddush and Havdalah, and all that is similar to them.
סעיף ז מִצְוָה אַחַת שְׁלֵמָה בֵּין כֻּלָּם — אֶחָד מְבָרֵךְ לְכֻלָּם בְּכָל עִנְיָן.
וְכָל זֶה כְּשֶׁכָּל אֶחָד מְקַיֵּם מִצְוָה שְׁלֵמָה, אֲבָל אִם בֵּין כֻּלָּם נַעֲשֵׂית מִצְוָה אַחַת שְׁלֵמָה — אֶחָד מְבָרֵךְ לְכֻלָּם בְּכָל עִנְיָן, וְאֵין רַשָּׁאִים לְבָרֵךְ כָּל אֶחָד לְעַצְמוֹ, כְּגוֹן בְּנֵי בֵּיתוֹ שֶׁל בַּעַל הַבַּיִת שֶׁבּוֹדְקִין אֶת הֶחָמֵץ בַּחֲדַר הַבַּיִת, שֶׁלֹּא נִשְׁלְמָה הַמִּצְוָה וְלֹא יָצָא יְדֵי חוֹבַת בִּעוּר חָמֵץ עַד שֶׁיְּבַעֲרֶנּוּ מִכָּל חֲדָרָיו.
(וַאֲפִלּוּ רַבִּים שֶׁעוֹשִׂים מִצְוָה אַחַת שְׁלֵמָה לְאָדָם אֶחָד שֶׁכֻּלָּן מֻטָּלוֹת עָלָיו חוֹבָה, כְּגוֹן שֶׁמַּפְרִישִׁין חַלָּה מֵעִסּוֹתָיו, אוֹ קוֹבְעִים מְזוּזוֹת בִּפְתָחָיו, אוֹ מָלִין אֶת בָּנָיו בְּשָׁעָה אַחַת — אֵין רַשָּׁאִים לְחַלֵּק, אֶלָּא צְרִיכִין לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּיַחַד, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּבָרֵךְ אֶחָד לְכֻלָּם, שֶׁכֵּיוָן שֶׁלֹּא יָצָא יְדֵי חוֹבַת מִצְוָה זוֹ עַד שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה כֻּלָּם — הֲרֵי לֹא נִגְמַר הַמִּצְוָה עַד שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה כֻּלָּם, וְלָכֵן דַּי בִּבְרָכָה אַחַת, וְאָסוּר לִגְרֹם בְּרָכָה שֶׁאֵינָהּ צְרִיכָה).
(אֲבָל אִם מָלִין ב׳ תִּינוֹקוֹת שֶׁל ב׳ בְּנֵי אָדָם — רַשָּׁאִים לְחַלֵּק וּלְמוּלָם בָּזֶה אַחַר זֶה וּלְבָרֵךְ כָּל אֶחָד לְעַצְמוֹ. וְנָכוֹן לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן, מִטַּעַם שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּיוֹרֶה דֵּעָה):
And all this is when each fulfils a complete mitzvah; but if among them all a single complete mitzvah is performed — one blesses for them all in every case, and they are not permitted to bless each for himself: such as the members of the householder’s household who search for the hametz in the rooms of the house, since the mitzvah is not completed and he has not fulfilled the obligation of removing hametz until he removes it from all his rooms.
(And even many who perform a single complete mitzvah for one man upon whom they are all incumbent as an obligation — such as separating challah from his doughs, or affixing mezuzot on his doorways, or circumcising his sons at one hour — they are not permitted to divide it, but must do it together, so that one may bless for them all; for since he has not fulfilled the obligation of this mitzvah until all of them are done, the mitzvah is not completed until all of them are done, and therefore one blessing suffices — and it is forbidden to cause an unnecessary blessing.)
(But if they circumcise two infants belonging to two different men — they are permitted to divide it and circumcise them one after another and each bless for himself. And it is right to do so, for the reason explained in Yoreh Deah.)
הלכה למעשה — מנהג חב״ד
Habad practice
Points of practice that follow directly from siman רי״ג in the sensibility of the Alter Rebbe and of Habad — set out at the level of principle, referring to the Rav for the detail of cases.
For the Habad Hassid — Siman רי״ג (מִי שֶׁיָּצָא אִם מוֹצִיא אֲחֵרִים)
- ① Seif א. The opening principle: when two or more eat or drink together, one blesses for them all. Over fruits and other foods (apart from bread) and over all drinks (apart from wine) this holds even without the reclining of the Ancients. Bread and wine, being more important, once required reclining; but since no one reclines any more, sitting together has taken its place: seated together, one blesses even over bread and wine; standing, no one discharges anyone, even over the rest. The sitting must be real — one table, or one cloth, or, for wine, adjoining seats — and not “one here and one there.” Two notable exceptions: first, the wine of Kiddush and Havdalah, which is not a mere enjoyment but an obligation, where one discharges another even standing and even from one house to the next (the neighbour listening over his own cup) — and this even if the one blessing has already drunk his cheekful; second, the custom of these lands, which, out of concern for the “yesh omrim,” has each bless for himself over foods other than bread and wine — except over beer and mead, upon which people settle as they do over wine. Finally, a limit that applies throughout: wine drunk in passing, at a house one has stepped into for a moment, discharges no one, even around one table — a settled sitting is required.
- ② Seif ב. All the foregoing concerns only the first blessing: sitting together makes of the company “one body,” and one body says but one blessing. The after-blessing, by contrast, is said once the eating is over, at the moment of parting: the common body has dissolved, and each blesses over the enjoyment of his own body. The one exception is bread, whose Birkat Hamazon is important enough to be opened with “nevarekh.” But the Rav at once adds two decisive qualifications: bedi’avad, one who blessed intending to discharge, and those who intended to be discharged, have fulfilled their obligation, provided their sitting sufficed for the first blessing; and lekhatchilah, one who cannot bless by himself may be discharged by his fellow. Whereupon the Rav closes with a word about his own time — and ours: since “the multitude are very lax about the after-blessing,” it is better, at the outset, that one bless aloud for all, even for those who know how to bless.
- ③ Seif ג. The substantive condition for discharging another: the one blessing must himself be obligated in that blessing — first or after (the Rav refers to simanim קס״ז · 167 and קצ״ז · 197). This is not a matter of propriety but of validity: if one not obligated blesses, his blessing is a berakhah levatalah, and a blessing in vain discharges no one. The Rav explicitly meets the objection one might draw from shomea ke-oneh: the listener is indeed “as one who recites,” but there must still be a blessing to receive — they did not hear a proper blessing. Answering “amen” changes nothing.
- ④ Seif ד. The three conditions for being discharged by listening, to be kept exactly as stated: (a) hearing the blessing from beginning to end; (b) intending to be discharged by it; (c) the one blessing intending to discharge. With these three met, one is discharged after the fact even without having answered “amen” — “amen” is therefore not the condition of the discharge. There follows a parenthesis of considerable practical weight: according to the view that rabbinic mitzvot require no intention, one who was holding a fruit or about to perform a mitzvah and heard, before he had time to bless, the blessing of another blessing for himself — need no longer bless, lest he enter into a doubt of a blessing in vain. The Rav concludes that this view must be taken into account.
- ⑤ Seif ה. A fine and very illuminating distinction: the requirement of sitting together follows from the nature of the enjoyment at issue. Eating and drinking each does for himself; it is the sitting that makes the common body. But fragrant incense (מֻגְמָר), whose scent rises and which all breathe together, itself creates the gathering: one discharges another even standing, even scattered, one here and one there. The same holds of the blessing over the flame at the going-out of Shabbat. For the latter the Rav adds a second reason: it is not quite a blessing of enjoyment but an enjoyment of the nature of an obligation — and that is what likewise allows the blessing over the Havdalah spices to discharge without a settled sitting, even when people smell one after another, and even outside the time of Havdalah.
- ⑥ Seif ו. Here the Rav settles a conflict between two values: “berov am hadrat melekh” (משלי י״ד:כ״ח), the King’s glory that lies in the multitude, and the merit of multiplying necessary blessings. His rule: in blessings of enjoyment, once sitting together or joint enjoyment has made the company one body, several blessings would not be “necessary” ones — hence it is a mitzvah that one bless for all. In blessings over mitzvot, by contrast, when each performs his own mitzvah (each his tefillin, each his tallit), each is personally obligated: both ways are open, and the Rav explains at length why it is even more fitting to perform the mitzvah of the blessing oneself than through an agent. But when all perform one and the same mitzvah together — shofar, Megillah, one sukkah — we return to the first rule: it is a mitzvah that one bless. And even where each could act alone (reading the Megillah without a minyan, blowing for himself), it is good that one read for all — good, not obligatory, for one cannot compel a person to go through an agent for what he can do himself. The same holds of Kiddush and Havdalah.
- ⑦ Seif ז. The last degree, which reverses the freedom of the preceding seif: when the mitzvah is complete only as the sum of what several people do, one blesses for all, obligatorily, and blessing each for himself is not permitted. The Rav’s example is the search for hametz: the members of the household who each inspect a room are not each performing a mitzvah, for the householder has not discharged biur hametz until every room is done. The same holds when several perform for one man what is incumbent upon him — separating challah from his doughs, fixing his mezuzot, circumcising his sons at one hour: they must not divide the task but act together, so that a single blessing suffices, since it is forbidden to cause an unnecessary blessing. The boundary is sharp: two infants of two different fathers are two distinct mitzvot — there one may divide, circumcise them one after another and each bless for himself, and the Rav adds that it is right to do so, for a reason explained in Yoreh Deah.
⚠ This section sets out Habad practice grounded in the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, siman רי״ג (the real text is reproduced in §1). It does not replace a rabbinic ruling for a particular case. For any concrete question — who may bless for others, at what kind of table, when each must say the after-blessing for himself, or how to act with Kiddush and Havdalah — consult your Rav, and for Habad, a Habad Rav.