Q&A: A Question About the Laws of Blessings
A Question About the Laws of Blessings
Question
Hello Rabbi,
Recently I ran into a problem in the laws of blessings. I saw in Yalkut Yosef that he wrote that if someone recited a blessing over some food, and that food fell to the floor, and afterward he took a new identical food item, he must recite a blessing over the new food.
On the other hand, I seem to remember that someone who recites a blessing over a cup of water and drinks it can pour himself another cup and drink it without reciting another blessing.
At first glance, there seems to be a contradiction between these two practices.
In addition, what would the ruling be for someone who recited a blessing over a bag of Bamba, and after finishing it wanted to take another bag—does he need to recite another blessing?
Best regards,
Answer
The rule is as follows (Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 206:5): if someone recited a blessing over fruit that was before him, and afterward they brought him more of the same kind, or of another kind whose blessing is the same as the first, he does not need to recite another blessing
(and the source is Rashba, Berakhot 41b, in the name of Ba’al Ha-Maor). However, in Beit Yosef it is brought that some disagree with this (the Kol Bo) and hold that if the additional foods were not before him at the time he recited the blessing, he must recite another blessing over them (at least if he did not have them in mind). In practice, we rule in accordance with the first opinion.
Therefore, I think Rabbi Ovadia is speaking about a case where the food fell before he began eating it. In such a case, the blessing originally took effect on that item, and therefore if he wants to eat something else in its place he must recite a new blessing over it. But if he already ate it and only wants to add more, the first blessing already took effect (on what he already ate), and the rule is that he can include additional items under it without reciting a separate blessing over them, as above.
As a general rule, even if he did not intend to take more and then changed his mind and nevertheless took more, he must recite another blessing. Only if he began eating and there was at least a possibility that he would continue does the first blessing cover what follows.