The Beverage Volume for a Beracha Acharona - Continued

Q. In the last Halacha Yomis we quoted the ruling of the Shulchan Aruch, that one should not drink an amount that is more than a kezayis and less than a revi’is because of the uncertainty of reciting a beracha acharona. Are there any exceptions to this rule?

A. Yes, there is one exception. Drinking more than a kezayis and less than a revi’is is acceptable when it takes place in the course of a bread-meal. In such instances, the uncertainty of the beracha acharona is irrelevant, since the concluding birkas hamazon will cover everything eaten during the meal.

There is a very interesting application of this exclusion. Theoretically, one is yotzai (fulfills) the mitzva of kiddush, havdalah and the four cups of wine at the Pesach seder by drinking a melo lugmov of wine. However, drinking a melo lumov is problematic because the Shulchan Aruch’s recommendation to avoid drinking less than a revi’is and more than a kezayis. Nonetheless, when these mitzvos are fulfilled in the course of a meal which concludes with birkas hamazon, the issue of the beracha acharona is irrelevant.

Thus, most of the time one must drink a revi’is of wine for havdalah, since it is not followed by birkas hamazon (Mishnah Berurah 296:6). However, when reciting havdalah motzoai Shabbos which falls on Yom tov, one need only drink a melo lugmav of wine for havdalah since the yom tov meal will conclude with birkas hamazon.

Similarly, it is sufficient to drink a melo lugmav of wine for the first three cups of wine at the Pesach seder (though it is preferable to drink an entire revi’is, per Mishnah Berurah 472:30), but one must drink a revi’is for the fourth cup so that one can say a beracha acharona (Mishnah Berurah ibid). (The beracha acharona on the first two cups are covered by birkas hamazon at the end of the meal, and the berachah acharona on the third cup is covered by the final beracha acharona after the fourth cup.)

Finally, kiddush on Shabbos and Yom Tov must be bi’mokom seuda (followed by a meal), and there are three ways to satisfy this requirement:

• One eats challah after kiddush. In such instances, a melo lugmov is adequate for kiddush since the meal will conclude with birkas hamozon.
• One eats a kizayis of cake after kiddush. This too is considered bimokom seuda. When finished eating, one must say a beracha achas me’ein shalosh (an abbreviated form of birkas hamazon) and include the phrases of al hagefen and al hamichya on the wine and cake. In such cases, a melo lugmav of wine is sufficient for kiddush because one must recite a brocho achas me’ein shalosh in any event to cover the kezayis of cake.

If one only drinks wine and the wine is considered a seuda. In contrast to the first two cases, one must drink a revi’is of wine to be considered a seuda and to recite a beracha acharona (Mishnah Berurah 273:22). 

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.