Beracha Rishona - Sucking Candy

OU Kosher

Q. I said a beracha on a sucking candy. An hour later, I would like to eat another piece of candy. Must I recite a new beracha?

A. We have seen in a previous halacha that the Mishnah Berurah (184:17) follows those poskim who maintain that a beracha rishona has no time limit. Even if the food was digested, one may resume eating without a new beracha, provided there was no halachic interruption or conclusion of the original beracha. There are a number of events that would terminate a beracha:

  • The person did not plan to continue eating. This is known as hesech hadaas. Even if there was a subsequent change of heart, a new beracha must be recited. In our situation, if I finished a candy and only later decided to eat more, a new beracha must be recited.
  • If a beracha acharona was recited, the original eating session is concluded. The Mishna Berura and others recommend reciting a beracha acharona before the food is digested. Otherwise, the opportunity to recite a beracha will be lost. However, in our case, no beracha acharona would be said in any event because the candy is less than a kizayis.
  • A shinui makom (change in location) outside the house is a hefsek (interruption). If someone ate a piece of candy or had a drink of water and then went outside, a new beracha must be said, even if they return to their original location. However, if one did not go outside, but only went from room to room in the same house, this would not constitute a hefsek.
  • Another example of a hefsek is going to sleep in a bed. Shulchan Aruch (OC 178:7) writes that falling asleep at the table is not considered a hefsek. The Mishnah Berurah adds that even if one slept at the table for an hour, it is not a hefsek.

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