Zimun at Public Events
Question: Must people who are all participating in a public event join together for zimun, even when they are sitting at different tables?
Discussion: The Mishnah (Berachos 50a)304 teaches that two groups eating at separate tables305 can join together in one zimun when they are visible to one another, but they are not obligated to do so.306 Beiur Halachah307 cites a disagreement among the Rishonim whether the Gemara’s case is that each group has enough people to form their own zimun, that is, without joining together to create a larger group, or, is it that the tables can join to even create an obligation of zimun. Beiur Halachah infers from some Rishonim308 that the two groups can form together to create the obligation if this was their intention when they began the meal. However, he sides with the other view309 that maintains that each group must have at least three people before joining together. To mention Hashem’s Name (Elokeinu), there must be at least ten people per group.310 It would thus perhaps appear that our question would be dependent on this disagreement; according to Beiur Halachah’s ruling, the groups may only join together when there are at least three people at every table, and even in this case they would not be obligated to do so.
However, should this scenario be at a simchah, such as a wedding or bar mitzvah, the Poskim311 say that the fact that the people sitting at these different tables came to the same affair is itself a kevi’us joining them together, thus including all within one zimun.
In a case where people do not join together for a common purpose, however, for example customers in a restaurant, or hotel dining room, who are sitting at different tables, there is no obligation of zimun together.312
Regarding bachurim eating in a yeshivah dining room, the Poskim discuss three possible scenarios:
Bachurim sitting at one table are considered sitting together as a kevi’us, obligating them in zimun if they start, or finish, their meal at the same time as at least two others.313 Some Poskim say that bachurim who eat hurriedly and are not particular with whom they are sitting do not have a kevi’us with the others at the table, and there is no obligation of zimun.314
If the different tables will join together for a common purpose, such as singing zemiros together at a Shabbos meal, the different tables are all considered part of one kevi’us.315
Bachurim who sit at different tables in a way that there is no connection between the tables (for example because of social dynamics) have no unified kevi’us and are not considered as being joined for zimun.316
304 See also Shulchan Aruch 195:1.
306 Ibid. 195:2.
307 Beiur Halachah, ד"ה שתי.
308 Rashba, Berachos 50a, ד"ה הא דקתני שתי; Ramban, Berachos 45a, ד"ה לפיכך.
309 Teshuvos Rashbash (37); Re’ah, Berachos 50b, ד"ה שתי חבורות.
310 Teshuvos Rashbash ibid.
311 R’ Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg and R’ Moshe Shternbuch (cited in Vezos Haberachah 14, p. 133); Ohr Letzion II, 13:10, (Bi’urim) and Shevet Halevi X, 38:2.
312 Minchas Yitzchok 8:8; R’ Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (cited in Vezos Haberachah 14, p. 133) rules that this halachah applies even if (on Shabbos) the people sitting at different tables all sing zemiros together.
313 R’ Yosef Shalom Elyashiv and R’ Yisrael Ya’akov Fisher (cited in Vezos Haberachah ibid.).
314 Ohr Letzion II, 13:10, with Bi’urim.
315 Minchas Yitzchok 8:8; R’ Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (cited in Vezos Haberachah ibid.).
316 R’ Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and R’ Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg (cited in Vezos Haberachah ibid.).