Birkas Oraiach – The Guest's Blessing

Rabbi Nosson Neustadt

Courtesy of Ohr Olam Mishnah Berurah

The Gemara329 states that a guest is supposed to include a special blessing for his host when he recites Birkas Hamazon. This blessing is often referred to as the Birkas Oraiach – the Guest’s Blessing. The Rishonim330 source this idea from the pasuk, וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ וּבֵרַכְתָּ אֶת ה' אֱלֹקֶךָ, explaining that the word אֶת serves to include the blessing for the host.

Before discussing the halachos related to this blessing, we will present an explanation of its wording:

יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁלֹּא יֵבוֹשׁ וְלֹא יִכָּלֵם בַּֽעַל הַבַּֽיִת הַזֶּה, לֹא בָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְלֹא בָעוֹלָם הַבָּא –

May it be His will that the host does not experience shame in this world due to poverty331 having to rely on others for his sustenance.332 Nor shall he be humiliated in the World to Come due to his sins.333 That is, he should be blessed with wealth, but it should not become a means for sin, causing him humiliation in the World to Come.334 Alternatively, he should be blessed with wealth, lest his poverty cause him to borrow money and fail to repay his creditors.335

וְיַצְלִֽיחַ בְּכָל נְכָסָיו –

And may he be successful with all of his possessions i.e., movable objects and cash.336

וְיִהְיוּ נְכָסָיו337 מֻצְלָחִים וּקְרוֹבִים לָעִיר –

And may his land be close to the city so that it can be supervised to ensure proper maintenance.338

וְלֹא יִשְׁלוֹט שָׂטָן בְּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו 339 –

May no evil impede on his handiwork.

וְאַל יִזְדַּקֵק לְפָנָיו340 שׁוּם דְּבַר חֵטְא וְהִרְהוּר עָוֹן מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם –

And may there not attach to him any sin or thought of transgression, now and forever. We pray that he should not succumb to a thought of sin as opposed to sin itself since the Gemara341 teaches that the thought of doing an aveirah can be more severe than the doing the sin itself.342

Question: Who is supposed to say the Birkas Oraiach?

Discussion: In earlier times, the leader of the zimun would bentch aloud and the other diners fulfilled their obligation by listening to his recital. When the zimun was performed in that manner, only the leader would recite the Birkas Oraiach. Therefore, it was appropriate to honor one of the guests to lead the zimun because if the host led the zimun, he would forgo this blessing.343 However, nowadays, when each person bentches by himself, every guest should recite the Birkas Oraiach.344

Question: Who is classified as a guest regarding the obligation to recite the Birkas Oraiach?

Discussion: Any person who is eating his host’s food and is not paying for his portion is considered a guest.345 Members of the household are also considered guests and should recite the Birkas Oraiach.346

It should follow that a patron in a restaurant should not say the Birkas Oraiach for the owner of the restaurant since he is paying for his meal. However, when Rav Yosef Sholom Elyashiv347 was asked about this, he replied that the blessing should, in fact, be said.348 He explained that if the owner had not put in the effort of operating the restaurant, the customer would be hungry, and his money would not be able to satiate him.349

Some say that the Birkas Oraiach should only be said if the host is present.350

Although an argument can be made that bachurim are guests in their yeshivah, the Poskim rule that they should not say the Birkas Oraiach.351

Question: At which point during bentching should the Birkas Oraiach be recited?

Discussion: In many siddurim, it is printed right before הָרַחֲמָן הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת בַּעַל הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה. Some say it right before this Harachaman,352 while others first say the Harachaman and then continue with the text of the Birkas Oraiach.353

However, many Acharonim354 infer from the words of the Rambam355 that the Birkas Oraiach is a continuation of the fourth berachah of bentching and should be said at the end of the berachah, immediately after the words אַל יְחַסְּרֵנוּ).

Question: Many guests are not careful to say the Birkas Oraiach. Is there any justification for their omission?

Discussion: This omission is not a new development and is questioned by some Acharonim.356 Indeed they357 encourage the Birkas Oraiach to be said in the way it is recorded in the Shulchan Aruch.

However, some contemporary Poskim358 explain that although there is an obligation to bless the host, it is not an obligation to say the text of the Gemara. Therefore, if in the course of the Harachaman supplications, the guest says הָרַחֲמָן הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת בַּעַל הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה, as is our custom, he will have fulfilled his obligation and no additional blessing is necessary. Likewise, a child who is being hosted by his parents, fulfills his obligation by saying הָרַחֲמָן הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת אָבִי מוֹרִי בַּעַל הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה וְאֶת אִמִּי מוֹרָתִי בַּעֲלַת הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה.359

329 Berachos 46a.

330 Sefer Hamanhig, Hilchos Seudah 15. He cites this derashah in the name of the Tosefta. We do not have this in our Tosefta. See also Eliyah Rabbah (187:1) who cites this source in the name of the Yerushalmi. We do not have this in our Yerushalmi.

331 Avudraham, Hilchos Berachos, Sha’ar Rishon, p. 368 (Even Yisroel ed.).

332 See Berachos 6b.

333 Avudraham ibid.

334 Meon Haberachos, Berachos 46a, ד"ה גמרא.

335 Siddur Yavetz, p. 306a, in his explanation of the words וְלֹא נִכָּלֵם in the berachah of Bonei Yerushalayim.

336 Siddur Yavetz (p. 307b).

337 Our text of the Gemara adds here, וּנְכָסֵינוּ – and our land. However, it is not recorded in Shulchan Aruch 201:1.

338 Rashi, Berachos 46a, ד"ה קרובים.

339 Our text of the Gemara adds, וְלֹא בְמֲעַשֵי יָדֵינוּ – nor in our handiwork. These words are not recorded in Shulchan Aruch ibid.

340 Our text of the Gemara reads לֹא לְפָנָיו וְלֹא לְפָנֵינוּ – not before him, nor before us. These latter words are not recorded in Shulchan Aruch ibid.

341 Yoma 29a.

342 Avudraham ibid.

343 Shulchan Aruch 201:1.

344 Aruch Hashulchan 201:3; R’ Y. S. Elyashiv cited in Vezos Haberachah 15, p. 143.

345 Mishnah Berurah 201:3, 7.

346 Mishnah Berurah 201:1; R’ Y. S. Elyashiv cited in Vezos Haberachah, 15, p. 143.

347 Cited in Chashukei Chemed, Berachos 46a.

348 However, the patron can fulfill his obligation by saying הָרַחֲמָן הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת בַּעַל הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה.

349 Chashukei Chemed ibid. See there where the author proposes another understanding of R’ Elyashiv’s ruling.

350 See Shulchan Aruch Harav 201:4 and Nishmas Adam 46:1; cf. Chesed Le’alafim, 201:17 and Ohr Letzion 2, 46:33.

351 R’ Y. S. Elyashiv and R’ M. Eliyahu cited in Vezos Haberachah ibid. See, however, Ohr Letzion 2, 46:33.

352 Vezos Haberachah ibid.

353 Siddur Yavetz (p. 308a).

354 Even Ha’azel, Berachos 2:7; R’ Y. Z. Soloveitchik cited in Teshuvos Vehanhagos 2:122; Siddur Ishei Yisrael; R’ C. Kanievsky cited in Vezos Haberachah ibid.

355 Berachos 2:7.

356 Siddur Yavetz (p. 308b). See also Madanei Yom Tov, Berachos 7, 11:9.

357 See also R’ C.P. Scheinberg cited in Vezos Haberachah ibid.

358 Teshuvos Vehanhagos 2:122; Mishnah Halachos 18:126. See also Sha’ar Hatziyun 201:14.

359 Mishneh Halachos ibid.Before discussing the halachos related to this blessing, we will present an explanation of its wording: