After-Blessings (Bracha Achrona)
General Rules
There are five Bracha Achrona blessings on food:
Al HaMichya
Al HaGefen
Al Ha’Eitz
Borei Nefashot
Birkat HaMazon.
Levels
Like fore-blessings, say the highest level of after-blessing (bracha achrona) that applies.
Note: Although borei nefashot will cover many foods (at least, after the fact), it does NOT cover bread, wine, or mezonot.
Minimum Measurements
To say any after-blessing/bracha achrona (al ha’michya, al ha’gafen, al ha’eitz, borei nefashot, or birkat ha’mazon), you must:
Eat at least the minimum volume (1.3 fl. oz.--39 ml, or 1/6 cup) of solid food within four minutes, or
Drink at least 3.3 fl. oz. (99 ml) of liquid within 30 seconds.
Note: With hot foods, especially liquids, you are unlikely to be able to swallow a minimum amount in the required time in order to qualify for the after-blessing (bracha achrona).
If Did Not Eat Minimum
Do not say bracha achrona if you did not eat 1.3 fl. oz. (39 ml) within four minutes.
If Did Not Drink Minimum
Do not say bracha achrona if you did not drink 3.3 fl. oz. (99 ml) of any potable liquid within 30 seconds.
Note: You may not combine the volume of solid food to liquid food or liquid food to solid food that you ate and drank in order to make the minimum volume for an after-blessing.
If One Did Not Eat or Drink the Minimum
Size: How To Calculate
Ounces: Weight or Volume
The minimum quantity for saying after-blessings is based on volume, not weight. If you eat a pack of pretzels whose volume is 1.3 fl. oz., even though the label says it only weighs 0.5 oz., you would say an after-blessing of al ha’michya.
Figuring Volume: Non-Mezonot Foods
You may not include the volume of fish or meat or other foods eaten together with bread or matza in order to reach a total volume of 1 fl. oz., which is required for saying the after-blessing of birkat ha’mazon. However, you may combine the volumes in order to say borei nefashot.
Figuring Volume: Unswallowed Pits/Seeds
When eating foods with seeds or pits (olives, pomegranates, etc.), do not include unswallowed seeds or pits to reach the 1.3 fl. oz. (39 ml, or 1/6 cup) minimum volume needed to say an afterblessing. You may include only what you have swallowed.
D’Oraita Cases
For d’oraita cases (halachot from the Torah), such as eating matza at seder or drinking wine for kiddush, we use a more stringent minimum measure:
Eat at least 1.9 fl. oz. (56 ml) of solid food within four minutes, or
Drink at least 4 fl. oz. (119 ml) of liquid within 30 seconds.
Timing
When To Start Counting
You may start counting the period of four minutes (for eating at least 1.3 fl. oz.) or 30 seconds (for drinking at least 3.3 fl. oz.) any time after the fore-blessing as long as it is continuous from when you first swallow until you have swallowed the minimum amount.
Time Limits and Satiation Status
After eating or drinking the required amounts, you may say bracha achrona (including birkat ha’mazon) as long as:
You are still satiated after having been hungry and eaten, OR
You were not satiated after eating and it is less than 72 minutes since you finished eating.
Reason: We say the effects of food last for at least 72 minutes and that 72-minute period overrides becoming hungry again even after having been satiated.
Situation: You were hungry.
You ate and were satiated.
You are not yet hungry again.
What To Do: You may say bracha achrona without any time limit, until you get hungry again.
Situation: You were hungry.
You ate but were not satiated.
You are still hungry.
What To Do: You may say bracha achrona for up to 72 minutes after having stopped eating.
Situation: You were not hungry, but you ate.
What To Do:
If you ate enough that you became satiated and now you are hungry again:
You can say after-blessing for up to 72 minutes after you finished eating.
If you ate enough to be satiated and are not yet hungry again:
You may say an after-blessing for up to 72 minutes OR until you are hungry again, whichever comes later.
If you ate but did not become satiated and are still hungry:
You can say after-blessing for 72 minutes after you finished eating.
Time Limits and Falling Asleep
If you fell asleep for more than 30 minutes in the middle of a meal:
Step 1: Wash your hands the Three-Times Method to remove the tum’a of your sleep.
Step 2a: To Continue Eating
To continue eating in this case, since the previous blessings and food are no longer relevant (due to hesech da’at), you may:
Wash again and say ha’motzi again, and then say birkat ha’mazon, OR
Eat other items with a fore-blessing and after-blessing (since your previous eating is finished).
Step 2b: If You Are Finished Eating
Say birkat ha’mazon if you are:
Finished eating, and
Not hungry again, after having been satiated at the meal.
Do not say birkat ha’mazon if you are:
Finished eating, and
Hungry again (after having been satiated at the meal), as the original snack or meal is irrelevant to any after-blessing now.
If you slept less than 30 minutes, you do not need to wash; you may:
Continue eating your meal, or
Say birkat ha’mazon (as long as you had already eaten at least 1.9 fl. oz., or 56 ml, of bread within 4 minutes).
Copyright 2015 Richard B. Aiken. Halacha L’Maaseh appears courtesy of www.practicalhalacha.com Visit their web site for more information.
This material is provided for informational purposes only – not a substitute for the consultation of a competent rabbi.