More Rules of Birkat HaMazon

When To Repeat

When saying birkat ha’mazon, you must repeat birkat ha'mazon if you forgot:

Retzei on the first two meals of Shabbat.

Ya’aleh v’yavo on the first two meals of any Jewish festival day (women only repeat if they forgot it at the Passover seder).

Never repeat birkat ha’mazon if you forgot additions for:

Rosh Hashana (during the daytime) or

Rosh Chodesh.

Alternate Wordings

Say ba’alat ha’bayit ha’zeh if the head of the household is a woman.

Bracha Meruba BaBayit HaZeh

Say bracha meruba ba’bayit ha’zeh only when eating in a house or apartment that is occupied by a Jewish family or a Jewish owned public building.

If eating outside a Jewish home, including when eating outdoors, say (instead of bracha meruba…):

Ha’rachaman hu yishlach lanu bracha meruba b’halichateinu uv’yeshivateinu ad olam.

Migdol or Magdil

Say migdol (yeshuot) on days when we say musaf (on other days, say magdil).

When saying birkat ha’mazon after Shabbat until halachic midnight (chatzot), say migdol, not magdil.

Note: This also applies to birkat ha’mazon after Jewish festivals or Rosh Chodesh--all days when we say musaf.

Say she’achalnu (in the plural) even if you are alone.

Skip ve’al shulchan zeh she’achalnu alav if there is no table.

Ya'aleh V'Yavo

Situation: You forgot to say ya'aleh v'yavo in birkat ha'mazon for a meal that you were required to eat on a Jewish festival.

What to Do:

If you have already begun the fourth blessing, you must repeat the entire birkat ha'mazon. If you have not yet said the fourth blessing, you may say a special addition that appears in many siddurim.

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.