Do We Ever Recite Birkas Hamazon on Crackers?

The Gemara (Brachos 42) states that if one eats an entire meal of an item that is considered “pas haba’ah b’kisnin” (see earlier Halacha Yomis for explanation of that term), the bracha on that food (e.g. crackers) would be Hamotzi and one would recite Birkas Hamazon. The Magen Avraham (O.C. 168:24) clarifies that one would say Hamotzi in the following two instances: 1) If one ate only crackers, and consumed an amount that would suffice as a main meal (such as dinner) for an average person. 2) Alternatively, if one ate other foods (for example, herring along with the crackers), and together these foods are a full meal, one would recite Birkas Hamazon. Rav Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe O.C. 3:32) states that in the latter case, one must consume the amount of crackers equivalent to the normal amount of bread eaten at a meal. According to Rav Belsky, this would be equivalent to two slices of bread.

The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.