273. Reciting the Bracha

41:4 One should not cut too small a piece (smaller than an olive – Mishnah Brurah 167:8) since this looks stingy. On the other hand, a piece larger than the size of an egg is a sign of gluttony. This is only the case when one is eating alone. When eating with others, one must give an olive-sized piece to each of them from what he has cut off (because smaller is stingy, remember? – MB 167:15). Therefore, he may cut whatever is necessary. On Shabbos, even if dining alone, one may cut as much as he will need for the whole meal, in honor of Shabbos. One should eat the piece he cut from the loaf before eating any other bread, since that is what he said the bracha over. 41:5 Before reciting the bracha, one should put both of his hands on the loaf. One’s ten fingers correspond to ten mitzvos that are relevant in the process of making bread: (1) not plowing with diverse species of animals; (2) not planting diverse species of crops; (3) leaving the gleanings for the poor; (4) leaving forgotten sheaves for the poor; (5) leaving corners of the field for the poor; (6) not muzzling a threshing ox; (7) giving terumah to a kohein; (8) giving the first tithe to a Levi; (9) taking second tithe to Jerusalem; (10) separating challah. Pursuant to this, there are also ten words in the blessing of hamotzi and ten words in Psalms 145:15, which expresses how God feeds the entire world, each being in its proper time. Other ten-word verses include Deuteronomy 8:8 (about the produce of the land of Israel) and Genesis 27:28 (Isaac's blessing of prosperity to Jacob). When saying God’s Name in the bracha, we should lift up the loaf of bread; on Shabbos, when two loaves are used, we should raise both. The bracha should be recited carefully, making sure to pronounce the letter “hei” of hamotzi. We should pause slightly between the words “lechem” and “min” so that we don’t run the two letters “mem” together. One should eat some of the bread immediately after finishing the bracha without any interruption; in this instance one may not respond “Amen” to brachos he may hear. It is preferable to eat an olive-sized amount of bread before making any interruption. (Mishnah Brurah167:35 says that one need not be too concerned about this.)