Two Zimun Customs
Q. In some circles, the leader of the zimun recites the first brocho of Birkas Hamozon out loud, while others recite it quietly. Why are there two different customs?
A. There is a Talmudic dispute (Brochos 46a) where zimun concludes. This is relevant if one of the participants of the zimun is still eating and is not ready to bentch. If he pauses his meal and responds to the mezamen, at what point may he continue to eat. Rav Nachman maintains that zimun ends with the phrase, uvituvo choyinu (just before Birkas Hamozon), while Rav Sheishes maintains that zimun ends after the first bracha of Birkas Hamazon. The Shulchan Aruch rules like Rav Nachman that zimun ends with uvituvo choyinu, before Birkas Hamozon , while the Rama follows Rav Sheishes that the first brocho of Birkas Hamozon is part of zimun (Oruch Chaim 200:2). Generally, Jews of Sephardic descent follow the Shulchan Aruch, while Ashkenazic custom is to follow the Rama.
An important difference between the positions of the Shulchan Aruch and the Rama is how much of the bentching must the participants hear from the mezamen. According to the Shulchan Aruch, it is sufficient to hear up to uvetuvo chayinu. [Lichatchila, the Shulchan Aruch {183:7) recommends hearing the whole Birkas Hamozon, but bidieved, one fulfills the zimun even without doing so.] On the other hand, according to the Rama, it is essential that the participants hear the first beracha of Birkas Hamazon. The Chofetz Chaim (MB 183, 28) writes that at the very least, Ashkenazim must quietly recite the first beracha of the Birkas Hamazon with the mezamen, and If the participants do not hear the first beracha, they will have not fulfilled the mitzvah of zimun. The Chofetz Chaim is strongly critical of those who do not follow this practice.
Somewhat surprisingly, the Sedai Chemed (Asifas Dinim, Maareches Zayin, os 5) reported attending dinners with distinguished Ashkenazic Rabbonim where the participants recited the entire Birkas Hamozon on their own, and this was apparently common practice in many circles. Like the Mishna Berurah cited above, the Sedai Chemed wonders how this can be halachically justified.
Rav Shmuel Vosner addresses this issue in Shevet Haleivi (10:40) and explains that it is difficult for most people to recite the first beracha quietly along with the mezamen without becoming confused and possibly scrambling the words of the beracha. To avoid not being yotzai Birkas Hamozon, many chose to follow the position of Rav Yosef Kairo that zimun concludes with uvituvo choyinu, albeit the mitzvah of zimun will not be fulfilled according to the Rama. (See also Piskai Teshuvos 183:15 with similar reasoning.)
Thus, we can understand the basis for the two customs. Those who recite the first beracha quietly while the mazamen says it out loud are faithfully following the Rama and Mishnah Berurah, while those who do not do so are relying on the lenient position of the Shulchan Aruch to avoid confusion.
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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.