Dancing In the Middle of a Meal, and How to Tackle the Various Hilchos Berachos Shailos That May Arise When Dancing at a Chasunah
At chasunah seudas [wedding feasts] it is very common that the tables are cleared away to make more room for the dancing. At the beginning of the seudah, when the chosson enters the hall in-between courses, generally most of the tables are left in place and at this stage there is no question – because immediately after the dancing the seudah continues.
The question begins, however, after the guests have finished eating their main course, and in honor of the dancing for simchas chosson v’kallah most of the tables are removed before birchas hamazon (those who first recite birchas hamazon, and only then remove the tables have no question) and food is available from a bar at the side of the hall, where there are a number of tables set up. The question that arises is, does one need to recite a new berachah rishonah and berachah achronah on food eaten over there, and what about drinks that are consumed during dancing, do these also require a separate berachah?
Three Rules for a Meal
From the Gemara in Berachos (41b) and ruled by the Rambam (Hilchos Berachos 4:11) and Shulchan Aruch (177:1-2) it is clear that there are three rules regarding a seudah: 1) דברים הבאים בסעודה מחמת הסעודה, לא צריך לברך עליהם לא לפניהם ולא אחריהם – “On food items that come during a meal because of the meal, one does not need to recite a berachah over them, neither before nor after them.” 2) דברים הבאים שלא מחמת הסעודה בתוך הסעודה, צריך לברך רק לפניהם ולא לאחריהם – “Food items that come during a meal that are not because of the meal, one needs to recite a berachah only before them and not after them.” 3) דברים הבאים אחרי הסעודה, צריך לברך לפניהם ולאחריהם – “Food items that come after the meal, one needs to recite a berachah both before and after.” The Rishonim are divided as to how to interpret these three rules which were established by Rav Papa, and this leads to a number of practical differences in halachah.
Rashi (d.h. Devorim Haba’oim, Ve’ailech): According to Rashi, 1) As part of the meal - means food that comes to accompany the bread. 2) Not because of the meal – means food like porridge, which comes to satisfy but not to accompany bread. 3) After the meal – means fruits that are customary to only come after the meal and even if they are served in the middle of the meal, one must recite a berachah rishonah over them because they do not accompany the bread, and one must also recite a berachah achronah, as they don’t provide nourishment.
Tosfos (d.h. Le’acher Haseudah), Rosh (6:26), Mordechai (135) and others: 1) As part of the meal – means meat, fish, porridge and the like. 2) Not because of the meal – means fruits. 3) After the meal – means foods that come after one has removed his hands from eating bread before birchas hamazon, even a food that is usually brought because of the meal (such as meat and fish), is not exempt with the berachah of the bread, and one must recite a berachah before and after consuming it.
Rashba (d.h. Sheloi Machmas Haseudah): According to the Rashba, the three rules of Rav Papa relate only to eating fruits, such as figs and grapes: 1) As part of the meal – means fruits that come as a condiment don’t require a berachah before or after. 2) Not because of the meal – means fruits that do not serve as a condiment, but are considered normal to eat during a meal, on such fruits one should recite a berachah before and not after. 3) After the meal – means once one removes his hands from eating bread, one must make a berachah on all types of fruit both before and after eating them.
The Rashba speaks out that all this only applies to fruit, however, for meat and fish, and the like, even if they are eaten after the meal, one does not recite a berachah either before or after them, because they themselves are food and are not coming as a dessert, rather they are coming to satisfy and are considered the main meal, and the berachah recited on bread exempts anything which is eaten למזון ולשובע – as part of a meal to satisfy a person.
Nowadays – Both Tosfos and the Rosh write that nowadays the third rule doesn’t apply since we do not remove our hands from the bread until after birchas hamazon, and whenever we eat fruit or anything before birchas hamazon, we still intend to eat bread.
The Talmiday Rabbeinu Yonah writes the same thing, but for a different reason: In their times it was customary to clear away the tables before birchas hamazon, and therefore it looked like it was a different meal, but in our times, where we no longer remove the tables even though we have finished eating, as long as one hasn’t recited birchas hamazon, it is still considered that he is in the middle of the meal.
The Opinions of the Various Poskim L’halachah
The Tur (177) brings the third rule of Rav Papa and understands like Tosfos and the Rosh, that if one brings food after the meal before birchas hamazon, whether it is food that normally comes as part of a meal or it is food that doesn’t normally come as part of a meal, as is customary today at large meals, where after people remove their hands and stop eating bread and the bread is removed from the table a new table is set up with fruit, and various snacks and drinks, a berachah is required both before and after eating.
The Beis Yosef explains the intention of the Tur, that although Tosfos, the Rosh and most Rishonim learn that this third din does not exist in our time, as we don’t normally remove our hands from the bread until birchas hamazon, that is only by a regular meal, as even though we finish the meal, we do not remove the bread from the table, however, at large meals it is customary to remove the bread from the table, and a new berachah is required before and after.
The Shulchan Aruch (177:2, and Be’er Hagolah and Mishnah Berurah) follows Tosfos and the Rosh and says that the custom was at the time of the sages in the Gemara, that they would...
