 | Ch. 44:1-18. The Laws of finger washing and the blessings after the meal |
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| Ch. 44:1-18. The Laws of finger washing and the blessings after the meal |
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| 44:1 |
 (About) the laws of finger washing before grace,
there are many who are lenient.
However, it is proper
for anyone who fears G-d
to be careful about this. [One need not wash (all the hand));
rather up to the second joint
of the fingers.
One holds one's hands downward
before drying them [to let the water drip off].
The person who leads the grace
should wash his hands first.** { If there are more than five people present, the person leading the grace should be the fifth from the last to wash (Shulchon Oruch, Orach Chayim 181:6). Thus, he will not have to wait long before beginning the grace.} |
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| 44:2 |
One should not wash (one's hands)
over the ground
where people walk,
because of the spirit of impurity
which rests upon this water.
Rather, one should wash
into a receptacle
or under the table,
dry one's hands
and then say grace.
No interruption should be made
between washing and grace. |
| 44:3 |
One should not remove
the tablecloth and the bread
until after grace,
so that a loaf of bread
is on the table
while grace is said.*
This is to show
that we have an abundance (of blessings)
from G-d, blessed be His name,
to eat and to leave over,
as Elisha told his attendant (II Kings 3:43):
"Thus G-d says,
'They will eat and leave over' ".
Furthermore,
because a blessing
cannot rest within a void,
but only where there is some substance,
as (we learn) from Elisha's question
to Ovadiah's wife (II Kings 4:2):
"What do you have at home?". * {The Shulchon Oruch, Orach Chayim 180:3 mentions that it is improper to bring an entire new loaf to bread, for this resembles an idolatrous practice.} |
| 44:4 |
It is customary to remove
the knives from the table
before grace,
or cover them,
for a table is like an altar.
About the altar's [stones)
it is said (Deut. 27:5]:
"You shall not lift up iron against them."
For iron shortens man's life,
while the altar prolongs man's life.
It is not proper
to raise that which shortens
against that which prolongs. The table also prolongs man's life
and atones for his sins
through offering hospitality.
[Sanhedrin 103b] praises the great power of hospitality,
that causes the Divine Presence (to rest in a home). In many places the custom is
not to cover (knives) on Sabbaths and festivals.
They are covered during the week,
because they are (signs) of Esau's power.
However, on Sabbaths and festivals,
neither Satan
nor the forces of evil have power.
These customs of the Jews
have the weight of Torah law. |
| 44:5 |
Even if one ate only a k'zayis of bread
one should say grace. |
| 44:6 |
(Grace) is not said while standing
nor while walking,
but only while sitting.
Even if he was walking
about his home while he ate,
or was standing
or reclining
when he has to say grace,
he must sit,
in order to concentrate more.
He should not recline,
for this is arrogant.
Rather, he should sit. One should wear upper garments (jacket or cloak)
and also put a hat on his head,
so that one will feel (the fear of) heaven on one
and have one's concentration roused.* * {The Shulchon Oruch HoRav 183:6 quotes the Sages of the Kabbalah, who state that, in particular, these practices must be followed in Eretz Yisrael, in deference to the revelation of G-d's presence there.}
|
| 44:7 |
It is customary
that those listening (to grace)
respond "Amen"
after each "The Merciful One..." in the grace.
This is based on the Midrash (which teaches)
that when one hears a person at prayer
or bless Israel,
even if (G-d's) name was not said,
is obliged to respond "Amen,". |
| 44:8 |
One who transgresses and delays
from saying grace
the time it takes for digestion,
this is (the time it takes)
for one to become hungry (again),
can no longer say grace.
Some (authorities) say that this time of digestion,
is 72 minutes.*
However, after large meals
(people) will sometimes sit together
between eating and saying grace,
for longer than that time.
Since meanwhile they also
are still drinking and eating dessert (this is acceptable).
Nevertheless, it is proper
not to delay (grace) for too (long). * {The Shulchon Oruch HoRav (184:3) and the Mishnoh B'rurah (184:20) allow a person who ate a full meal to say grace even if he delayed a longer time. Nevertheless, this applies only after the fact. By no means should a person intentionally delay the saying of grace.} |
| 44:9 |
Transgressed and left his place (where he ate)
before saying grace,
if there is at this place
some bread, he may eat there
without saying "who brings forth..." (see Ch. 42:19)
and afterwards say grace there. If he has no bread there,
he must return to the place where he ate
to say grace.
If he is so far away
that it can be assumed,
that in the time it takes him to return,
the time of digestion will pass,
he may say grace where he is. |
| 44:10 |
On a Sabbath which is also Rosh Chodesh,
a festival,
or a Chol Hamo'ed,
one first says
"May it please You..."
and afterwards
"May there ascend, come,...".
for the Sabbath occurs more often and is holier
than these (days). |
| 44:11 |
One who forgot
and is unsure
whether or not he said grace,
if his appetite is satisfied,
(For then, saying grace
is an obligation from the Torah itself.*)
and must say grace again.
Similarly, if one fell asleep
in the middle of grace
and when he awoke
did not know where he stopped,
must go back to the beginning
of the grace. * {Deuteronomy 8:10 states: "When you shall be eat and be satisfied, you shall bless G-d, your Lord..." Thus, according to the Torah itself, the requirement to say grace applies only when one has eaten to the point of satisfaction. Nevertheless, the Sages imposed the obligation of saying grace after eating a k'zayis.}
* {This law is based on the principle that it is questionable whether a woman's obligation to say grace stems the Torah or the Rabbis. However, a woman should not be prevented from saying grace if she desires to do so (Mishnoh B'rurah 186:3). |
| 44:12 |
If one made a mistake on the Sabbath
and omitted "May it please You..."
or on a festival
and didn't say
"May there ascend, come,...". If one remembered
before saying G-d's name
in the blessing
"Blessed are you, O Lord,
who builds in His mercy Jerusalem",
one should go back and say
"May it please You..."
or "May there ascend, come,..."
and then
(repeat) "and build..." (and complete the blessing). If one did not remember
until after mentioning G-d's name,
one should conclude the blessing
"who builds in his mercy Jerusalem. Amen",
and say (the following): On the Sabbath:
"Blessed are You, O Lord,
our G-d, King of the Universe,
who has given the Sabbaths
to His nation, Israel, to rest on,
in love, as a sign and a covenant.
Blessed are You, O Lord,
who sanctifies the Sabbath." And on a festival, one says:
"Blessed are You, O Lord,
our G-d, King of the Universe,
who has given the festivals,
to His nation, Israel,
for happiness and rejoicing,
this festive day.
of (name of festival),
Blessed are You, O Lord,
who makes holy Israel and the seasons." Should a festival fall on a Sabbath
and one forgot "May it please You..."
and also "May there ascend, come,..."
one should say:
"Blessed are You, O Lord,
our G-d, King of the Universe,
who has given Sabbaths for rest
to His nation, Israel, in love,
as a sign and a covenant,
and festivals for happiness and rejoicing,
this festive day
of (name of festival),
Blessed are You, O Lord,
who makes holy the Sabbath,
Israel, and the seasons." If one said "May it please You..." (and should have)
but omitted, "May there ascend, come,...",
one says as (mentioned above) for festivals only.
If one said "May there ascend, come,...",
and omitted "May it please You...",
one says as (mentioned above) for the Sabbath only. |
| 44:13 |
If one did not remember (these omissions)
until after beginning
the next blessing,
which is: "Blessed are You, O Lord,
our G-d, King of the Universe,
O G-d, our Father.."
even if one said only
the word "Blessed" by itself
one can not compensate (for these omissions),
by the blessing "who has given...". Therefore,
if one is (saying grace)
after the first two meals (evening and mid-day)
one must go back to the beginning of grace.
If one not yet said (anything)
except "Blessed are You, O Lord,"
one concludes* with "teach us your laws"
so that (the blessing) will not be in vain,
and then go back
to the start of the grace. * {This is the option of the Shulchon Oruch HoRav 188:9. The Chayei Odom maintains that until the words "King of the Universe" in the fourth blessing, one may say the blessing "who has given...". However, the Mishnoh B'rurah (188, Bi'ur Halochoh) and other authorities question this opinion.}
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| 44:14 |
A person who erred on Rosh Chodesh
and omitted "May there ascend, come,...",
should say: "Blessed are You, O Lord,
our G-d, King of the Universe,
Who has given the new moons
to His nation, Israel, for remembrance." A concluding blessing is not said.
(There is no difference in this regard
between day and night.) On Chol Hamo'ed,
if one forgot to say "May there ascend, come,..."
one says "Blessed are You, O Lord,
our G-d, King of the Universe,
who has given holidays
to His nation, Israel, for happiness and rejoicing,
this festive day
of (name of festival),
Blessed are You, O Lord,
Who makes holy Israel and the seasons." * * {The Nusach Ha'Ari zal and the Mishnoh B'rurah 188:27 omit the concluding blessing.}
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| 44:15 |
If Rosh Chodesh fell on the Sabbath
and one forgot "May it please You..."
and also "May there ascend, come,...",
then remembers, he should say:
"Blessed are You, O Lord,
our G-d, King of the Universe,
who has given the Sabbaths
to His nation, Israel, to rest on,
in love, as a sign and a covenant.
and the new moons for remembrance.
Blessed are You, O Lord,
who sanctifies the Sabbath,
Israel, and the new moons". Though Rosh Chodesh itself
does not require a concluding blessing,
since a concluding blessing is said
for the Sabbath,
one also mentions Rosh Chodesh. If one said "May it please You..." (and should have)
but omitted, "May there ascend, come,...",
and did not remember until after
one began the following (fourth) blessing,
one does not start again,
because the Sabbath has been mentioned,
and for Rosh Hodesh one does not go back.
If one said "May there ascend, come,..."
but omitted "May it please You...",
one (must) start again (grace)
and also say (again) "May there ascend, come,...". The same principles apply
for Chol Hamo'ed and Rosh Hashanah. |
| 44:16 |
On Chanukah and Purim,
if one forgot to say "On the miracles.."
and did not remember
until after saying G-d's name
at the conclusion of the blessing
- i.e., "Blessed are You, O Lord" was said -
one need not go back (to say it)
However, during the "The Merciful One,.." (prayers),
one should say: "The Merciful One,
may He perform for us
miracles and wonders
as He performed for our ancestors
in those days, at this season."
[Then on Chanukah:] "In the days of Matisyohu..."
[and on Purim:] "In the days of Mordechai..." |
| 44:17 |
If one was eating on Sabbath (afternoon)
until nightfall,
since one has not yet
said the evening service
"May it please You..." should be said [in grace].
Similarly, on a festival,
Rosh Chodesh,
Chanukah, or Purim,
if one began eating
while it was still day,
one should mention
the uniqueness of the day,
even though one says (grace) at night. If one began eating
on the afternoon before Rosh Chodesh
and continued one's meal
into the night,
eating at night,
(at least) a k'zayis of bread
"May there ascend, come,..." should be said.
Similarly on Chanukah and Purim. If one began eating
on a Sabbath
and continued one's meal into the night,
and ate at night
(at least) a k'zayis of bread,
and tomorrow (this night) is Rosh Chodesh,
one should say "May it please You..."
and also "May there ascend, come,..."
Similarly on Chanukah and Purim. There are (authorities) who disagree (with this ruling)
because it is self-contradictory.
Accordingly,
one should avoid (such a situation)
by not eating into the night. |
| 44:18 |
If an idolater is in the room
when grace is being said
we say (after)
"(May He bless) us.."
"members of the covenant" (so as to exclude him)
(then finish the blessing) "all of us together". |