Question:
I ate a piece of cake which was mezonos, how much must i eat in order to recite a bracha acharona?
Answer:
If one ate a Kezayis of mezonos food (cake, cookies, etc) after one finishes eating one should make Al HaMichya. Being that Al Hamichya is only recited for shivat haminim there is a discussion if it is Biblical or rabbinic; the conclusion is that it is rabbinic.
Halachot Gedolot, Rashba (Brachos 35a s.v. hachi), Ramban, Rosh (Brachos 6:16), Tur 209:1, Riaz as brought by the Shiltei Giborim Brachos ,Sefer Hachinuch (no. 430), and Ritva all hold that Bracha Achat Mein Shalosh is deoraisa. Smag, Rabbenu Yonah, and Rambam Brachos 8:12 (as understood by the Beis Yosef 209:3) holds that it is derabbanan.The Shulchan Aruch 209:3 holds like the Rambam that it is only derabanan.
If someone isn’t sure whether he recited Al Hamichya or another Mein Shalosh he should have another kezayis of that food so that he can then recite a certain Bracha Achas Mein Shalosh. However, if he can’t exempt it he should not repeat Mein Shalosh.
The Mishna Brurah 209:10. adds that if he can’t have another kezayis of the same food he can have a kezayis of another category of Mein Shalosh and include in the Mein Shalosh the one he originally had. For example, if he had a cookie and doesn’t know if he recited Al Hamichya he can have a kezayis of dates and recite a combination Mein Shalosh with both Al Hamichya and Al Haetz. This is in line with his opinion in Mishna Brurah 208:82 but in disagreement with the classical Sephardi practice (Shulchan Aruch 208:18).
If someone has a food that’s there’s a dispute whether it is Al Hagefen one should not eat that food together with a Kezayis of Shehakol and Kezayis of Shevas HaMinim as it’s forbidden to add any addition to Al HaMichya even if it doesn’t cause an addition of Hashem’s name.
If someone had a food that’s a Kezayis of Mezonos and less than a Kezayis of Shevas HaMinim one shouldn’t add the addition of Al HaEtz but one who does add it in has what to rely on.
Sh”t Mishneh Halachot 4:29 says that this law should be similar to that of the Shulchan Aruch 208:18 where one shouldn’t add in an addition even if one isn’t adding Hashem’s name. However, he concludes that one has what to rely on if one does add the part of Al HaEtz because the Taz and some achronim say that this is only true Lechatchila, but bedieved one should add in that line of Al HaEtz.
Someone who ate a Mezonos and Shevas HaMinim can fulfill the obligation of his friend who only had a Safek Kezayis of Mezonos and the addition of Al HaEtz isn’t a Hefsek. [
If someone ate a Kezayis of Mezonos and a Revi’it of wine and forgot to make add Al Hagefen one should make a new bracha in order to say Al HaMichya.
If a person eats a Kezayis of shivat haminim and a Kezayis of another fruit one can make an al haetz (bracha achrona) and that covers both fruits.
If a person ate cake or any mezonos the minhag is to recite al hamichya as long as he ate a kezayis of the cake if there is a proportion of 1 portion of 1 flour to 6 parts of the total ingredients.
Mishna Brurah 208:48 writes that even though some poskim hold that it is necessary to eat a kezayis of flour excluding the other ingredients the minhag is to include the other ingredients if there is a ratio of 1 part flour to 6 parts of the total ingredients |