. Question:
If a person mistakenly recited birkas hamozon instead of al hamichyo is he yotze or does he still need to recite al hamichyo?
Introduction:
The brocho recited after eating a k’zayis of shivas haminim fruits or a mezonos food item is “me’ein sholosh”, commonly referred to as “al hamichyo”. This brocho is a single brocho that contains the essence of the brochos of birkas hamozon, hence the name “me’ein sholosh”.
Discussion: At the end of Orach Chayim Siman 208 the Beis Yosef quotes Rabbeinu Yona on Maseches Brochos who writes in the name of Rabbonei Tzorfas that birkas hamozon does not exempt the obligation of al hamichyo. Rabbeinu Yona himself writes that the two exceptions to this rule are wine and dates, because it is clear in the Gemoro regarding these two foods that birkas hamozon is “compatible” with them and would thus exempt them from the brocho of me’ein sholosh.
Rabbeinu Yona also writes in the name of Rabbonei Tzorfas that even if a person just recited the first brocho of hazon on wine or dates he has fulfilled his obligation and does not need to recite another brocho acharona. The Rosh comments on this statement that this is only true if one has already concluded the brocho until hazon es hakol (inclusive), because at this juncture he can no longer recite another brocho. However, if a person realises his mistake before he concludes hazon es hakol he should not conclude the brocho but instead he should continue with nodeh lecho… and should conclude the brocho with “al ho’oretz v’al pri hagofen/v’al hapeiros”.
[Although the Rosh does not mention the third brocho (“racheim”) or fourth brocho (hatov v’hameitiv), it appears that one should similarly mention the main parts of racheim and hatov v’hameitiv before concluding the brocho to achieve reciting a brocho that contains the essence of all the brochos of birkas hamozon.]
The Shulchan Aruch (Siman 208 Se’if 17) rules that birkas hamozon does not exempt me’ein sholosh. Therefore, if a person ate a mezonos food item and mistakenly recited birkas hamozon, he is still required to recite al hamichyo. However, regarding drinking wine or eating dates, birkas hamozon will fulfil the requirement to recite al hagefen or al ho’eitz respectively, and no further brocho acharona needs to be recited.
The Shulchan Aruch also writes that even if one only recited the first brocho of hazon on wine or dates he has fulfilled his obligation and no longer needs to recite the appropriate brocho acharona. The Shulchan Aruch points out that this applies specifically to a situation where a person has already concluded the first brocho of birkas hamozon. Otherwise, he should continue by reciting the essence of the second brocho and conclude with the conclusion of me’ein sholosh (“al ho’oretz v’al pri hagofen/v’al hapeiros” as appropriate).
However, the Mishna Berura (s.k. 75, Sha’ar Hatziyun s.k. 75) quotes several Acharonim (Be’er Hagolah, Pri Chodosh, Even Ho’ozer, Chaye Odom and possibly the Vilna Gaon) who maintain that b’dieved, birkas hamozon exempts all types of mezonos foods, and especially pas habo’oh b’kisnin.
Conclusion: If a person ate an item of food that requires “me’ein sholosh” and mistakenly recited birkas hamozon, whether he is yotze will depend on the type of food that was eaten:
• If dates were eaten or if wine was drunk, birkas hamozon exempts the obligation of reciting birkas hamozon according to all opinions.
• If mezonos foods were eaten, then according to the Shulchan Aruch (and from their lack of comment this also appears to be the view of the Remo, Magen Avraham and Taz) birkas hamozon does not exempt the requirement of al hamichyo, and al hamichyo must still be recited. However, according to several Acharonim and the Mishna Berura, b’dieved birkas hamozon will exempt the requirement of al hamichyo and no further brocho acharona needs to be recited.
• If fruits (of the shivas haminim) other than dates were eaten, then according to all opinions birkas hamozon does not exempt the requirement of al ho’eitz and therefore al ho’eitz must still be recited. |