Basic Principles of Birkat Hamazon

Quiz

1 - How much does one need to eat to be required to say birkat hamazon?

• Whenever you eat bread, no matter the amount.
• Birkat Hamazon is only recited when you have eaten at least the volume of a kazayit (approximately 1/3 of a slice of white bread).
• On a Torah level, the obligation to recite the Birkat Hamazon is only when you are satiated.

2 - What if you miss out the Shabbat addition?

• You always need to repeat if you missed out.
• If you were obligated to eat this bread meal, then you must go back and recite the Birkat Hamazon again (Such as first two bread meals on Shabbat).
• If you forgot to say the extra paragraph at the third meal on Shabbat, do not repeat Birkat Hamazon.

3 - If you aren’t sure if you said birkat hamazon, do you have to repeat it?

• If you still feel satiated from the meal, you are required to repeat it.
• If you do not feel satiated from the meal, you should not repeat it.
• The solution is to remove yourself from the doubtful situation by saying Hamotzi again and eating another kazayit of bread within “kiday achilat pras”.