Chapter 48 : The Laws of Berachos on Foods [Made] of the Five Species of Grain

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§1

If bread that is [made] from the five species of grain was made as kisnin, and you eat less than the quantity sufficient for a meal, it does not require netilas yadayim — washing the hands, and it does not require the berachah, Hamotzi. Rather, it requires the berachah Borei minei mezonos, and after it the berachah, Al hamichyah. However, if you eat the amount sufficient for a meal, it is governed by the same law as regular bread, [i.e.] it requires netilas yadayim, and the berachah, Hamotzi, and after [eating] Birkas Hamazon.

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§2

What is bread made as kisnin? Some [poskim] say: that it is bread made in the shape of pockets, filled with fruit meat or cheese or with similar things, or when it is made like a "strudel" [fruits and nuts rolled in dough and baked]. And other [poskin] say: that it is bread kneaded with oil, or fat, or honey, or milk, or eggs or fruit juices, even if they were also mixed [with] water, as long as it is less than half [the liquid]. We accept both opinions in order to be lenient, and we consider both [kinds of baked goods] as "bread that comes with kisnin."

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§3

The amount considered sufficient for a meal is not set individually for each person, but by what most people [average people] usually consume for the midday meal, or for the evening meal to satisfy their appetite. If you eat this quantity, although you are not satisfied, nevertheless, it is considered bread. And, if nu ate this bread with a spread [or dip], we also estimate the amount by considering if others would satiated if they ate the same amount with a spread. But if yovte a smaller quantity without a spread and your appetite is satisfied, but if others old eat this amount they would not be satiated, but if they would eat it with a bread they would be satiated, then the laws of bread apply.

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§4

If your original intention was to eat only a little (i.e. less than a "meal") and you said: Borei minei mezonos and then reconsidered to eat the amount sufficient for "a meal," if the additional amount that you now want to eat is not sufficient for a meal unless it is combined with what you originally ate, you may eat it as is and afterwards say the Birkas Hamazon. But if the additional amount you now want to eat has [in itself] an amount sufficient for "a meal," you must do netilas yadayim and say the berachah Hamotzi on that which you now want to eat. But the berachah, Al hamichya need not be recited on that which you [originally] ate, because it becomes combined with that which yon will now eat and will be exempt with the Birkas Hamazon.

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§5

Dough kneaded with water, which has a loose, soft consistency and is baked in an oven or even in a pan [on an open fire] without liquid, even if the pan was greased with oil, in order that the dough not burn, is not considered "liquid" and it has the law of real bread. [And thus] even if you eat of it only a kazayis, it requires netilas yadaim, Hamotzi and Birkas Hamazon. But, if it is fried in liquid [oil], it is not considered bread, even if you eat of it a quantity which satisfies your appetite. Likewise, those flat wafers which are very thin that are baked in a press between two iron plates, do not have the law of bread. And even if you ate of them a quantity which satisfies your appetite, you need only recite Borei minei mezonos and the after-berachah, Al hamichyah, Sometimes dough is made very thin in the following manner: flour and water are put into a pot and mixed with a spoon and poured over vegetable leaves and baked in the oven over the leaves. This dough has the halachah of kisnin.

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§6

Dough that was boiled and then baked, such as bagels or pretzels, is [considered] real bread, but only if it was well-baked.

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§7

Real bread that was boiled, or fried in butter or in similar [shortening], even if it lost thc appearance of bread, for instance (when the bread] was completely covered with egg, if the slice is a kazayis, it has all the laws of bread. If each slice is not a kazayis, even if through the cooking it expanded and now each slice is a kazayis, or if [the pieces] became attached through cooking and is now one large mass, even if they have the appearance or bread, nevertheless, it is not considered "bread," and its berachah is only Berei minei mezonos and after eating it the berachah Al hamichyah. This is so even if you ate enough to he satiated. But, if you did not boil it, but poured hot gravy upon it, it is a doubtful berachah because it is questionable is whether or not iruy - pouring - is considered "boiling" in our case (of kisin). [Therefore, such pudding] should be eaten only in the course of a meal." But, if it was not boiled, but soaked in liquid or in soup, and the pieces [individually] are not a kazayis, in such a case it depends if they have the appearance of bread or not; if they have the appearance of bread, they then have all the laws pertaining to "bread." And if they don't have the appearance of bread, they do not have the law of bread, and even if you ate enough to satisfy your appetite, you only say the berachah, Borei minei mezonos, and afterwards Al hamichyah. If the appearance of the liquid changed, because of the pieces [of bread], [then] it is definite that they have lost the appearance of "bread." Likewise, if they were soaked in red wine, they no longer have the appearance of bread.

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§8

Even if dough was kneaded only with water and then boiled, you recite the berachah, Borei minei mezonos and after it Al hamichyah. This is so even if you ate enough to be satiated. Similarly, ground grain [groats] or whole grain that was made of the five species of grain and then boiled, the berachah is also: Borei minei mezonos, and afterwards: Al hamichyah, even if you eat enough to satisfy your appetite. If you eat them with the soup [that they were boiled in] and similarly foods made of dough that are eaten with the soup or with the milk that were cooked in, you need not recite a berachah on the soup or milk, because they are secondary and lose their significance to the food. But, if you cooked only a small amount of cereal or groats and the main object is only for the soup or the milk, in such a case they do not lose their significance and you recite the berachah, Shehakol, over it. And even though you eat the cereal or groats also, the soup or milk do not lose the significance because they are considered the main object. Nevertheless, in order to do the mitzvah in the most appropriate manner, it is proper that you first recite the berachah Shehakol only on the soup or the milk and drink a small amount by itself (avoiding any of the grain), and afterwards recite the berachah Borei minei mezonos on the cereal or groats, because although the intent (of the cooking) was not for them, they do not become secondary. Grain is [always] considered a major [food] and does not become secondary to forfeit its own berachah as long as its purpose is to add flavor to the food being cooked.

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§9

Foods that are prepared with ground matza (matza meal) or with bread crumbs (e.g., "kneidlach", matza-balls, and pancakes) that are mixed with oil, eggs, and milk and are kneaded [all together] and then boiled or fried, their berachah is: Bореи minеи mezonos, aнd afterwards: Al hamichyah.

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§10

If food made of one of the grains was boiled with other foods such as bits of dough with green peas or dried beans (eg. barley with green peas and/or dried beans), even if the other food (peas or beans) is the major ingredient, nevertheless, since each is separate unto itself, it requires two berachos: first on some of the bits of dough make the berachah, Borei minei mezonos, and eat them, and then on some of the beans make the berachah, Borei peri ha'adamah, and eat them [separately]. After that, you may eat them together. And the soup (in which they were cooked) is secondary and does not require a berachah. But if they dissolved and were totally merged together (i.e., into a new food form) for instance a dish that is prepared by mixing flour, eggs, and cheese and then boiled or fried (e.g., pancakes or blintzes), even though the flour is the lesser quantity, nevertheless, since it is [made of] one of the five grains, it is considered primary and the berachah is Borei minei mezonos, and afterwards Al hamichyah. However, this rule applies only when the flour is added to contribute to its taste. But, if only a little is added as a binder (or thickener), as is regularly done to prepare various sauces with a small amount of flour, and similarly, baked confections [that are made with] almonds, sugar and eggs with a little flour added merely as a binder, then the flour loses its identity and the berachah is made on the major ingredient only. The same applies to gravy [or sauce] that is boiled or fried with some flour, browned and fried in butter, the berachah made on the sauce or gravy is shehakol. But if you pick out the bits of browned flour and eat them separately, you must make the berachah, Borei minei mezonos. If you ate a kazayis of them you must make the berachah, Al hamichyah, afterwards.