Halacha: What Is the Blessing for a Bagel?

On the bagel, we bless Hamotzi (initial blessing)

And at the end of the meal, we say Birkat Hamazon (concluding blessing)

* * *

The required amount of food to be obligated in the concluding blessing (from "Daily Halacha" based on the rulings of Maran Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, of blessed memory):

For any food a person eats, they must say an "initial blessing," such as the blessing "Shehakol" or "Haetz." Even if one eats just a small amount of that food, they are required to bless it, as long as they are eating it for consumption. (However, if someone is tasting the food solely to adjust seasoning, they do not say a blessing for that at all). Therefore, if someone chews flavored gum, even if they swallow only a tiny bit of it, they are still required to bless for enjoying the flavor of the gum. Similarly, anyone who drinks something must bless it, even if they only drink a single drop of that beverage.

However, this is specifically regarding the initial blessing, but the concluding blessing is only recited when one has eaten a "significant quantity" of food, defined as a "kezayit," which is twenty-seven grams, and for drinking, the measurement is a "revi'it," which is eighty-one grams.

Additionally, the eating or drinking must occur within a time span where the food or drink consumption can be combined. For if a person eats a "kezayit" of bread throughout an entire day, piece by piece, they certainly cannot say Birkat Hamazon afterward. Instead, the eating of the "kezayit" must be within the time frame known as "achilat pras," and there is a debate among the authorities regarding this duration, with some saying it is five minutes and others saying around seven and a half minutes (with more opinions as well). Therefore, it is correct to always be cautious to eat a "kezayit" (especially during Shabbat meals) within four and a half minutes to fulfill all opinions.

Regarding the concluding blessing over a drink, one needs to drink a revi'it (eighty-one grams) all at once. If someone drinks and pauses between sips, they do not recite the concluding blessing at all. Therefore, someone who eats soup with a spoon does not recite a concluding blessing for consuming that soup, as they did not drink a revi'it all at once. Similarly, someone who drinks coffee or tea while it is hot does not recite a concluding blessing because they cannot drink it all at once.