Halacha: What Blessing Do You Recite on Water?
Curious about the proper blessings over water, both before and after drinking? Discover all the details, including guidelines on consumption amounts.
- הידברות
- פורסם ו' חשון התשע"ז
#VALUE!
On water you recite, if thirsty - shehakol, and afterward boreh nefashot (blessing before drinking)
If not thirsty (such as when taking medicine, etc.) - no blessing is recited.
* * *
The amount required to obligate an after-blessing (from the daily halacha based on the rulings of Maran Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, zt"l):
For anything a person eats, a "first blessing" should be recited, such as "shehakol" or "ha'etz". Even if one eats only a small portion of food, a blessing must be recited, as long as the intention is for eating. (However, if the purpose is merely to taste the food for seasoning or similar reasons, no blessing is required.) Thus, someone chewing flavored gum, even if not swallowing much of it, must recite a blessing for enjoying the taste of the gum. Likewise, anyone drinking a liquid, even a single drop, must recite a blessing.
This concerns a first blessing, but an after-blessing is only recited when one consumes a significant amount called "a notable consumption". The measure for this is a "k’zayit" (olive-sized portion), approximately twenty-seven grams, and for drinking, the measure is a "revi'it", which is eighty-one grams.
Moreover, consumption or drinking should occur within a timeframe that allows the quantities consumed to be combined. For example, if someone eats an "olive-sized" portion of bread throughout a whole day, bit by bit, they certainly cannot recite the Grace after Meals. The consumption should be within the timeframe known as "achilat pras", about which poskim differ, with some saying five minutes, others seven and a half minutes (and other views exist). Therefore, it is proper to try always to consume a k’zayit (especially during Shabbat meals) within four and a half minutes to fulfill all views.
Regarding an after-blessing for a beverage, one should drink a revi'it (eighty-one grams) all at once. If there was a pause between sips, no after-blessing is recited. Hence, someone drinking soup with a spoon does not recite an after-blessing, as they have not consumed a revi'it at once, and similarly, someone drinking hot coffee or tea does not recite an after-blessing because they cannot drink it all at once.
