Halacha: What Blessing is Recited Over Gum?
Curious about which blessings to recite over gum? Discover the initial and final blessings required, plus an explanation on the amount that constitutes a meal.
- הידברות
- פורסם ו' חשון התשע"ז
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The blessing over gum is shehakol (initial blessing)
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The amount eaten to require a final blessing (from "Daily Halacha" by the rulings of Maran Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, of blessed memory):
On everything a person eats, they must recite an "initial blessing," such as the blessing of "shehakol" or "ha'etz". Even if one eats only a little of that food, they must bless it, provided they are eating it for consumption. (But if they are merely tasting the food to correct it by adding spices or the like, they do not bless this eating at all). Therefore, someone chewing flavored gum, even though they swallow only a very small amount, must still bless for their enjoyment of the gum's flavor. Similarly, someone about to drink something must bless it, even if they drink only a single drop.
However, all this pertains only to the initial blessing, but the final blessing is not recited unless one has consumed an "important amount," which is the size of an "olive" - namely, 27 grams, and for drinking, the measure is a "revi'it", which is 81 grams.
Moreover, the eating or drinking must happen within a timeframe for the consumption to combine. For instance, if someone eats an "olive" size of bread throughout an entire day, piece by piece, they surely cannot recite the Grace After Meals. Instead, the consumption of an "olive" amount must all happen within the "achilat pras" time, and opinions vary on how long that is, with some saying it's about five minutes and others about seven and a half minutes (there are more opinions on this). Therefore, it is advised to always eat an "olive" measure (especially during Shabbat meals) within four and a half minutes to fulfill all views.
Concerning the final blessing over a drink, one must drink the "revi'it" of the beverage (which is 81 grams) at once, because if one pauses between sips, they do not recite a final blessing at all. Therefore, someone drinking soup with a spoon does not recite a final blessing on that soup, since they did not drink a "revi'it" all at once, and similarly, someone drinking hot coffee or tea does not bless them with a final blessing, as they cannot drink it all at once.
