If You Ate and Vomited, Do You Say the After-Blessing?

Two daily halachot from BeHalacha U'VeAggadah, based on the rulings of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.

Forgot to Recite Birkat Hamazon? How Long Do You Have?

If a person ate bread, became satiated, and then went about their activities without reciting Birkat Hamazon (Grace After Meals), they may still recite it upon remembering, provided they continue to feel full from the meal. This applies even if several hours have passed. However, if they have become hungry again, they have lost the opportunity to recite the blessing. They should express remorse, confess their mistake, and repent for having neglected a positive Torah commandment. As a form of atonement, they are encouraged to devote additional time to studying the laws of Birkat Hamazon and sharing that knowledge with others.

If a person ate at least a kezayit (27 grams) of bread but did not become satiated, and subsequently forgot to recite Birkat Hamazon, they may still recite it as long as they have not become hungry again from that eating. However, once 72 minutes have passed, they may no longer recite the blessing. They should express remorse and repent for neglecting the mitzvah, following the same corrective measures described above.

At Shabbat celebrations, such as a Shabbat Chatan, meals may continue for four or five hours with words of Torah, songs, and praises to Hashem. As long as participants continue eating or drinking refreshments throughout the gathering, the entire occasion is considered one continuous meal, and Birkat Hamazon is recited at its conclusion.

Must Someone Who Vomits After Eating Recite an After-Blessing?

If a person eats bread or a kezayit of fruit and vomits the food before reciting the appropriate after-blessing, they are exempt from reciting it. This is comparable to someone who forgets to recite an after-blessing and remembers only after the food has already been digested.

Nevertheless, it is preferable to contemplate the words of Birkat Hamazon silently in one's mind.

Daily Quote

"Great is the reward of a person who guards against jealousy and covetousness. With most transgressions, a person may refrain from committing them out of embarrassment. Someone may avoid robbery or theft out of fear that the act will become known, be exposed publicly, and cause shame and significant loss.

"But jealousy and covetousness reside in the heart. No one can know whether another person harbors envy or desire. These are matters entrusted to the heart, and regarding them it is written: 'You shall fear your God' (Leviticus 25:17)."

— Orchot Tzaddikim, Gate of Jealousy

Understanding the Quote

Orchot Tzaddikim emphasizes the great spiritual reward earned by those who guard themselves against jealousy and covetousness, while also highlighting the seriousness of these traits precisely because they exist within the heart and are not always outwardly apparent.

Jealousy and covetousness are internal emotions that can lead a person toward improper behavior and even serious transgressions. Unlike visible wrongdoing, such as theft or robbery, which may be restrained by the fear of exposure, embarrassment, or punishment, these inner tendencies can remain completely hidden from others.

Because there is no external accountability for what a person secretly harbors in the heart, jealousy and covetousness can be particularly dangerous. Overcoming them requires genuine self-awareness and reverence for Hashem, who alone knows a person's innermost thoughts and intentions.