Faith
A Remedy for Preventing a Blessing in Vain
Question
I know that if a person began a blessing by mistake and said, "Baruch atah Hashem," he can continue with "lamdeni chukecha," because this is a verse one may always recite, and in this way Hashem’s name will not have been mentioned in vain. There is also another blessing that can be said if one began, "Baruch atah Hashem, Elokeinu Melech haolam..." What is that blessing? Thank you very much!
Answer
Shalom rav, Indeed, one who began a blessing by mistake and said only, "Baruch atah Hashem," should conclude with "lamdeni chukecha" (which is a complete verse in Psalms 119:12), as the Shulchan Aruch writes in Orach Chaim (siman 206, seif 6). And if that person erred and said, "Baruch atah Hashem Elokai," and had not yet finished saying "no" - the solution is to conclude and say, "Yisrael avinu meolam vead olam," because this is a verse in I Chronicles (chapter 29, verse 10). However, since this is not a complete verse, one must still afterward say, "Baruch shem kevod malchuto leolam vaed" (Tzlach on Berachot 39a, s.v. veyomar; Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, siman 6, seif 4; Kaf HaChaim, siman 206, ot 44 in the name of the Maamar Mordechai. See also Maor Yisrael, part 1, on Berachot 39a, s.v. tehu-dh btzar lei shiur). However, if that person erred and said, "Baruch atah Hashem Elokeinu Melech haolam," the only way to correct it is by saying, "Baruch shem kevod malchuto leolam vaed," as the Shulchan Aruch writes (there) that one who utters Hashem’s name in vain must say, "Baruch shem kevod malchuto leolam vaed."
Blessings, Hillel Meirs
