עברית
Prayer and Blessings
What is 27 grams (kezayit) in our measurements?
Question
Hello, esteemed rabbi,
I have three questions:
1. Is there a need to recite a blessing on both food and drink if they share the same blessing? (the context is the first blessing)
2. According to halacha, is it necessary to perform netilat yadayim (the ritual hand washing) and recite Birkat Hamazon (the grace after meals) when eating fried bread that is not a sweet dough, but regular bread/challah when eating a quantity greater than a kezayit?
3. What is 27 grams (kezayit) in our measurements? That is, from what quantity is a Birkat Hamazon required, is it already when eating half a slice of bread? Thank you very much.
Answer
Hello and blessings,
1. No.
2. If you take a large piece of bread weighing 27 grams and fry it in oil, you should recite "Hamotzi" at the beginning and conclude with Birkat Hamazon after netilat yadayim. However, if you take pieces of bread, each piece weighing less than 27 grams and fry them in oil, then you should recite "Mezonot" at the beginning and "Me'ein Shalosh" at the end.
3. A slice of bread from a loaf (taken from the middle of the loaf, and not from the ends which are smaller slices) is 27 grams.
Blessings,
Menashe Ben Porat
