We are beginning siman 9. We are discussing the halachos of shinui makom, and until now, the Chayei Adam has discussed situations in which one changed his makon after already beginning to eat. The Chayei Adam will now discuss changing one’s makom between the bracha and eating.
The Chayei Adam writes that if one makes a bracha in one room and moves to another room before eating, even if they did not interrupt by speaking, the shinui makom undermines the validity of the bracha, and one would need to recite a new bracha. However, if one had intent to move when they made the bracha, the bracha works bedieved.
The Mishnah Berurah brings this halacha down in siman 179 s’’k 39, and writes that, according to his psak that moving from room to room within one house is not a shinui makom (see shiur 1141), it would not be a shinui makom for the bracha either, and one would not need to recite a new bracha.
In siman 167:35, the Mishnah Berurah extends this halacha further. Since the poskim assume that a bracha only takes effect after swallowing, if one begins to chew and moves to a different makom before swallowing, their bracha has not taken effect. Bedieved, the Mishnah Berurah allows one to rely on the opinion which holds that the bracha takes effect already when chewing, but lechatchila one should be mindful not to effect a shinui makom until they have swallowed.
The Mishnah Berurah discusses this halacha in three other places. In hilchos sukkah, he discusses a sukkah which was built in the proximity of a bad smell, preventing its dwellers from making brachos inside the sukkah. If the sukkah is inside or adjacent to their house, making a bracha in a different room is considered moving me’cheder le’cheder and is muttar because of the issue. If it is separate from the house, it is considered moving mi’bayis le’bayis, and, then, only if one has in mind at the time of the bracha, making a bracha in a different place is muttar bedieved. Thus, if a person has no choice, they can make a bracha outside of the sukkah.
Another case the Mishnah Berurah discusses is making a bracha in a sauna. One may not make a bracha in a sauna itself. However, one could make a bracha in an outer room, and wait to eat or drink until they go inside, again, because of the need to drink.
Finally, we will discuss if and how this applies to kiddush be’makom seudah. We will discuss this in future shiurim, be’ezras Hashem.
Summary
- Lechatchilla, one should make their bracha and eat in the same makom.
- One may make a bracha and then move to another room within a house before eating, in a case of necessity.
- If one has intent at the time of the bracha, one may move from one house to another between the bracha and before eating. However, this is bedieved, and should only be applied in cases of necessity.
