Deserting your Company at the Table
I was in middle of snacking and left the room. If I would like to resume eating when I come back to the room (or in a new location) must I repeat the brachah rishonah (blessing before eating)?
A Din on Progressive Dinners
There are several halachic principles associated with shinui makom (a change of location) in middle of eating. The rule is: the meal is considered uninterrupted if someone was in midst of eating a food which requires a brachah acharonah (after-blessing) in situ, since the person must return to recite it—and no new brachah rishonah is required. This would include a meal that requires birchas hamazon—the after-blessing on bread—or me’ein shalosh—the after-blessing on mezonos, wine or the seven kinds—to account for all halachic opinions.
However, if it was a food after which the brachah acharonah may be said anywhere—such as a snack that requires a borei nefashos—walking out of the room or building is considered halachically as a decision to stop eating. Therefore, before resuming eating in the same location, or in a different location—a new brachah rishonah is required.*
Food with a Friend
There is a heter (dispensation) to briefly leave the table without having to repeat the brachah rishonah if hiniach miktzas chaverim (leaving behind some companions); even one other person suffices. This allows the diner to resume eating at the same location as if uninterrupted (since leaving others at the table indicates that there is a plan to resume eating), but offers no solution for someone who plans to continue snacking in another building.
Who qualifies as miktzas chaverim? A non-Jew who has no mitzvah to recite a brachah acharonah? Does a young child count, who is not yet mechuyav (obligated) in mitzvos? Guests or family members who didn’t participate in the meal? How about someone eating at a different table in a restaurant? Primary halachic sources on this matter do not state clearly who is acceptable, but the underlying reasoning behind the exemption of hiniach miktzas chaverim may provide guidelines.
Criteria for Companionable Consumption
We can explain the dispensation as follows: “the others are still eating and waiting for their companion’s return, so until they all recite a brachah acharonah no one is done eating.” If this were the case, none of the above questionable companions—the non-Jew, child, non-partaker, or stranger eating a private meal—meet the requirement. In addition, if those who are acceptable companions recite their brachah acharonah before the leave-taker returns, the heter no longer applies.
Alternatively, we can view the situation as a social statement on etiquette: “the leave-taker will surely return to their company,” in which case, any companion will do.
Practically, a fellow diner—even a child who has reached the age of chinuch (education, i.e. the stage of development where a parent is obligated to teach them the mitzvos)—can be considered miktzas chaverim. For a non-Jew who shared his snack, there is leniency as well. However, someone who did not eat at all—and certainly a random restaurant patron who isn't company—would not qualify as a companion to sidestep the need to recite a new brachah when resuming eating.
*It should be noted that for meals that require birchas hamazon and me’ein shalosh, the diner is also restricted from leaving before reciting the brachah acharonah—see Halachah #16—but if they do leave, no new brachah rishonah is required, as discussed.
Leaving the table briefly to use the facilities or to bring out more food is not considered moving location during a seudah (meal) for which birchas hamazon is recited afterwards, and similarly, any type of formal meal, even one without bread or cake.
(See Halachah #332 for more details on moving location in the midst of eating with or without intention to continue eating. See an application of this situation with regard to gum-chewing in Halachah #546.)