Zimmun

 

Translated and adapted by Rabbi Eliezer Kwass

 

 

Introduction:

 

            Two crucial mishnayot about zimmun seem to contradict each other:  Mishna Berakhot 42a states, "If they were sitting, each makes his own berakha [rishona]; if they were reclining, one makes it for all of them."  The first mishna of the seventh chapter, though, starts, "Three that ate together must make a zimmun."  It seems that here reclining is not required to allow for a group berakha.  According to Ramban (45a), reclining is only necessary to unite the diners as a group for a berakha before eating.  After eating the obligation of zimmun is capable of uniting them for the berakha.  This approach to zimmun is circular, for how can the obligation to make a zimmun unify them, if this obligation does not exist unless they are already established as a group!? 

 

            Before dealing with this difficult Ramban we must relate to the nature of zimmun.  Is the obligation of zimmun:

1.  for the participants of the meal to say Birkat Ha-mazon together; or

2.  to add an extra berakha at the beginning of Birkat Ha-mazon?

 

Zimmun as a Communal Berakha

 

            We are familiar with the idea of group berakhot from tefilla and from berakhot before eating.  According to Rabban Gamliel, even those who know how to pray can fulfill their obligations through the chazzan's prayer.  Ritva explains that since the chazzan speaks for everyone in the congregation, it is as if each person prayed himself.  His teacher Ra'ah writes similarly about berakhot before eating: "...when they are settled down together as a group for a meal [one person makes the berakha for everyone] because they are as one body, and it is as if each person said the berakha."

 

            Accordingly, we can view Birkat Ha-mazon with a chabura (group) of three as a communal berakha as well.  This solves two problematic issues:

1.  The Yerushalmi (Berakhot 3:3) states, "'You will eat, be satisfied, and bless Hashem your God', he who ate should make the blessing.'"  The Bavli likewise requires two people to separate, each independently saying Birkat Ha-mazon.  Why is it that three eating together need not say Birkat Ha-mazon individually?  If their zimmun is a group berakha in which one person represents the unit, then the one who ate IS in fact making the berakha.

2.  According to Birkat Avraham (brought in Bi'ur Halakha OC 193) even though when one makes a blessing in Hebrew for another the second must understand it, in a zimmun of three, the other two members need not understand Hebrew.  With two, one making a berakha for another is based on the principle of "shomei'a ke-oneh" (listening is like saying) so he must understand what he is hearing; but a zimmun of three is considered as a single body speaking through a mouth, and the foot need not understand what the mouth is saying.  

 

            According to this approach to zimmun, what is the function of the preliminary "nevarekh she-akhalnu mishelo..."?  Meiri (45a) explains that this addition is simply a way of preparing for Birkat Ha-mazon with kavana.  It is not an independent berakha.

 

            Because of the following story on Berakhot 50a, the Rosh (along with the Tur, Rama, Bach, and Gra) views zimmun in this way, i.e., fulfilling Birkat Ha-mazon as a group.  Rava in the gemara relates that when they visited the house of the exilarch, they used to break up into groups of three, as opposed to joining the main zimmun.  He explains that "due to the noise of the crowd, they were not able to hear the one making the zimmun."  The Rosh elaborates on their dilemma: "Despite the normal requirement of not breaking off from a group of ten (which has the further aspect of mentioning God's name), what they did was preferable.  They would not have fulfilled the requirement of BIRKAT HA-MAZON without having heard the leader of the zimmun."  The Gra (OH 195) summarizes:  "The essence of zimmun is everyone LISTENING to all of Birkat Ha-mazon."

 

Zimmun as an Added Berakha

 

            Zimmun could alternatively be viewed as an extra berakha said by all participants at the beginning of Birkat Ha-mazon.  In the most radical formulation of this approach, the extra berakha could even be said by an individual who had been part of a zimmun, but is now saying Birkat Ha-mazon by himself.  The Ram Me-ivra, quoted by Tosafot (Berakhot 46b), presents such a position.  He explains the gemara's enigmatic statement, "To where does he return?  Rav Zevid in the name of Abbayei says to the beginning, and the Rabbis say to where he left off," as referring to one who, though leaving the group early, listened to their zimmun and is now returning to finish Birkat Ha-mazon by himself.  According to R. Zevid in the name of Abbayei, this individual says "Barukh she-akhalnu mishelo..." ON HIS OWN.

 

Joining Together for the Introductory Berakha

 

            The Orchot Chayim (Laws of Birkat Ha-mazon Chap. 11) takes a hybrid approach.  Only the extra berakha preceding the Birkat Ha-mazon must be said communally.  Subsequently, each member of the zimmun can recite the Birkat Ha-mazon quietly to himself.

 

Joining Plus an Extra Berakha

 

            The Netziv (Haamek She'ela 146) has a compound approach which will help us understand the difficult Ramban we opened with.  The gemara offers two alternate sources for zimmun:  R. Assi and R. Abbahu (Berakhot 45a) derive it from either "gadlu la-Hashem iti u-neromema shemo yachdav," (Psalms 34:4) or "ki shem Hashem ekra havu godel le-Elokeinu" (Deut. 32:3) respectively, whereas a beraita (Berakhot 48b) quotes "   et Hashem Elokekha" as the source for zimmun.  The Netziv's resolution is that each source relates to a different aspect of zimmun:  1. The need for communal berakha is what is derived by the amoraim on 45a for in each of the passages they quote, one person calls out to two others who join him.  2. The extra berakha is derived on 48b from the same passage that the rest of Birkat Ha-mazon is derived from.  Both aspects of zimmun coexist.

 

            The circular reasoning within the Ramban's argument was that the obligation of zimmun creates the unity of the group, while a unified group is a prerequisite for a zimmun to take place.  Through the Netziv's two-tiered approach, the Ramban is now understandable.  There are two aspects of zimmun, the formation of a communal Birkat Ha-mazon and the additional berakha.  The three members form a group differently for each of these two aspects.  To make a communal berakha, they must have reclined together at a joint meal.  In this zimmun is similar to making hamotzi together (the mishna on Berakhot 42a).  To add the extra berakha, though, they need simply to have eaten together.  It is this aspect of zimmun, to add an extra berakha, that halakhically unifies the group, and obligates a communal berakha.

 

Summary

 

            We have presented four approaches to zimmun:

 

1.  Communal berakha:  Three that ate together must say Birkat Ha-mazon together as one unit, one saying the berakhot and the rest answering amen (Rosh, Rama, Gra).

2.  Extra berakha:  The three must only add a berakha before the Birkat Ha-mazon, "Barukh she-akhalnu mi-shelo u-vetuvo chayyinu" (Ram Me'ivra, Ba'al Hamaor).

3.  Only the extra berakha is a communal berakha (Orchot Chayim).

4.  Zimmun includes both: adding an extra berakha and a communal Birkat Ha-mazon (Netziv).

 

 

(This article originally appeared in Daf Kesher, #99, vol. 1, p. 401.)

 

 

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