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Halachot of Kzayit
These halachos were
taken from a wonderful book titled, Halachos of K’zayis and
it is written by Rabbi Yisroel Pinchos Bodner. It is a great book
and I recommend anyone who is interested in these halachos to buy
the book. You can get it online at: http://www.judaism.com/display.asp?type=quicksearch&etn=JAHBC
2. How much is a Shiur K’zayis
3. How to calculate the Shiur K’zayis
1. Shiur K’zayis
The Torah commands us
to make a brocha after eating bread (and being satiated), and defines
for us what is meant by “eating”. “Eating” means that a person ate
1 k’zayis and if someone ate less then a k’zayis of bread he is
not required, nor PERMITED to bentch.
When Chazal instituted
the requirement to make a brocha achrona for foods other then bread
they used the same criteria that the torah uses for bentching. Therefore,
with regards to brocha achrona, if one ate less then a k’zayis of
food he is not required, nor PERMITED to make a brocha achrona.
Knowing how much food
equals k’zayis is not an easy matter. A k’zayis is a measure of
volume. (Volume – the amount of space the item occupies). Two items
which when measured have the same volume; will often not be perceived
as such.
For example, a cube of chocolate measuring 1.2” x 1.2” x 1.2” high, is a k’zayis. That same amount of chocolate can be melted and poured into a bar shaped mold measuring 3.7” x 3.7” x 1/8” high. The resulting products, a small cube or a big bar appear as two very different shapes, yet both hold the same amount of chocolate and the same volume. The same k’zayis of chocolate can then be poured into ball shaped molds having a ľ inch diameter. It will fill 8 balls. The same k’zayis can then be poured into slightly smaller ball shaped molds having a ˝ inch diameter. It will fill 27 Balls! An insignificant quarter of an inch difference in diameter makes a significant difference when computing cubic volume.
2. How much is a Shiur K’zayis
3. How to calculate the Shiur K’zayis
For example, a typical slice of kishke has the radius of 3.5 cm and is 2.2 cm high. Square the radius and you get 12.2. Multiply that by 2.2 and you get 26.8. Multiply that by π, 3.14, and you get 84.1. That slice of kishke has a volume of 84.1 cc and since you need 28.8 cc for one k’zayis – there are almost 3 k’zayisim in that slice of kishke. (84.1 divided by 28.8 equals 2.92 k’zayisim)
Cut the doughnut in half. The half doughnut will
have two circles where you made the slice. Measure the radius of
one of those circles in cm. If your ruler only shows inches, convert
the inches into centimeters. One inch equals 2.54 centimeters.)
We will call this little radius ‘r’. Now, measure from the center
of one circle, across the space that was the hole, to the center
of the second little circle. Take half of this second measurement
and we will call this second radius Big ‘R’.
Take Big R and multiply it by a π-based number – 19.7 (This number, which is used to calculate the volume of a torus, is the result of multiplying π by π (3.14 x 3.14), then doubling the result.)After you multiplied BIG R by 19.7 take note of that number. Then multiply little r and square it. Make note of that second result. Finally, multiply the first noted number by the second noted number to get the grand total. (The mathematical formula for a torus is: Volume = 2π2Rr2).
4. Shiur for S’FARDIM
For example, a typical machine matzah weighs slightly more then one once (33 grams) by it displaces 2 fl. oz. Thus when measured by weight we will need one whole matzah for a k’zayis, but in reality, when measured by volume half of a matzah is enough for a k’zayis.
Other S’fardic Poskim
rule that the shiur of a k’zayis should be measured by volume since
this is the opinion of the Rambam and the Shulchan Aruch. According
to this view, S’fardim should not make a brocha achrona unless the
food item has a cubic volume of one fluid once, regardless of its
weight.
RABBI OVADIA YOSEF says that S’fardim should follow this minhag
and calculate the k’zayis by weight. According to this minhag, calculating
the amount of food needed for a requirement is very simple. You
can either weigh the item yourself on a scale, or since all packaged
goods come with the weight information on the box calculate it yourself.
It should say the weight in grams on the nutrition facts but if
not you will need to convert the ounces to grams:
Ounces
(oz) to grams = multiply by 28.35
5. Pas Haboh B’kisnin
Mezonos products can
be divided into two categories: Non bread family and Bread family
products.
Non Bread Family – Grain products that are cooked like noodles and oatmeal. Such products are not considered to be in the bread family category because they do not have bread-like properties and appearance. The brocha rishona is borei menei mezonos. The brocha achrona is al hamichya and bentch is never required for these products (even if a shuir seuda is eaten)
Products that are deep fried are also classified as non bread family products since deep frying is halachically equivalent to cooking. For example, doughnuts that are deep fried are classified as non bread family products.
Thus most types of cakes,
cookies, pretzels, pies, knishes, and crackers are considered bread
family products. Exception: Products which are baked to a thin consistency
such as wafers or wafer thin crackers do not have bread like appearance
and are classified as non bread family products.
Bread family products,
although technically classifies as “bread”, are ordinarily not subject
to hamotzi, not bentching, nor n’tilas yodahyim since they are eaten
as snacks. At times, however, people make bread family products
the mainstay of their meal. For example, a person pressed for time,
might eat a large helping of cake for breakfast, in place of a conventional
meal. When products of the bread family are used as the mainstay
of a meal, they are treated as genuine bread.
This rule only applies
when a shiur – an amount suitable for a meal – is eaten. In such
instances n’tilas yodahyim, hamotzi and bentching are required.
We refer to this shiur as a shiur seuda.
Shiur Seuda – If a shiur seuda of bread family products was eaten, it is treated as genuine bread. There is a difference of opinion among the Poskim as to the minimum amount considered to be a shiur seuda. According to some Poskim, an amount of food equal to the volume of four eggs is sufficient amount of food for a minimal meal. Therefore, a shiur seuda is equal to 8 k’zayisim.
Other
Poskim are of the opinion that the shiur seuda is calculated according
to the amount of food the average person eats for a regular meal.
Since the amount can vary from country to country, and generation
to generation, the shiur seuda can not be stated in a fixed number
of ounces. Rather one must estimate if the volume of bread family
products that he ate is equal to the amount eaten for a meal.
Since there is a difference of opinion regarding the shiur seuda, when eating a large volume of cake, crackers, or other bread family products, one should either:
- Eat an amount which is defiantly less then the shiur – less then 8 k’zayisim. He should make borei menei mezonos and al hamichya, or…
- Eat an mount which is defiantly more then the shiur
– more than the quantity of a regular meal and make a hamotzi
and bircas hamozon
After the fact:
- If one ate more then the volume of 8 k’zayisim, but less than the amount the average person eats at a regular mea – and does not feel satiated (full) – then he should recite al hamichya.
- If one ate more then the volume of 8 k’zayisim, and
feels satiated – he should recite bircas hamozon.
Shiur when eaten together with other foods – If one eats bread family products in place of bread, together with foods which are normally eaten within a meal (e.g., meat, fish, eggs, etc.) , the other foods are counted towards the shiur.
For example, one wishes to avoid bentching at a wedding meal. He decides to eat the entire meal, but substitutes crackers for bread (i.e., he eats an amount of crackers equal to the amount of bread normally eaten during the meal). Since the crackers plus the other food amount to a shiur seuda, he must wash, recite hamotzi, and bentch.
6.
Brochos for Selected Items
Chocolate covered peanuts, raisins – The determination of which brocha to make on a chocolate nut combination is dependent on the intention of the person eating it. If one primarily wants the fruit or nut, and regards the chocolate coating as an enhancer to the fruit, he should recite borei pri hoetz which will exempt the chocolate as well.
Alternatively, if he primarily wants the chocolate, and regards the fruit as an enhancer to the chocolate then he should recite shehakol which will exempt the fruit or nut.
Regarding instances
where one like both the chocolate and the nut or fruit there is
a difference of opinion amongst the Poskim. Some Poskim say on should
make a brocha on the majority ingredient. Other Poskim rule that
one should make two separate brochot. Rav
Moshe Feinstein rules that two brochot are required. He should find
another fruit or nut and make a borei pri hoetz and eat that fruit
or nut keeping in mind the fruit or nut in the candy. Then he should
make a shehakol on the candy. If he does not have another fruit
or nut he should first make a shehakol and scrape off some coating
with your teeth. Then make a borei pri hoetz and eat the rest of
the candy.
Granola – The brocha for products made
from roasted kernels of grains, such as granola is borei pri hoadoma.
The brocha achrona is, technically, borei nefoshos. There is however,
uncertainty among the rishonim, as to which brocha achrona is most
appropriate for roasted grain products. The Shulchan Aruch suggests,
therefore, that a yorei shomayim should try to avoid having to make
a brocha achrona on such products (either by only eating them during
the course of a bread meal or by eating less then a k’zayis within
k’dei achilas praas)
Pizza – Some establishments knead their dough with fruit juice, in order to insure that its brocha be borei menei mezonos (rather than hamotzi), It should be noted, that even for such pizza, if one intends to eat a shiur seuda he must wash, make hamotzi and bentch.
The brocha requirement for a regular pizza (not made with fruit juice) can vary from country to country. In places where most people eat pizza for a meal, hamotzi and bentching are required. However, where most people eat pizza as a snack, borei menei mezonos and al hamichya are required (provided that less then a shiur seuda is eaten).
It is often difficult
to determine whether most people eat pizza as a snack or a meal.
In cases such as these Poskim advise to do as follows: If the individual
eating the pizza is doing so for a snack (and he plans to eat less
than a shiur seuda) he should make a borei menei mezonos and al
hamichya. If he is eating the pizza as a meal, he should wash; make
hamotzi and bentch (even when eating less than a shiur seuda).
Rice Cakes – Rice cakes are produced by
applying hot air, steam and pressure to rice grains. Since borei
menei mezonos is designated only for rice that was cooked, it is,
according to many Poskim, inappropriate for rice cakes. Therefore
it is prweferable to make a borei pri
hoadoma for rice cakes. However, borei menei mezonos is also acceptable.
Pringles
– According to some Poskim, the brocha for “Pringles” (
potato chips made from dehydrated potato granules) is borei
pri hoadoma, since the end product is recognizably a potato chip.
Matzah
for S’fardim – The minhag of the S’fardic community
is to make borei menei mezonos on matzah – except on Pesach. Preferably,
hamotzi should be made on regular challohs or bread. The matzos
may then be eaten during the course of the meal.
