As we mentioned on Friday, Daf Yomi is learning Arvei Pesachim, which deals with issues of Brochos and whether you have to say a new brocha when you change from one place to another. R’ Moshe Schwerd, the maggid shiur in Congregation Ahavas Yisroel in Queens on Sunday asked the following classic halachic question, “Can a Jew walk and check gum at the same time?”.
Here’s the explanation. The halacha is that if you change to a different location for eating, you have to say a new brocha rishonah (before brocha), if you are eating food for which you don’t have to go back to the place you ate for the brocha achronah (after beracha). This would be the case for all foods over which the brocha achronah is Borei Nefeshos (ie, fruits, vegetables, gum).
So if you say a beracha and begin eating an apple in your house and then go to the park and continue eating the apple, you would have to say a new brocha. But how about foods that you continually eat, like sucking candies and gum? In that case if you said the brocha in your house on the gum and continued chewing it, you would not need to say a new brocha if you walked outside.
So the moral of the story is that a Jew can walk and chew gum at the same time and be covered by the brocha he/she said in the house. Is this one of those jokes where you had to be there? In any case, it’s a beautiful Sunday in NY and hopefully the rest of the world, so go out to the park and chew all the gum you want. I know, I know we probably should not be eating on the street and the suitability of chewing gum raises another set of questions. As always, CYLOR – Consult Your Local Orthodox Rabbi for the finally psak.
If you are staying inside, why not spend some time learning Torah. Here are two relatively short mp3’s (20 minutes each) given by R’ Yechezkel Rosenberg, on the sugya of what is the quantity of food for which we have to make an after Brocha on foods and drinks. The source is the gemorra in Berachos on page 49b and R’ Rosenberg surveys the major Rishonic opinions on this issue. Download part 1 here and part 2 here.
A friend of mine once demonstrated what it actually looks like to chew gum vigorously to a group of ladies and girls in a shiur. Funny.
Also, why not learn outside? Especially on days like this. Take a sefer to the park and learn with a friend while the kids enjoy.
This blog continues to be a prime source of chewish knowledge.
JB, That’s what I meant when I said
“I know, I know we probably should not be eating on the street and the suitability of chewing gum raises another set of questions.”
Wait a minute.. are you advocating chewing gum in the street? I’m not sure that’s halachically permissable. You are not supposed to eat in the street lest it look like you are a “cow chewing it’s food in public” or something to that affect.