Question: If I ate meat, and within the 6 hour waiting period, I recited a bracha on a dairy food (forgetting I was Fleishig) and just as I was about to put the food in my mouth, I remembered that I was fleishig. What do I do?

Discussion: The Shulchan Aruch[1], paskens that if someone ate meat, he has to wait 6 hours before eating dairy. The Rama holds that one just needs to bentch, rinse his mouth, and wash his hands in order to eat dairy. This depends on the person’s place of upbringing, varying the waiting time as between 1 and 6 hours. However, the Minhag[2] has been established that all people wait 6 hours between meat and dairy.

In my question above, where I already recited a bracha, what does the Halacha dictate? Would not waiting the 6 hours be considered, an issur m’drabanan, even though, if I waited, I would have recited a bracha l’vatala? Is not waiting the 6 hours an extra chumra that would be overridden by the issur of making a bracha l’vatala[3]?

Some poskim[4] hold that if at least an hour has elapsed since bentching after a meat meal, and there aren't any meat pieces lodged in between the teeth, the proper thing to do, is eat a bit of the dairy food (in order not to recite a bracha l’vatala). However, if the person has not yet bentched, or there are pieces stuck in between his teeth, he may not eat the dairy and should say Baruch Sheim… in order to avoid the bracha l’vatala[5]. Most poskim[6] hold that in all cases one should not eat any of the dairy and just say boruch sheim in order to avoid the bracha l’vatala.

(A similar question arises when one makes a bracha on food and discovers (prior to eating it) that there are kashrus issues with that particular food[7].)

Daily Inspiration:

Sometimes, we may experience a collision of two positive energies. Although each have their merits, when they come together they often collide and cause a negative outcome. We find the same within our own selves: There are many positive qualities contained within each being, yet when they are active all at the same time, they can produce a negative effect. One must strive to utilize each individual energy to its full potential by channeling it in the most appropriate time and in the most effective way.

 

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[1] שו"ע יו"ד סי' פ"ט:א

[2] ט"ז סק"ב שפ"ד סק"ח ועי' דרכי תשובה שם סק"כ

[3] לכאו' זה נר' סברת המחלוקת בין המחבר ורמ"א דאי הוי שש שעות דינא או רק חומרא ועי' בב"י או"ח סי' קע"ג

[4] שו"ת גנזי יוסף סי' צ' שו"ת באר משה ח"ד סי' כ"ד (ולהעיר משוע"ר סיק רצ"ט:ב דשם משמע דבמקום חומרא של איסור אכילה קודם הבדלה נדחה מפני איסור ברכה לבטלה)

[5] שם

[6] עי' שו"ת לבושי מרדכי מהדו"ת יו"ד סי' קס"ז ושד"ח הובא בדרכי תשובה סי' פ"ט סקכ"ג
 (ולהעיר משוע"ר סי' רטו דהזכרת השם בברכה אפילו בברכה לבטלה הוי רק מדרבנן וממילא כגון דא אם לא בירך על הבשר הוי האיסור מדרבנן של בב"ח חמורא מאיסור ברכה לבטלה)

[7] עי' שו"ת שבט הלוי ח"א סי' ר"ה הערות על שו"ע