Zimmun: Part I

Under certain circumstances when eating with others, the obligation to recite birkat ha-mazon includes zimmun (lit., convocation). What is zimmun? A multifaceted beracha, with two primary functions:

First, it invites a group of people to unite in recitation of birkat ha-mazon. Kolbo elaborates on the opportunity that zimmun provides to invite and prepare individuals to praise God as a group:

Second, zimmun transforms birkat ha-mazon into a communal ritual. Rashi makes this point in a comment noting that there is a distinction between reciting birkat ha-mazon following zimmun and merely discharging another’s obligation in birkat ha-mazon:

When one person discharges another’s obligation, they each fulfill an individual obligation at the same time. Zimmun, however, means that the beracha is theirs together.¹

Presumably based on this communal understanding of zimmun, Rambam writes that a mezammen (person leading zimmun) should recite all of birkat ha-mazon aloud for all participants.

Rambam’s suggestion is unfortunately difficult to put into practice because it requires great concentration on the part of the participants. Some do take care, though, to have the mezammen recite all of birkat ha-mazon aloud, while others pause to hear the mezammen recite the ending formula of at least the first beracha.²

The Talmud seems to present two other possibilities as the minimum for discharging the obligation of zimmun: joining only for the zimmun formula, or joining through the end of birkat ha-zan.³

In practice, Shulchan Aruch rules that the minimum is to hear the zimmun formula itself, emphasizing its role as invitation and introduction, while Rema rules that one should be sure to participate, or at least answer amen, through the end of birkat ha-zan.⁴ We will see that the idea that the mezammen should, at least in theory, be able to discharge the obligation of birkat ha-mazon for all zimmun participants has halachic implications.

Before turning to those implications, we need to look more closely at the mitzva of zimmun, its source and meaning.

Source

In many cases, we are obligated in the communal endeavor of reciting birkat ha-zimmun. The Talmud records a debate as to whether we derive this obligation alongside the obligation to recite birkat ha-mazon itself.

According to the first view, zimmun may be obligatory on a Torah level; the verse suggests that it helps welcome God’s presence to our recitation of birkat ha-mazon. According to the second view, ascribed to Rabbi Yehuda Ha-nassi, the obligation in zimmun is derived from a verse in Tehillim, and urges us to praise God together.

Some early authorities, including Ra’avad, do conclude that zimmun is obligatory on a Torah level,⁵ while others, including Ra’ah, maintain that it is rabbinic.⁶ A third position, proposed by Mabit, suggests that zimmun is obligatory on a Torah level specifically when recited by at least ten men.⁷ (We’ll come back to the question of gender for this type of zimmun in the second part of this series.)

Another Talmudic passage offers two possible Biblical derivations for the obligation in zimmun to apply when at least three people have eaten together. One of the verses is the same one cited by Rabbi Yehuda Ha-nassi above. In both verses, the speaker— one person— uses plural language to invite at least two others to praise God. One speaker plus two (or more) leads us to three (or more).

Both verses align with the structure of zimmun, in which a single mezammen leads, while others participate in praising God. A closer look reveals that each verse highlights one of the primary functions of zimmun: “For I will call upon the Lord’s name” focuses on the role of the speaker in inviting others to prepare themselves and join in the praise. As above, “Give greatness to God with me” emphasizes reciting praise of God together in a communal ritual. Rav Soloveitchik elaborates on what this means:

Zimmun forges, elevates, and even celebrates community in blessing God.

What exactly is the nature of a communal beracha, and how do we define a community of eaters who can make one?

Let’s start by looking at the berachot we recite over a physical benefit (birchot ha-nehenin). Generally speaking, a person cannot recite such a beracha for another unless personally experiencing the same benefit.⁸ This works well enough for a completely shared experience, such as smelling the same incense together.

When the benefit in question is eating, though, the shared experience only goes so far, because the act of eating is essentially individual, and thus each person receives benefit from the food in a distinct way. The Talmud Yerushalmi points out that this complicates the halachot of reciting a beracha before eating or drinking.

Therefore, the mishna teaches that one person only recites a beracha on behalf of others before eating if they have reclined together (in Mishnaic times, the common mode of eating a formal meal). The Talmud makes clear that a shared experience of eating communally, eating as a chavura, is at issue here. A chavura is typically defined as constituting three or more members.⁹

Even if they don’t recline, a group’s verbal agreement to eat together in a specific place can define them as a chavura. Rashi explains that this verbal agreement is a sort of hazmana, designation, which lends the communal eating fully established status, kevi’ut.

Tosafot add that once reclining is no longer the norm, sitting around a single table to eat bread can suffice to allow for a single, communal recitation of ha-motzi.

Additionally, within a person’s home, all household members who eat in the same general space are automatically considered a chavura.¹⁰ Shulchan Aruch summarizes these halachot, narrowing the application to birkat ha-motzi recited over bread, since eating bread is itself a sign of eating with kevi’ut:

In practice, when a group of people sit down together to eat bread they are considered a chavura as long as they are not scattered.¹¹ The halacha is even more flexible regarding household members eating together, since they all, in a sense, eat at the same table even when not literally doing so.

When a chavura discharges its obligation in birkat ha-motzi through one person’s recitation and others responding amen, the beracha itself is communal, representing each member of the community who have come together as a single halachic body.

This recitation of ha-motzi on behalf of the community is akin to the communal form of birkat ha-mazon created through zimmun.

After the meal

The definitions of chavura for reciting a single birkat ha-motzi largely apply to reciting zimmun after the meal as well. Though his view is rejected in practice, Rashi even suggests that two people are not enough to combine for one beracha of ha-motzi, just as two do not generally suffice for a zimmun:

In the continuation of the passage we saw above, Tosafot teach that reclining establishes a group as a chavura, whether for birkat ha-motzi or birkat ha-mazon:

One unique feature of zimmun is that, once the obligation exists, it cannot be broken in such a way that all or any of those obligated will be unable to participate in a zimmun. So, for example, the mishna teaches that a group of three, four, or five who ate together may not separate, though group of six may separate into two groups of three.

Shulchan Aruch applies this halacha once the group has had a communal birkat ha-motzi, even before they have eaten together.

According to some opinions, the obligation in zimmun takes effect even if they have simply agreed to eat together as a chavura.¹² In some cases, our sages were stringent to obligate groups in reciting zimmun, making the criteria for considering a group a chavura more flexible than for a communal ha-motzi.¹³

Ramban goes so far as to suggest that a group can be considered a chavura for zimmun even without any formal kevi’ut.

In practice, people who began eating separately, and joined together only after initial berachot were recited, are also considered a chavura with respect to zimmun, as long as they finish eating together.¹⁴

It’s even enough for two to finish eating to require the third member of the chavura to pause his eating and join the zimmun.¹⁵ A final case in which a group can make zimmun is when each member became obligated to make zimmun with other groups and didn’t yet recite it before coming together.¹⁶This last case is striking because the chavura in question never ate together at all!

Why should the definition of chavura for zimmun be more flexible in some cases than for reciting a communal ha-motzi?

The built-in call and response invitation aspect of zimmun itself establishes a distinct kevi’ut for members, analogous but not identical to the verbal declaration of intent to eat together. The halachic ideal may be to begin and eat a meal with the same chavura, but birkat ha-zimmun has communal elements that birkat ha-motzi does not. Any recitation of zimmun both depends on the presence of community and formalizes it, and the language of zimmun directly refers to that community by saying “nevarech,” “let’s bless.”

Who is obligated to form a chavura for zimmun? One baraita teaches that “all” are, while another relates that a group of women recite their own zimmun. The Talmud in Arachin links the two baraitot together:

A simple reading of the linking of the baraitot in this passage indicates that a chavura of women are obligated to make zimmun for themselves. Rabbeinu Asher rules this way, since he sees no reason why women should be exempt from the obligation of zimmun:¹⁷

This assertion is complicated for Tosafot, however, by the fact that it was rare for women of their time to recite zimmun. For this reason, they revisit the texts and come to the conclusion that the baraita means that women may opt to fulfill the mitzva of zimmun, but are not obligated to do so. They further support their reading by quoting the continuation of the baraita as it appears in Berachot:

The simple meaning of this baraita is that three women or three bondsmen may form a zimmun, but a combination of women, bondsmen, and minors may not, even if they wish. Tosafot cite the phrase “if they wish” to suggest that the all-women’s zimmun at the beginning of the baraita is also optional.

Though Tosafot seem confident that their reading is consistent with the passage in Arachin, they don’t fully explain how. What does a group of women’s option to recite zimmun have to do with “all” being obligated in it? Semag fills this gap by quoting Ri, a major Tosafist:

According to this reading, the passage in Arachin teaches us that women are only obligated in zimmun when eating with three or more men. However, for a chavura consisting only of women, zimmun is optional.

Why should this be the case? Perhaps for the same reason that women did not commonly perform zimmun voluntarily:

Assuming that women’s obligation in zimmun is rabbinic, our sages could choose to exempt women, who might lack familiarity with the language of zimmun. This lack would not be a bar to fulfilling the obligation in the presence of a zimmun of men.

In Practice

Shulchan Aruch follows Semag’s approach, ruling that an all-women’s zimmun is voluntary, but that a woman is obligated in zimmun in the presence of a men’s zimmun.

In this case, the woman discharges her obligation by joining the men’s zimmun.

I. An All-Women’s Zimmun The view that an all-women’s zimmun is voluntary has been widely accepted. Gera, however, rules in accordance with the view that three of more women breaking bread together are obligated in zimmun:

In light of this view, Ben Ish Chai encourages women to recite zimmun when eating together, even though women’s zimmun was not practiced in many communities:¹⁸

There is some halachic discussion about whether three or more women should recite zimmun in the presence of one or two men. Rav Moshe Sternbuch discourages this practice. In his view, men and women don’t combine to create a zimmun out of tzeniut concerns (a point we discuss here), and the three women would not remain obligated in zimmun at a table where the men are exempt. He adds that women should not opt to recite zimmun when not obligated because it might be considered haughtiness, deviation from communal custom, or even a beracha le-vatala, blessing in vain.

Rav Dovid Cohen rules that the men in theory could respond with the words traditionally recited by one who has not eaten at a meal: “baruch u-mvorach shemo tamid le-olam va-ed,” but in practice they should not do.¹⁹

In contrast, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach maintains that a group of women may recite their own zimmun even when one or two men are present. In that case, he rules that a woman should lead the zimmun — and the men should answer her.

This was also Rav Aharon Lichtenstein’s view.²⁰ In this case, though the men answer birkat ha-zimmun, they recite birkat ha-mazon to themselves, because a woman’s obligation in birkat ha-mazon may be rabbinic, affecting her ability to discharge a man’s obligation.

II. In Presence of Men’s When women eat in the presence of three or more men, thus becoming obligated in zimmun, Kaf Ha-chayyim rules that one of the men should recite it. This is because zimmun entails being able to discharge the whole group’s obligation in birkat ha-mazon, and women might only be obligated in birkat ha-mazon on a rabbinic level.²¹

We saw above that Ri would caution women not to recite birkat ha-mazon on her own in the presence of men’s zimmun, but rather to answer to the zimmun and join the group for birkat ha-mazon. In practice many are lax on this point. Rav Moshe Feinstein wrote a responsum to be melamed zechut, to judge groups in which women do not join a men’s zimmun favorably, since a woman may be preoccupied with laying out a meal or caring for children, which gets in the way of formal kevi’ut as a chavura.

Rav Moshe only applies this justification on weekdays, when meals tend to be less formal.²² In general, women should make every effort to participate in zimmun and men should take care to include women who have eaten with them in the zimmun, even if it means waiting for the women to return to the table.

An exception is when three or more women eat with between three and nine men. In that case, the women are permitted to break off and form a separate zimmun, just as a group of three men may form their own zimmun when there are another three to six men present.

Since women eating in the presence of a group of men are obligated in zimmun, an all-women’s break-off zimmun is considered fulfillment of the obligation for those women.²³