The question was asked by a person who ate food for which he said a Mezonot beforehand, and he wanted to know if had to make Beracha Acharona even though he was about to make a Netilat Yadayim and HaMotzih for an immediate forthcoming meal. This fellow ate the minimum amount required for a Beracha Acharona which is a Kezayit (the volume of an olive defined as either the volume of a third of an egg, 19.2 grams or .7 fluid ounces.) He wanted to know if he needed to say the Beracha Acharona, or if the Birkat HaMazon on the impending immediate meal would cover his consumed Mezonot food.
This case happens many times in our lives. For example, on Shabbat we eat what is called in Arabic a ‘Mazza’, which are appetizers before we begin the meal. These appetizers mostly comprise of Mezonot foods like Kibe (fried torpedo shaped meat hors d'oeuvre) and Lahme-Bagene (cooked meat over baked dough). So should one make Beracha Acharona on these foods, or can one rely on the forthcoming Birkat HaMazon?
There is a Machloket on this question between the Ben Ish Chai and Chacham Ovadia Yoseph. The Ben Ish Chai in Parashat Naso says in this case to make the Beracha Acharona of Al HaMichya after eating Mezonot foods. Chacham Ovadia Yoseph however, says that you do not make a Beracha Acharona because it’s questionable that the upcoming Birkat HaMazon would cover that food. So since we now have two opposing opinions, we therefore apply the rule of ‘Safek Berachot Lihakhel’ and we would not make the Beracha Acharona.
But, Chacham Ovadia Yoseph prefers that a person avoid this problem all together. He therefore says to either, eat less than a Kezayit which means you would not have to make a Beracha Acharona anyway, or the other option he says is to make the Beracha Acharona and then wait a little while before going to wash for the upcoming meal. Again, the first option is to eat less than the required amount of a Beracha Acharona. The second option to get out of this dilemma would be to make a Hefesk (an interruption) between the Beracha Acharona and the Netilat Yadayim.
Another example of this Halachic question is in regards to eating a fruit cocktail before a meal. It is quite common, especially at weddings, to eat a fruit cocktail, and then shortly thereafter to begin the meal. The Beracha Acharona on a fruit cocktail is Bore Nefashot. So, should a person say the Beracha Acharona of Bore Nefashot even though he is about to wash, make HaMotzih, and end with Birkat HaMazon? Wouldn’t the Birkat HaMazon cover the fruit cocktail? So here again we have the same differing opinions from The Ben Ish Chai and Chacham Ovadia Yoseph. The Ben Ish Chai says to make the Bore Nefashot even though it is immediately followed by Netilat Yadayim, HaMotzih and Birkat HaMazon. But, Chacham Ovadia Yoseph argues on this, and so once again we apply the rule of ‘Safek Berachot Lihakhel’ and we do not make Beracha Acharona if immediately followed by Netilat Yadayim, HaMotzih, and Birkat HaMazon. However, as in the case above, Chacham Ovadia Yoseph prefers to avoid this quandary all together and either eat less than the amount required for Beracha Acharona, or make the Beracha Acharona and then wait a little while before making Netilat Yadayim.
