Sephardim Only Should Make 2 Blessings, Not 7, When Making Sheva Berachot Outside The Groom’s House During The Week Following A Wedding
A question continues to be asked in regards to the laws of Sheva Berachot, whose answer needs to be reiterated and made clear. The basic Halachot were covered before in a Daily Halacha entitled "The Proper Way To Make Sheva Berachot", which is available by logging onto www.dailyhalacha.com.
First let’s review what the topic is about. It is well known that under the Chupa at a wedding, 7 blessings are made to make the marriage official according to Jewish law. Those are called the ‘Sheva Berachot’. They can be found in all our Siddurim. There is a further Halacha that states the Sheva Berachot should additionally be made subsequently during the week following the wedding. The Sheva Berachot should be made after Birkat HaMazon following a meal where both the bride and groom participated.
The following question about the Sheva Berachot is an issue of great Machloket and disparity not only from Ashkenazim to Sephardim, but within the Sephardic community as well. The controversial question asks, if after the wedding, all 7 Berachot can be made if the meal takes place at a venue other than the home of the new couple.
According to Shulchan Aruch, the only time you can make the 7 blessings is when the meal is taking place in the couple’s home. For example, all 7 Berachot can be made if the groom had bought a house or rented an apartment, and the meal would be taking place there. But, according to the Shulchan Aruch, only 2 blessings would be made if the meal is at a place outside the couple’s home. These 2 Berachot are a ‘Bore Peri HaGefen’, and the Beracha of ‘Asher Bara Sason VeSimcha’, which his the first Beracha and the last Beracha respectively from the seven. This is the opinion of Maran.
Ashkenazim hold differently. Ashkenazim make all 7 Berachot no matter where the meal is. The meal for them could be at a restaurant, a friend’s house, or at a relative’s house. They make all 7 Berachot no matter where the meal is.
Our Halacha for the Sephardic Community, according to Chacham Ovadia Yoseph, is to follow the opinion of Maran. In a place outside of the couple’s home, only the 2 Berachot should be made as mentioned above. This was also the opinion of Chacham Ovadia’s Rabbi, HaChacham Ezra Atia Z"L. It is also the opinion our great Rabbi, the late Chacham Baruch Ben Chaim Z"L.
The procedure would be to give the cup of wine to one of the individuals who ate bread and participated in the Birkat HaMazon. He would say the ‘Bore Peri HaGefen’, and then the Beracha of ‘Asher Bara Sason VeSimcha’. He then drinks from the cup and gives it to the bride and groom to drink from it as well.
