Reply To: What would you say? – Hilchos Brochos

My position so far (can’t remember if this is in accordance with what I have written previously):

1. Does a brocho achrona close off a brocho rishona :- Not inherently, unless it would constitute a siluk for some reason.

2. Is brocho achrona automatically a siluk, in a situation where there is no hesech hada’as: This seems to be the machlokes the Biur Halachah brings down.

3. Even if it does constitute a siluk, logic dictates that only on something which requires this bracha achronah. It is pretty clear that if you made mezonos on cake and shehakol on water, you may make al hamichya and continue drinking. I would posit that it would not be a siluk on the rice. [I don’t know what to say about a food which requires the same bracha achrona, but you haven’t eaten it yet (eg. al haperos on grapes with intention to continue eating pomegranate) – would that be a siluk? This case causes me a lot of confusion]

4. If it doesn’t cause a siluk, one would not need to make a new beracha after making a bracha achrona with intention to continue eating (although it would be assur to make the first bracha achrona because you are causing ברכה שאינה צריכה). This is the position of the פסקי תשובות, supposedly quoting a Ra’avad.

5. Even if it is not a siluk inherently, the act of birchas hamazon without intention to continue eating would be a siluk; it signals the end of the meal.