By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com

Shimon invited Reuvain to be the tenth man at an impromptu Sheva Brachos at his home..

Reuvain:  “Look, I vill come for dessert, but my A1C is a bit high, so I really don’t vant to wash..,”

Shimon:  “Baloney Macaroni!  If you were so concerned about your A1C – YOU WOULDN’T HAVE DESSERT!  You have what they call Bentching phobia.  You don’t want to bentch!  But that’s okay, four out of the other nine people told me the same thing, so come.  And dessert by the way are two Ziegelmans.”

SIX HALACHOS

1. The Halacha is (see SA OC 167:62and MB there) that even if there are ten men present, at least seven of them must wash or have eaten a shiur of a baked Mezonos that requires bentching (See SA 168:6).  The other three can eat mezonos.  This is also the ruling cited in the Pischei Teshuvah EH 82:8).  And while it is true that Rav Shlomo Kluger in HaElef Lecha Shlomo (OC 93) rules that 3 are enough to recite the Sheva Brachos – we do not rule like him because of Safaik brachos Lehakel.
2. When there are less than 7 who ate bread, only the last of the Sheva Brachos, is recited.
3. If the people in the Sheva Brachos were unaware of this halacha, then they stop in mid-sheva brachos. If they were told in the middle of the bracha after Hashem’s Names were recited then it would seem that they should finish that bracha to catch the opinion of Rav Shlomo Kluger and at least be yotzeh according to that view.
4. The bride and groom both need to wash over bread and eat a Kezayis in order for Sheva Brachos to be recited (See Nisuim K’hilchasa Chapter 14 #86). This is something that one must carefully check out because otherwise it may be a bracha levatala.
5. There is a machlokes, a debate among Poskim as to whether the Panim Chadashos person – (the one who was not at the wedding and must be present unless the sheva brachos happens on Shabbos) needs to wash as well.
6. Do the people reciting the Sheva Brachos need to be of the seven who washed or can they be of the three that didn’t? Ashkenazim can (), but Sefardim who follow Rav Ovadiah zt”l cannot (YO EH III 11:7).

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