If bread that is [made] from the five species of grain was made as kisnin, and you eat less than the quantity sufficient for a meal, it does not require netilas yadayim—washing the hands and it does not require the berachah, Hamotzi, rather the berachah Borei minei mezonos, and after it the berachah, Al hamichyah. However, if you eat the amount sufficient for a meal, it is governed by the same law as regular bread, [i.e.] it requires netilas yadayim, and the berachah, Hamotzi, and after [eating] Birkas Hamazon.

What is bread made as kisnin? Some [poskim] say: that it is bread made in the shape of pockets, filled with fruit meat or cheese or with similar things, or when it is made like a "strudel" [fruits and nuts rolled in dough and baked]. And other [poskim] say: that it is bread kneaded with oil, or fat or honey, or milk, or eggs or fruit juices, even if they were also mixed [with] water, as long as it is less than half [the liquid].² be regular bread-dough to be considered kisnin. Rather it must be kneaded with liquid that is less than half water, the majority being oil, juice, milk, etc. Only then are the special requirements of bread such as netilas yadayim, Hamotzi, Birkas Hamazon, not required. We accept both opinions in order to be lenient and we consider both [kinds of baked goods] as "bread that comes with kisnin."³, and are exempt from all the special requirements of regular bread.

footnotes: ² The difference between the two opinions is that the first speaks of a regular bread-dough-flour and water baked with other foods added into it. The second opinion holds that the dough itself may not ³ Therefore, both of the above kinds of bread have as their berachah, Borei minei mezonos

The amount considered sufficient for a meal is not set individually for each person, but by what most people [average people] usually consume for the midday meal, or for the evening meal to satisfy their appetite. If you eat this quantity, although you are not satisfied, nevertheless, it is considered bread. And, if you ate this bread with a spread [or dip],⁴ to denote any food that is eaten with bread to make the bread more palatable; either a spread or a dip, e.g., butter, jam, gravy, sauces, etc. we also estimate the amount by considering if others would satiated if they ate the same amount with a spread.⁵ is secondary to the bread and is considered an extension of it for setting the quantity of the bread for the average person. But if you ate a smaller quantity without a spread and your appetite is satisfied, but if others would eat this amount they would not be satiated, but if they would eat it with a spread they would be satiated, then the laws of bread apply.⁶ (including Hagaon R’ Moshe Feinstein have ruled that one slice of pizza is considered kisnin and does not require netilas yadayim. But more than one slice constitutes a meal and all the obligations pertaining to a meal apply.)

footnotes: ⁴ The Talmud uses liftan ⁵ The liftan ⁶ Contemporary Poskim

If your original intention was to eat only a little (i.e. less than a "meal") and you said: Borei minei mezonos and then reconsidered to eat the amount sufficient for "a meal," if the additional amount that you now want to eat is not sufficient for a meal unless it is combined with what you originally ate, you may eat it as is⁷ or Hamotzi. and afterwards say the Birkas Hamazon. But if the additional amount you now want to eat has [in itself] an amount sufficient for "a meal," you must do netilas yadayim and say the berachah Hamotzi on that which you now want to eat. But the berachah, Al hamichya, need not be recited on that which you [originally] ate, because it becomes combined with that which you will now eat and will be exempt with the Birkas Hamazon.

footnotes: ⁷ You do not require netilas yadayim

Dough kneaded with water, which has a loose, soft consistency and is baked in an oven or even in a pan [on an open fire] without liquid, even if the pan was greased with oil, in order that the dough not burn, is not considered "liquid" and it has the law of real bread. [And thus] even if you eat of it only a kazayis,⁸ it requires netilas yadayim, Hamotzi and Birkas Hamazon. But, if it is fried in liquid [oil],⁹ 168: 68. it is not considered bread, even if you eat of it a quantity which satisfies your appetite. Likewise, those flat wafers which are very thin that are baked in a press between two iron plates, do not have the law of bread. And even if you ate of them a quantity which satisfies your appetite, you need only recite Borei minei mezonos and the after-berachah, Al hamichyah. Sometimes dough is made very thin in the following manner: flour and water are put into a pot and mixed with a spoon and poured over vegetable leaves and baked in the oven over the leaves. This dough has the halachah of kisnin.

footnotes: ⁸ I.e. less than the amount that constitutes “a meal.” See also glossary. ⁹ טִיגוּן = cooked in oil. See Mishnah Berurah

Dough that was boiled and then baked, such as bagels or pretzels, is [considered] real bread, but only if it was well-baked.

Real bread that was boiled, or fried in butter or in similar [shortening], even if it lost the appearance of bread, for instance [when the bread] was completely covered with egg, if the slice is a kazayis, it has all the laws of bread. If each slice is not a kazayis, even if through the cooking it expanded and now each slice is a kazayis, or if [the pieces] became attached through cooking and is now one large mass,¹⁰ even if they have the appearance of bread, nevertheless, it is not considered "bread," and its berachah is only Borei minei mezonos and after eating it the berachah Al hamichyah. This is so even if you ate enough to be satiated. But, if you did not boil it, but poured hot gravy upon it, it is a doubtful berachah¹¹—a doubtful berachah: A) A doubt whether or not a berachah is required at all. B) A doubt as to which berachah is required. In our case the doubt is: Should the berachah be Mezonos or Hamotzi. When the doubt is whether a berachah is required, we omit the berachah, but when we do not know which berachah to make, then we must find the solution. Note the author’s solution to our case. because it is questionable whether or not iruy—pouring¹² = water poured from a boiling vessel directly onto other food or liquid. In some cases (e.g., Orach Chaim 318: 10, Mishnah Berurah 74, etc.) iruy is considered equal to bishul-cooking. In our situation of kisnin the question of whether iruy constituted bishul remains an unresolved question of the poskim. is considered "boiling" in our case (of kisnin). [Therefore, such pudding] should be eaten only in the course of a meal.¹³ problem of sofek berachah by suggesting: wash netilas yadayim, do Hamotzi, eat a slice of regular bread. As a result, all the food eaten at that meal will be included in the berachah of Hamotzi and we no longer have the problem of which berachah should be said. But, if it was not boiled, but soaked in liquid or in soup, and the pieces [individually] are not a kazayis, in such a case it depends if they have the appearance of bread or not; if they have the appearance of bread, they then have all the laws pertaining to "bread." And if they don't have the appearance of bread, they do not have the laws of bread, and even if you ate enough to satisfy your appetite, you only say the berachah, Borei minei mezonos, and afterwards Al hamichya. If the appearance of the liquid changed, because of the pieces [of bread], [then] it is definite that they have lost the appearance of "bread." Likewise, if they were soaked in red wine, they no longer have the appearance of bread.

footnotes: ¹⁰ E.g., a pudding. ¹¹ There are two concepts of sofek berachah ¹² Iruy ¹³ The author solves this

Even if dough was kneaded only with water and then boiled, you recite the berachah, Borei minei mezonos and after it Al hamichyah. This is so even if you ate enough to be satiated. Similarly, ground grain [groats] or whole grain¹⁴ that was made of the five species of grain and then boiled, the berachah is also; Borei minei mezonos, and afterwards: Al hamichyah, even if you eat enough to satisfy your appetite. If you eat them with the soup [that they were boiled in] and similarly—foods made of dough that are eaten with the soup or with the milk that were cooked in, you need not recite a berachah on the soup or milk, because they are secondary and lose their significance to the food. But, if you cooked only a small amount of cereal or groats and the main object is only for the soup or the milk, in such a case they do not lose their significance and you recite the berachah, Shehakol, over it. And even though you eat the cereal or groats also, the soup or milk do not lose their significance because they are considered the main object. Nevertheless, in order to do the mitzvah in the most appropriate manner, it is proper that you first recite the berachah Shehakol only on the soup or the milk and drink a small amount by itself (avoiding any of the grain), and afterwards recite the berachah Borei minei mezonos on the cereal or groats, because although the intent (of the cooking) was not for them, they do not become secondary. Grain is [always] considered a major [food] and does not become secondary to forfeit its own berachah as long as its purpose is to add flavor to the food being cooked.

footnotes: ¹⁴ A common example of “ground grain” are common breakfast cereals such as oatmeal, farina, wheatena, etc. “Whole grain” refers to such foods as boiled barley.

Foods that are prepared with ground matza (matza meal) or with bread crumbs (e.g., "kneidlach"—matza-balls and pancakes) that are mixed with oil, eggs, and milk and are kneaded [all together] and then boiled or fried, their berachah is: Borei minei mezonos, and afterwards: Al hamichyah.

If food made of one of the grains was boiled with other foods such as bits of dough¹⁵ with green peas or dried beans (eg. barley with green peas and/or dried beans), even if the other food (peas or beans) is the major ingredient, nevertheless, since each is separate unto itself,¹⁶ it requires two berachos: first on some of the bits of dough make the berachah, Borei minei mezonos, and eat them, and then on some of the beans make the berachah, Borei peri ha'adamah, and eat them [separately]. After that, you may eat them together. And the soup (in which they were cooked) is secondary and does not require a berachah. But if they dissolved and were totally merged together (i.e., into a new food form) for instance a dish that is prepared by mixing flour, eggs, and cheese and then boiled or fried (e.g., pancakes or blintzes), even though the flour is the lesser quantity, nevertheless, since it is [made of] one of the five grains, it is considered primary and the berachah is Borei minei mezonos, and afterwards Al hamichyah. However, this rule applies only when the flour is added to contribute to its taste. But, if only a little is added as a binder (or thickener), as is regularly done to prepare various sauces with a small amount of flour, and similarly, baked confections [that are made with] almonds, sugar and eggs with a little flour added merely as a binder, then the flour loses its identity and the berachah is made on the major ingredient only. The same applies to gravy [or sauce] that is boiled or fried with some flour, browned and fried in butter, the berachah made on the sauce or gravy is shehakol. But if you pick out the bits of browned flour and eat them separately, you must make the berachah, Borei minei mezonos. If you ate a kazayis of them you must make the berachah, Al hamichyah, afterwards.

footnotes: ¹⁵ These bits of dough are either freshly done or dry, as will become evident later on. ¹⁶ I.e., it did not become a unified new food such as porridge, but the beans and egg barley are recognizable and separate.