Berachah LeVatalah (blessing in vain) retroactively

Question

Can a Berachah be made LeVatalah retroactively?

What if you eat something that is spoiled, not realizing it until a bite or two in? You would not make a Berachah on spoiled food. But if you did, and you ate it, and then you realized it was spoiled, does your Berachah retroactively become in vain? Would it make a difference if you had either an extreme reaction or a neutral reaction?

similar to http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/17077/if-a-person-voids-a-purchase-sale-what-happens-to-the-bracha — Gershon Gold, Aug 27 '12 at 18:22
A similar case would be if you say Hamapil and can't fall asleep — b a, Aug 27 '12 at 18:30
@GershonGold, yes, they are related. I think this is more fundamental to that, though. That's a particular application with other considerations (status of the sale being a big one). — Seth J, Aug 27 '12 at 18:41
@ba SethJ Teshuva for a shogeg/oneis on a derabanan? Also, that is classically the second worst possible nafka mina (the first being kiddushin al tenai X). — Double AA, Aug 27 '12 at 18:55
@DoubleAA, excuse me? We say Berachoth LeHakel because the institution of Berachoth is MiDeRabbanan, whereas Motzi Shem HaShem LeVatalah is an Isur DeOraitha. Am I mistaken? — Seth J, Aug 27 '12 at 18:56
@SethJ Bracha levatala is not shem hashem levatala for most rishonim. In a bracha levatala you say a praise of hashem "He created fruits! That makes Him awesome!" so it isn't shem hashem levatala. — Double AA, Aug 27 '12 at 19:06
related question (note the last line in my comment) http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/9707/oseh-maaseh-braishis-on-a-rainbow-is-this-a-brocho-levatoloh#comment22888_12215 — Double AA, Aug 27 '12 at 19:42
@DoubleAA, how is your earlier comment consistent with this? In the rainbow case you're saying "G-d created the world! He is awesome!" — Seth J, Aug 27 '12 at 19:47
@SethJ What's the problem? It's bracha levatala but not shem hashem levatala. — Double AA, Aug 27 '12 at 19:55
@ba Not that God wouldn't accept it, just it might not be necessary. — Double AA, Aug 27 '12 at 19:58
@ba Nesivos 234:3. I'm guessing not all agree, but it is a known and serious opinion. — Double AA, Aug 27 '12 at 21:48
@DoubleAA VeAmar Rav VeIthema R"L VeAmri Lah R' Yoḥanan VeR"L DeAmri Travayhu, "Kol HaMeVarech Berachah SheEinah Tzerichah 'Over MiShum 'Lo Thisa.'" - "Anyone who recites an unnecessary blessing violates the Biblical prohibition against taking G-d's name in vain." (My simplified translation of Ber. 33a, 3rd line from the bottom.) — Seth J, Sep 07 '12 at 13:45
@SethJ IIRC pretty much everyone but the Rambam takes that as an asmachta. — Double AA, Sep 07 '12 at 13:55
@SethJ See Aruch HaShulchan OC 215:5 http://he.wikisource.org/wiki/%D7%A2%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%9A_%D7%94%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%97%D7%9F_%D7%90%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%97_%D7%97%D7%99%D7%99%D7%9D_%D7%A8%D7%98%D7%95#.D7.A1.D7.99.D7.9E.D7.9F_.D7.A8.D7.98.D7.95_.D7.A1.D7.A2.D7.99.D7.A3_.D7.94 — Double AA, Sep 07 '12 at 15:00
If you're at all uncertain if a food is spoiled, you should probably taste it - without recite a berakhah - in order to find out and, if it's still good, proceed as usual (i.e. recite a berakhah and eat). — Lee, Feb 13 '17 at 13:57

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 13 '17 at 14:33

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See SA OC 206, 6: If he took in his hand a fruit in attempt to eat it, and the fruit fell from his hand and gets lost, or dirty and is lo unfit for consumption, ... He needs to say Baruch Shem Kevod Malchouto Leolam Vaed because he pronounced the name of G-d in vain.

So, at the time of the blessing there was no error and the blessing was appropriate in the circumstances. But retroactively it was unnecessary. The SA called this pronouncing the name of G-d in vain.

This Shulchan Aruch is from the Talmud Yerushalmi Berachot (folio 43b, chapter 6, halacha 1).

answered Feb 13 '17 at 14:33

kouty

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But there is a difference: in your case he never bit into it, and certainly never swallowed anything (=having hana'ah). In the OP's question he did eat a bite or two, thereby giving his body some benefit (albeit not for his taste buds...). – May 24 '17 at 03:03
@Ploni if he eats chas veshalom feces and eat a bit or two.... see the sugia of shemen zayt and kemach seorim – kouty May 24 '17 at 03:39
I would think there's a difference between feces and spoiled bread... Where is this sugia you mentioned? – May 24 '17 at 03:44
@Ploni shemen zayit is in the first or second amud of ketsad mevarchim and the sugia of mazik is there in rishonim and they report the kemach seorim perhaps my remember is not exact – kouty May 24 '17 at 04:00
Is spoiled food damaging to the body as is the case by olive oil? – May 24 '17 at 04:40
@Ploni very posdibly – kouty May 24 '17 at 05:08
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/do-food-expiration-dates-matter – May 24 '17 at 23:30

NJM · Answer 2 · 2017-02-13T19:12:15.670

On your first question regarding the possibility of a bracha levatala retroactively being made, this article by dinonline explains

What if one recited a b’racha for a drink and it suddenly spilled?

If possible, he should drink even a minute amount of the remnants in order to use the b’racha. Otherwise, he has unfortunately recited a b’racha levatala and must say the sentence baruch sheim etc.

For the 2nd part of your question regarding spoiled food, the OU writes,

...'If one eats moldy bread or other spoiled foods; one would recite shehakol. (If one eats his fill of such bread, he would need to bentch, which is a Biblical obligation – see Bi’ur Halacha 204:1 s.v. pas she’ifasha.) This is only if the food is a little distasteful; if it is truly unfit to eat, one would say no bracha on it at all.'

Seemingly, if the food was so spoiled a bracha shouldn't have been made in the first place, it may be a bracha levatala as well.

For the question asked: yes, there is a retroactive bracha levatala. For the example given: no, that's not levatala, since you've already eaten some of the food (and received at least a minuscule amount of hana'ah) — Isaac Kotlicky, Feb 13 '17 at 13:23

Berachah LeVatalah (blessing in vain) retroactively

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