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How does the principle of “ikkar” and “tofel” work with the after-blessing?

Let us say that I make the blessing “borei minei mezonos” on my breakfast cereal eaten with milk. After I have eaten the cereal with the milk, my body benefits from the cereal and the milk in the same way as if I had eaten them one at a time.

If I had eaten them one at a time, I would have been liable to say two after-blessings.

Why is it different if I ate the two together?

related - What if the tafel comes to hand first?

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Avrohom Yitzchok
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    I'm a little confused by this question. What exactly are you asking? Why do you think the rule for the after-blessing should be different from the before-blessing? – Daniel Jun 12 '15 at 13:12
  • There are two ways to eat the cereal and milk (separately and together). The bodily benefit is the same in both ways. I assume the after-blessing is to thank for the benefit to the body. Why then should the after blessing depend on how I eat the cereal and milk? – Avrohom Yitzchok Jun 12 '15 at 14:26
  • AFAIK, after eating cereal w/ milk, you make two post-blessings, both al hamichya and borei nefashot. For other combos, it seems that the concept is that the first bracha which is on the ikar exempts making the bracha on the tafel. Shouldn't that same rule work for the post bracha? – DanF Jun 12 '15 at 14:29
  • Why do you claim the after-blessing is for the benefit to the body but the before-blessing is not? – Daniel Jun 12 '15 at 14:33
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    @DanF “The Halachos of Brochos” by Rabbi Bodner page 254 says “Just as the initial brocha on the ikar covers the tofel, so too does the brocha achrona of ikar cover the tofel”. And in the “Handbook” about for example “Wheat Chex” it says the after-brocha is “al hamichya”. – Avrohom Yitzchok Jun 12 '15 at 14:42
  • @Daniel I am not making any claims about the reason for the before-blessing. My question is about the after-blessing and that is why I gave you my idea about the after-blessing. – Avrohom Yitzchok Jun 12 '15 at 14:45
  • @AvrohomYitzchok Ok, so why do you claim the after-blessing is for the benefit to the body? – Daniel Jun 12 '15 at 14:47
  • @AvrohomYitzchok (Great name. Is your son, Ya'akov?) It sounds like you've answered your own question. The concept of "ikar / tafel" applies only when the items are eaten together, not separately. What am I missing? – DanF Jun 12 '15 at 14:48
  • @DanF I want to understand the mechanism by which ikar/tafel operates so that it generates such a surprising conclusion in this case. Just defining it as ikar/tafel does not satify me. – Avrohom Yitzchok Jun 12 '15 at 15:40
  • @Daniel Devorim 8, 10. "And you will eat and be sated, and you shall bless the Lord, your God, for the good land He has given you." http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/9972http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/9972 – Avrohom Yitzchok Jun 12 '15 at 15:44

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