Spring 2026

While much is written regarding the halachos of Birkas Hamazon, there are also important halachos regarding the recitation of Mei’ein Shalosh. Mei’ein Shalosh is commonly referred to as Al Hamichya because that is the most recited version. Mei’ein Shalosh means “a similar abbreviated version of three” referring to brachos containing snippets of three of the brachos of Birkas Hamazon, which Biblically is three blessings.[1]

Few people realize that there are 238 different variations of Mei’ein Shalosh,[2] a number that has the gematria of the word vayevareich (and he blessed). The various possible combinations of foods (e.g., cake and wine, cake and fruit from Israel) add up to 17 variations. This number is multiplied by 14 possible special day combinations[3] to arrive at 238. Let’s examine the intricacies of the halachos of Mei’ein Shalosh.

The Three Different Mei’ein Shalosh

• Al Hamichya – said after eating a shiur of chameishes minei dagan[4] (henceforth referred to as dagan) that has been processed[5] into pas haba’ah b’kisnin[6] (e.g., cake or cookies) or a ma’aseh kedeira (e.g., cooked oatmeal).
• Al Ha’eitz – said after eating a shiur of shivas haminim fruits.[7] The bracha ends with the words al ha’aretz v’al hapeiros.
• Al Hagefen – said after drinking a shiur of wine or grape juice.

Timing and Place: When and Where to Say It

This bracha should, l’chatchila, be recited as soon as possible, but there are always extenuating circumstances.[8]

• One has 72 minutes[9] from the time he last ate or while he is still sated from the cake or fruit, whichever time is later, to say Mei’ein Shalosh.
• If one left the location where a mezonos item was eaten, and then realized he forgot to say Al Hamichya,he should return to the original location to recite it[10](unless by the time he returns, it will be too late to say it).
• If it is impossible, difficult or not practical to return to the original location (e.g., someone ate cake in the airport and then boarded a plane), one should say Mei’ein Shalosh in the new location.
• If one plans on changing locations, ideally, one should have in mind that he is changing his location at the time of the bracha rishona.
• If one ate more cake in a different location, Mei’ein Shalosh can be recited in any location where a shiur was consumed.
• Mei’ein Shalosh should l’chatchila be recited while sitting down.[11] When attending a “stand-up Kiddush” on Shabbos, one should find a seat before reciting Al Hamichya.

Special Text for Special Days

On special days, a short statement is added before the words ki atoh.

• This includes ur’retzei v’hachlitzeinu on Shabbos, v’zachreinu on Rosh Hashana and Rosh Chodesh, and v’samcheinu during the Shalosh Regalim (including Chol Hamoed).[12]
• One who ate cake or shivas haminim on Yom Kippur (e.g., one whose life was in danger) should add v’zachreinu l’tova b’Yom Hakipurim hazeh.[13] 
• If one forgot the insertion on any of the above special days, one is still yotzei and should not repeat the bracha. However, if he has not reached baruch ato Hashem at the end, he should go back and insert the correct text.

Special Concluding Brachos on Fruits and Wine from Eretz Yisroel

► Al ha’aretz v’al pairose’ha  – is said in the last sentence and in the final bracha after one ate a shiur from the shivas haminim fruits that were actually grown in Eretz Yisroel.[14] This is true even if one is located in chutz la’aretz.

► Al ha’aretz v’al pri gafnah – is said in the final sentence and in the final bracha after one drank wine made from grapes grown in Eretz Yisrael.[15]

Shiurim: How Much is the Right Amount and How Quickly Must They Be Consumed

The shiur that one must eat to say Mei’ein Shalosh is a kezayis (of cake or shivas haminim fruit) b’kedei achilas pras. The kezayis should preferably be eaten within a two-minute span. If this is difficult, it should be eaten within four minutes. 

A kezayis is the volume of 0.95 fl. oz. (28 ml which is slightly less than 1 fl. oz.).[16] For beverages (i.e., wine or grape juice), the shiur is a reviis (3.8 fl. oz.) in the amount of time it takes to drink a reviis (i.e., a 30-second span[17]).  

If one eats a kezayis of a dagan product, the bracha achrona may be Al Hamichya even if the actual dagan content consumed is less than a kezayis.[18] This is true if the non-dagan ingredients (e.g., sugar) are added to enhance the flavor of the oat and/or wheat flour (i.e., they are tavlin enhancers) and they are combined into a single entity.[19]

Taking Gluten-Free Blends Into Account

If a cake is made from potato starch (e.g., for Pesach) or from other gluten-free blends (e.g., with tapioca or almond flour), the bracha achrona is Borei Nefashos.[20]If there is at least 51% dagan, one recites Al Hamichya after consuming a kezayis of cake b’kedei achilas pras.[21]

If dagan is less than half of the bread, one must calculate the percentage of dagan within the different “flours” to determine whether Al Hamichya is recited. If, for example, one eats cake that contains 35% oat flour, 25% tapioca flour, 25% millet flour and 15% almond flour,[22]  the bracha is Mezonos but one would need to eat three kezeisim (i.e., to reach a kezayis of oat flour) b’kedei achilas pras to recite Al Hamichya since the food is only 1/3 dagan.

Combining Different Types of Foods: What’s the Bracha?

If one eats other fruits (e.g., apples) and a shiur of shivas haminim (e.g., dates), one should only recite Al Hapeiros (this would include apples that normally require a Borei Nefashos)[23]. If one drinks a reviis[24] of wine or grape juice and has in mind other beverages, or if they are in front of him, one does not need to recite an additional bracha rishona (Shehakol) or bracha achrona[25] (Borei Nefashos) on the other beverages; they are covered by the Borei Pri Hagafen and Al Hagefen.

If one eats two items that each have a shiur and require a different Mei’ein Shalosh (e.g., cake and grapes[26] or figs and wine) one should include both in one bracha. The order within the Mei’ein Shalosh is identical to kedima[27] by bracha rishona: First dagan, then wine, then shivas haminim. This means the order is Al Hamichya, Al Hagefen and then Al Ha’eitz.

For example, after eating cake and grapes, one recites Al Hamichya V’al Hakalka V’al Haeitz V’al Pri Ha’eitz. Separating them l’chatchila into two brachos would be a bracha she’eina tzricha (an unnecessary additional bracha). However, if for example, one ate cake and drank wine and only recited Al Hamichya, b’dieved one must go back and recite the entire Al Hagefen.[28]

Did You Forget? Or Can’t Remember? Or Made a Mistake?

Here are some possible scenarios. If you:

• are not sure whether you recited Mei’ein Shalosh, you should not say it.[29]
• recited Birkas Hamazon instead of Al Hamichya, you are yotzei.[30]
• recited Al Hamichya after eating bread, instead of Birkas Hamazon, there is a machlokes haposkim as to whether you are yotzei.[31]
• recited Borei Nefashos instead of Mei’ein Shalosh, you are not yotzei (and vice-versa).[32]
• ate a kezayis of cake and also drank wine but are not sure if a shiur of wine was drunk, you may add Al Hagefen.[33]

If you need further guidance regarding any of these halachos, reach out to your rav.

In the zechus of reciting this bracha properly, may we merit the blessings that we request in Mei’ein Shalosh, including that Hashem rebuild Yerushalayim speedily in our days and bring us there to rejoice in its rebuilding.

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[1] Although a fourth bracha was added by Chazal, the Mei’ein Shalosh term remained.

[2] This number is for chutz la’aretz and does not include a choleh on Yom Kippur. See The Intriguing World of Jewish Time (Israel Bookshop Publications, 2022) by this author, p. 188.

[3] The longest Mei’ein Shalosh is when one eats cake and shivas haminim and drinks wine on Shabbos Rosh Chodesh or on Shemini Atzeres that occurs on Shabbos.

[4] Wheat, barley, spelt, rye or oats. Exact shiurim are addressed later in this article.

[5] Tosfos (Brachos 37a, Hakoses) is in doubt regarding what the correct bracha achrona is for unprocessed dagan whose bracha rishona is Ha’adama (e.g., a raw stalk of wheat or Kashi Go Original cereal). S.A. O.C. 208:4 says it is therefore ideal to eat such items only after bread.

[6] For a detailed article on this topic, see “Pas Habah B’kisnin: Pas or Pas Nisht” by Rabbi Tzvi Rosen.

[7] Olives, dates, grapes, figs or pomegranates.

[8] The halachos of Birkas Hamazon following the consumption of bread and the halachos of Borei Nefashos following non-Birkas Hamazon and non-Mei’ein Shalosh foods (i.e., all other foods) are beyond the scope of our discussion; however, many halachos are similar (e.g., with respect to amounts).

[9] S.A. O.C. 184:5. See Kaf Hachaim (O.C. 184:29) who says when eating a small amount of fruit (his example is an apple, which would require a Borei Nefashos), one should recite a bracha achrona within 30 minutes. The same is true if one ate a small amount of mezonos (that is at least a kezayis – e.g., two cookies or a piece of cake).

[10] See S.A. O.C. 178:5. However, for shivas haminim and wine, one does not have to return (see M.B. 184:12, based on the view of the Gra). For a detailed discussion, see “Meshane Makom Meshane Bracha” by Rabbi Nissan Dov Miller.

[11] S.A. O.C. 183:10. M.B. 183:35 notes that certainly Al Hamichya should l’chatchila be recited sitting down. See Yabia Omer 1:11 who expands this to other Mei’ein Shalosh.

[12] On Chanuka and Purim nothing extra is added.

[13] Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasah (SSK) 39:31.

[14] S.A. O.C. 208:10. When in doubt where it was grown, say v’Al Hapeiros. (M.B. 208:53). If one ate a shiur of shivas haminim fruits from Eretz Yisroel and also fruits from chutz la’aretz, say v’Al Peiroseha (Piskei Teshuvos O.C. 208:15).

[15] See Shaarei Teshuva (O.C. 208:14). However, cake made from flour grown in Eretz Yisrael is still Al Hamichya like chutz la’aretz (Har Tzvi 1:108).

[16] For a further discussion on these shiurim see footnotes 6 and 7 in “For Good Measure” by this author.

[17] Sefer Shmaatza D’Moshe 472:4 in the name of Harav Moshe Feinstein zt”l.

[18] See M.B. 208:48 who says this is how “nohagin ha’olam…” See Igros Moshe O.C. 1:71 for a different opinion.

[19] For example, if one ate exactly a kezayis of cake, the “minhag ha’olam” is to recite Al Hamichya because the sugar and salt are combined to enhance the flour used to bake the cake. In other words, these non-chameishes minei dagan ingredients are tavlin to the flour. For a further discussion, see Maamar Mordechai O.C. 208:15. Regarding whether air pockets are mitztaref (count towards the shiur), see M.B. 210:1 and 486:3. Shoneh Halachos 486:4 says in the name of the Chazon Ish (Taharos/Uktzin 3:7) that one can be mitztaref the airspace if the item is soft and “spongy” (e.g., bread or cake). Regarding counting other flours in gluten-free products, see “For Good Measure” noted in footnote 16.

[20] The bracha rishona is Shehakol. However, if the primary ingredient is rice, the bracha rishona is Mezonos, but the bracha achrona is still Borei Nefashos.

[21] See M.B. 453:14 which states if there is a majority of dagan, the food is considered to be completely dagan.

[22] Percentages are by volume of the flour content (i.e., the water is not part of the calculation). See S.A. 208:9 and M.B. for other details regarding the bracha achrona for such mixtures. 

[23] S.A. O.C. 208:13.

[24] See S.A. O.C. 174:2. If one drank less than a reviis, see Biur Halacha 174:2, d.h. “Yayin.”

[25] S.A. O.C. 208:16.

[26] However, if one ate a half kezayis of cake and a half kezayis of a Borei Nefashos product, the bracha achrona is Borei Nefashos. Food and beverages do not combine to reach a shiur, so if someone ate a half kezayis of cake and drank a half reviis of grape juice, no bracha achrona is recited.

[27] Kedima refers to the prioritization of which bracha rishona is recited first.

[28] Har Tzvi 1:105. This assumes he did not have in mind to include wine in his first bracha.

[29] Ideally, eat another kezayis of cake and recite Al Hamichya. The same applies to other foods.

[30] M.B. 208:75.

[31] See Sefer Shgiyos Mi Yavin 24:22. Ideally, eat another kezayis of bread and recite Birkas Hamazon.

[32] Ibid., 26:11-14.

[33] See M.B. 208:82. If he is certain he drank less than a shiur of wine, according to Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l, he should not add Al Hagefen (Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasah 54:71). For another opinion, see Igros Moshe O.C. 1:109. For a detailed discussion, see Sefer V’zos Habracha, p. 48.