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Should a child old enough to make brachos who is not weaned be encouraged to make a bracha on breastmilk? If so which one? Are there any direct sources for this?

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    "Which one." Well it would have to be shehakol. That's what anyone drinking any milk says.
    – Double AA ♦
    Oct 29, 2013 at 1:36
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    related judaism.stackexchange.com/q/31292/759
    – Double AA ♦
    Oct 29, 2013 at 1:41
  • I seem to remember a story of a child of Reb Aryeh Leib Levin who made such a brocho but I can't find it now.
    – Avrohom Yitzchok
    Oct 29, 2013 at 13:48
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    @AvrohomYitzchok It's in his short autobiography in the intro to A Tzaddik in Our Times. The child passed away before he turned 2, IIRC.
    – Y     e     z
    Jul 25, 2014 at 3:18
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    Al netillat shadayim
    – Clint Eastwood
    Aug 24, 2014 at 17:32

2 Answers 2

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It seems from the Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 81:7 that one has to stop nursing by age 4 or 5 if child is weak.

The Shulchan Aruch in 167:19, see also Mishna Brurah 269:1 who holds the age of chinuch is 6 or 7.

so it seems that a bracha should not be recited at all.

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  • I must be missing it; I see no discussion of age in OC 167:19
    – Double AA ♦
    Oct 29, 2013 at 3:21
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    The Mishna Berura says it all depends on the child's ability, so even five years old might be possible, and moreover he is referring to chinuch for havdalla which might be later than chinuch on shehakol. If you want to claim the OP's situation is impossible, you'd better do a better job proving it is so.
    – Double AA ♦
    Oct 29, 2013 at 3:23
  • I didn't see כבר שית כבר שבע mentioned in the Shulchan Aruch itself.
    – Fred
    Oct 29, 2013 at 3:32
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    Mishna Brurah 128:123 ללמוד ולהתחנך - ומטעם זה רשאי לברך ג"כ מ"א וכ"כ הרדב"ז בח"א בסי' תקס"ה. וחינוך זה אינו כשאר זמני החנוך שהוא כבר חמש כבר שית כ"א בשיודע לישא כפיו כמנהגי הכהנים:
    – sam
    Oct 30, 2013 at 0:29
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    @Sam It doesn't matter what age children are expected to stop nursing, as even adults may drink breastmilk as long as it has been put in a cup first.
    – LiquidMetal
    Jul 25, 2014 at 1:46
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Yes, but some adaptations must be made for technical reasons.

One should not say a beracha before the food or drink is before him

BUT

One may not say a beracha when there is an exposed breast present.

Ergo, one may not say a beracha on breast milk unless perhaps he first observes the breast, then goes behind a mechitza to say the beracha.

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    -1 many people can say blessings in front of exposed breasts.
    – Double AA ♦
    Jul 25, 2014 at 2:36
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    Women.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
    – Double AA ♦
    Jul 25, 2014 at 13:14
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    Breasts aren't genitals...
    – Double AA ♦
    Jul 25, 2014 at 13:27
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    @Double AA being that breasts are a hirhur problem and not an erva problem can't we assume that a little boy may also make a bracha before exposed breasts?
    – user6591
    Sep 23, 2014 at 13:32
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    @user6591 I think that is quite reasonable
    – Double AA ♦
    Sep 23, 2014 at 13:43

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