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I was taught that it's important not to make an interruption between a b'racha and its fulfillment, such that we don't say anything between making motzi and eating the bread. To me the b'racha is "attached" to the bread.

At the seder we say al achilat matzah because of the specific mitzvah of eating matzah, but we say it after motzi,1 creating an interruption. Obviously there's going to be an interruption between one of these b'rachot and the eating, but I'm wondering why they're in the order they are. It seems to me that it would be better to not break up the already-established connection between motzi and eating, but Chazal are way more learned than I so I assume there is a reason that I haven't seen on my own. What is it?

1 According to Silverman and Artscroll haggadot, and my memory of what we've done in past years.

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  • You could ask the same question about Qidush ha-Yom: We say Boreh Peri ha-Gefen , then before drinking the wine we say Meqadesh ha-Shabat (or Meqadesh Yisra'el veha-Zemanim, or do the full Yain-Qidush-Ner-Havdalah-Zeman, as appropriate).
    – Tamir Evan
    Apr 13, 2014 at 18:24
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    @TamirEvan good point. I considered the general kiddush case but guessed that since we do that every week that might change the priorities (versus something we only change once a year). I hadn't thought about your last example; thanks.
    – Monica Cellio
    Apr 13, 2014 at 18:42
  • The same question likely applies to making a berakhah on a fruit (Bore Peri HaEtz) and then saying Shehehhayinu
    – Lee
    Apr 17, 2014 at 15:10
  • @TamirEvan Also Hilchot Terumot 15:22 (English)
    – Double AA ♦
    Apr 23, 2014 at 23:57
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    @DoubleAA I chose the example I did because (1) she'd have been more likely to come across it, (2) the interruption is longer, and (3) it's less directly connected with the action to be performed.
    – Tamir Evan
    Apr 25, 2014 at 14:22

1 Answer 1

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There's a concept called "תדיר ושאינו תדיר, תדיר קודם", which loosely translated means "between something frequent and something infrequent, we do the frequent first" (see Mishna Zevachim 10:1). In this case, since motsi is frequent and al achilat matzah is infrequent, we say motsi first.

The Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe's לקוטי טעמים ומנהגים להגדה של פסח explicitly says this in the context of your question. He also mentions that it makes sense to first thank Hashem for taking the "bread" out of the earth before making a brachah on matzah that was made therefrom.

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  • Why is "Tadir Qodem" enough of a reason to allow adding a Berakhah between ha-Motzi and the eating of the Matzah, for which it was said?
    – Tamir Evan
    May 9, 2014 at 15:43
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    @TamirEvan The opposite order would have a berakhah between al achilat matzah and the eating of the matzah, for which it is said.
    – magicker72
    May 9, 2014 at 16:07
  • I missed that point. Thanks for clarifying.
    – Tamir Evan
    May 10, 2014 at 18:34

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