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If I make a ברכה on a Hershey bar, and before I eat the food, I realize I am Fleishig, what do I do? (assuming I have no other food around?)

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Rav Eliezer Melamed says that if the meat meal is finished and it is a matter of waiting the prescribed time (6 hours) then one should taste the hershey bar (or ice cream in his example) and rely on the Rishonim that say you don't have to wait rather than make a Beracha for no reason.

This does not apply when one is in middle of a meat meal, as there is no leniency to rely on to permit eating something dairy.

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  • +1 Note this ruling isn't as simple for Sefardim, for whom waiting is not just a Minhag.
    – Double AA ♦
    Oct 30, 2015 at 13:43
  • See Mor Uktzia 210
    – sam
    Oct 30, 2015 at 20:05
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It's a machloket Rambam/Tosfot on the nature of bracha levatala- is it deoraita or derabanan? If it's derabanan, it's better to have been over the issur of bracha levatala than to actively be over the issur of milk after meat. If it's deoraita, one of course shouldn't be over the deoraita of bracha levatala and should taste the milk, then being over on the derabanan of milk after meat.

See this excellent article by Rav Chaim Navon from Har Etzion on the topic: http://www.etzion.org.il/he/שיעור-2-ברכה-לבטלה . He gives a great summary of the relevant opinions. Note the very powerful question asked by the Nishmat Adam on the Rambam.

In the Sheelas Uteshuvos of the Yabia Omer Yoreh Deah chelek bet siman hey, it's noted that after much deliberation he believes even Tosfot, who holds making a bracha levatala is derabanan (and seemingly it is thus adif to not eat the milchik as you would be over on the oseh maaseh derabanan of eating milk after meat) would agree that one must at least try a little bit of the food. He concludes that mikol makom one should taste their food in an instance of a possible bracha levatala.

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  • "it's better to have been over the issur of bracha levatala than to actively be over the issur of milk after meat." we are not dealing the prohibition of meant and milk, however, instaed we are dealing with eating meat; and afterwards eating milk.
    – mevaqesh
    Oct 30, 2015 at 19:37
  • @mevaqesh, I believe that is what I wrote. Eating milk after meat is not an issue for Tosfot, who believes all you must do is "clear the table" and then one can eat milk after meat. However, that is not the accepted ashkenazik opinion, and it is clear that eating milk after meat is something to be avoided.
    – LelamedKashet
    Oct 30, 2015 at 19:59
  • Maybe there is a typo in your answer. the machlockes you presented was about bracha levatala; not about wating between meat and milk. "It's a machloket Rambam/Tosfot on the nature of bracha levatala- is it deoriatta or derabanan? If it's derabanan, it's better to have been over the issur of bracha levatala than to actively be over the issur of milk after meat" I am pointing out that one would not be over the issur of meat and milk, but only of not waiting sufficiently between the two.
    – mevaqesh
    Oct 30, 2015 at 20:14
  • As I understand the situation, the precise time to wait after eating meat before you may eat milky is a matter of custom, as long as there is a definite gap (birkat hamazon, a short wait) after the meat. Some have the custom to wait 6 hours, others until the sixth hour (i.e 5), some 3 and some 1 hour. In that case, it would be breaking minhag, not even derabbanan and so preferable to brachah levatalah.
    – Epicentre
    Nov 1, 2015 at 5:12
  • @Epicentre That's only true for Ashkenazim who rule meikar hadin like tosfot.
    – Double AA ♦
    Nov 1, 2015 at 23:23

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