6. Case Examples:
7. Sukkah – Repeating the blessing over food or beverage when going back and forth to a Sukkah:[1]

The law of whether one is required to repeat a blessing when one changes in area is dependent on where your sukkah is located.

Sukkah is located directly adjacent to door of home, or in closed backyard or porch: If the Sukkah is located on one’s porch, or backyard which is completely closed from all sides and does not have an entrance to the outside, then the blessing is not to be repeated upon entering back and forth into the home and Sukkah, although one should initially have in mind whenever one says the blessing over food in the Sukkah to also intend to enter the home if one so chooses [even though in actuality you will only be eating in the sukkah, if you are a male]. Certainly, if the Sukkah is built directly adjacent to an entrance to the home [such as a sliding door of a porch] and hence after entering through the door one enters straight into the sukkah, then the blessing is not to be repeated.

Sukkah is located in front yard or outside property of home: If the Sukkah is located in one’s front yard from which has an exit from his property, and certainly if it is not located in his property at all, such as if it is built in the courtyard of his building, or on the lawn near the street, then a before blessing of Shehakol, Ha’adama, and Haeitz [of non-seven species], must be repeated prior to continuing to eat foods and beverages of these blessings, if one left the sukkah in middle of eating them and then returned, and was not eating together with another person who remained there in the interim awaiting his return to continue their eating, and the food does not have the status of Kevius [i.e. coffee, tea, beer has the status of Kevius]. However, one does not repeat the blessing of Mezonos, Hamotzi, Hagafen, or Haeitz of the seven species unless he has yet to eat a Kezayis prior to initially leaving the sukkah in middle [with exception to Hamotzi which is not to be repeated even if one ate less than a Kezayis of the bread]. However, initially one is to avoid leaving the Sukkah in middle even when eating these foods [with exception to Hamotzi] being that it enters into a dispute as to whether the blessing is to be repeated, and hence one is to have someone else bring him something he needs rather than go himself and enter into a question of repeating the blessing. In all the above cases, one does not repeat the blessing if he was eating together with a friend in the sukkah who remained there in the interim while he left and awaited his returned [in which case he may even initially leave the Sukkah with intent to return]. Likewise, in all the above cases, if one is able to see his original area of eating throughout the entire time of his exiting and leaving the sukkah, then the blessing is not to be repeated [and he may even initially leave it]. To note, however, that this is quite difficult to achieve especially being that most Sukkos contain four walls which block one’s view of the area of eating.

• Example 1: You are eating an apple in a sukkah attached to your back porch. You go into your kitchen to get a drink and return. You do not need to recite the blessing again, since the sukkah is directly connected to your home.
• Example 2: You are drinking tea or coffee in a sukkah located in your building’s shared courtyard. You leave to answer your phone inside your apartment and then shorty return to continue drinking. In this case, you do not need to repeat the Shehakol blessing being that these drinks have the status of Kevius. If, however, one returned after a long while then one needs to repeat the blessing unless someone remained in the sukkah or you could see your spot the entire time.
• Example 3: You are eating fruit (Haeitz, not from the 7 species) in a sukkah in your front yard. You leave in the middle of eating and return, but your friend stayed at the table waiting for you. Since someone remained, you do not repeat the blessing when you return.
• Example 4: One is enjoying a cup of water or non zayin Minim fruit in a sukkah that is set up on the front lawn, outside the boundaries of their house property. One enters his house to retrieve something, or use the bathroom, and then returns. When they return to the sukkah to continue drinking or eating the fruit, then the blessing must be repeated if there is no one else waiting for them in the sukkah, and they do not have a direct line of sight to their original eating place while outside.

1. Pesach Seder – Leaving the area during the Seder between Karpas and Maror:

In general, one who switches areas after saying a blessing of Ha’adama/Haeitz or Shehakol forfeits the blessing, and must repeat it upon eating more of that food, unless one can still see his original area of where the blessing was said, or if he switched rooms within the same house and had intent to do so upon saying the blessing.[2] Accordingly, one is not to initially leave the Seder table and go into another room, and is certainly not to leave the home, after eating Karpas, until one eats the Maror, in order so the blessing of Ha’adama continues to count for the Maror.[3] [This is in addition to that one is not to switch rooms between Kiddush and Hamotzi, however, in this case it is more severe, as switching areas even for a need, such as to use the bathroom, would forfeit the previous blessing.] In the event that one did switch rooms after Karpas, but prior to Hamotzi[4], then one should re-eat less than a Kezayis of a Ha’adama food [i.e. the Karpas vegetable] with a blessing, and have in mind that it count also for the Maror.[5] Practically, however, this only applies if one left the home and walked outside, or onto the front courtyard[6], and could not see his original area of eating, however within the house itself, it is customary to not require the repeating of a blessing if one went from one room to another, especially if it was done for the sake of the meal, or to use the bathroom.[7] In addition, the need to repeat the blessing only applies if one is eating the Seder by himself, however, if he is eating with others, such as a wife, children, family or friends, then the blessing is never repeated upon return, even if he walked outside and returned much time later.[8] Thus, in conclusion, although one is not initially to switch rooms between Karpas and Maror, if he did so, a blessing is not to be repeated, unless he is eating by himself and the above conditions are fulfilled.[9]

[1] See Admur 273:4; 178:1; Seder Birchas Hanehnin 9:11-14; Rama 273:1; M”A 273:2; Piskeiy Teshuvos 178:4 footnote 14; SSH”K 54 footnote 33

Explanation: The laws of repeating the before blessing when leaving and then reentering a Sukkah in the midst of an eating or drinking session follows the same laws as any other time during the year in which we differentiate between one who goes from one room to another in the same home versus one who goes from outside to inside or vice versa. Thus, the law by a sukkah is dependent on where the Sukkah is located, and if it can be considered and defined as another room of the home, or is considered a courtyard of the home. Practically, in the laws of Kiddush Bemakom Seuda, Admur rules as we stated above and differentiates between whether the sukkah is found adjacent to the entrance of the home or in the courtyard, and so we differentiate above. The Poskim of today clarify that a backyard which is closed by all sides is treated like another room of the home and is not defined as a courtyard. However, seemingly this only applies by a backyard that does not have an entrance of the outside, as otherwise it is similar to a regular Chatzer, and certainly a front yard from which one leaves to the outside has the status of a Chatzer. Vetzaruch Iyun, as from some Poskim of today it is implied that even the front yard is the status of another room if it is completely enclosed.

[2] Admur 178:1; Seder Birchas Hanehnin 9:11-12

The law of Chaburah-if one is not eating by himself: Although in general we rule that if one is eating with a Chabura [i.e. another person or group of people] then even if he leaves, a blessing is not needed to be repeated upon returning, and he may even initially leave [see Admur 178:2], nevertheless, the status and definition of Chaburah is debated amongst the Poskim, and is hence not to initially be relied upon. [See Piskeiy Teshuvos 178:8]

[3] Ashel Avraham Butchah Tinayna 475

[4] However, after Hamotzi, even though one is still before Maror, one can no longer say a blessing on a Ha’adama as it is included in the blessing over the meal, unless the Ha’adama is a desert fruit, such as a banana, or pineapple.

[5] Ashel Avraham Butchah Tinayna 475; Vetzaruch Iyun why he makes no mention of the law by a Chabura!

[6] See Admur 178:1; Seder ibid 11; However, if one went to his backyard, which is closed from all four sides and not used as an entrance to the home, the practically, it is viewed as another room within the home and the blessing is not repeated. [See Piskeiy Teshuvos 178:4 footnote 15]

[7] See Biur Halacha 178:1 “Bibayis Echad”; Shevet Halevi 1:205; Piskeiy Teshuvos 178:7

[8] See Admur 178:2; Seder 9:13

[9] Eating a different Ha’adama vegetable in a case of doubt: See Ashel Avraham ibid who suggests removing the Karpas and Maror from the table and eating a new Ha’adama vegetable with a blessing, in a case of doubt.