[Avodah] Karpas/Davar shetivulo bemashkeh

[Zev Sero]

rabbirichwolpoe at gmail.com wrote:
>>> As I posted earlier, those who eat less than a kzayis - AIUI- do so
>>> davka to avoid the s'feik bracha on washing.

> Zev:
>> No, it's to avoid the bracha achrona, so that the ha'adamah can apply
>> also to the maror, which is not part of the meal, and so is not covered
>> by the hamotzi.

> Rambam Hilchos hametz 8:1-2
> 
> Afterwords one recites al netilas yadayim and washes one' hands..
> He begins and recites the blessing borei pri ho'adamah takes the vegetable
> dips it in charoset and eats a kezayis
> Each and everyone do not eat less than a kazayis,,,"
> 
> Rambam is stating since one is washing with a bracha therefore one MUST
> eat no less than a k'zayis.

Where are you getting that from?  It's certainly not in the Rambam.
The Rambam doesn't say why one should eat a kezayit of the vegetable,
but bepashtus the reason would be that he considers eating it part
of the mitzvah of the night, so it must be an achila.  Where do you
get the idea that a shiur of kezayit makes any difference to the
washing?  That's certainly not the case with bread, where the shiur
to make a bracha is a kebeitza, not a kezayit.



> Conversely we do not make a bracha and therefore would be entering into
> the realm of s'feik bracha would we consume a k'zayis

Again, why would a kezayis do that?  And how would that sfek bracha
be any different than whenever we eat a shiur of tibulei bemashkeh?
Does it say anywhere to avoid eating a shiur so as not to have to
rely on safek brachot lehakel?


> Since even the Rambam omits bracha acharona DESPITE having a K'zayis
> ergo he is not concerned about this issue.

He doesn't mention a bracha achrona after the fourth cup either, but
obviously one makes one.  Perhaps he doesn't mention it because it
needn't be said then; one may eat and drink during the hagadah, in
which case he bracha achrona would be said before washing.  Similarly,
since one may drink water after the seder, perhaps that's why he
doesn't mention the al hagafen; if one intends to drink water then
one wouldn't say it until afterwards.



-- 
Zev Sero                      The trouble with socialism is that you
zev at sero.name                 eventually run out of other people’s money
                                                     - Margaret Thatcher