Women and minors are not counted in a zimun. [Only minors who do not know to whom they are blessing; but a minor who does know is counted in a zimun. And there are some of our rabbis who say that they said this ("a minor who does know, etc.") only in respect to a boy aged thirteen years and one day, who did not yet develop two (pubic) hairs, such a boy being called "katan poreach" (see Berachoth 47b); but a younger boy is not counted for a zimun even if he does know to whom he is blessing. And in Yerushalmi they state as halachah that a minor is not counted for a zimun at all, until he becomes an adult (i.e., thirteen) and shows two hairs. Women form a zimun for themselves and bondsmen for themselves, but not together, because of (apprehension of) promiscuity.] What is the (minimum) amount (of food) required for a zimun? An olive-size. [This is the halachah, and not as R. Yehudah says.] R. Yehudah says: An egg-size.
Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
וקטנים אין מזמנין עליהם – Especially small children who do not know to Whom they are reciting a blessing (ברכת המזון ) a minor who knows to Whom He is reciting a blessing, they may invite him to join [in the group recitation of ברכת המזון], and there is something remarkable that says that we are not speaking about a minor who knows to Whom they are reciting the blessing that we invite him to join [in the group recitation of ברכת המזון] but rather with a child who is thirteen years of age plus one day, who has not brought forth two pubic hairs (which demonstrate his having attained adulthood), and he is called a “blossoming minor” but younger than this, we do not invite him to join [in the group recitation of ברכת המזון] , even if he knows to Whom we are reciting this blessing. And in the Jerusalem Talmud, they bring the Practical Halakha, that we don’t invite the Minor at all, until he grows up and brings forth two pubic hairs. And women invite other [women] to recite ברכת המזון as a group for themselves and slaves invite other [slaves] to recite ברכת המזוןas a group for themselves., but women are not [invited] with slaves because of licentiousness [that would ensue].
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Introduction
This mishnah continues the topic of yesterday’s mishnah, when is a “zimun,” an invitation to Birkat Hamazon, recited.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Women, children and slaves they do not recite an invitation over them. The invitation to Birkat Hamazon is only recited for adult, free men. In rabbinic thinking, as in the thinking of most of their contemporaries, only adult free men count as full “citizens” in the Greco-Roman sense of the word. Only they are full members of society and hence a formal meal is constituted by their presence and not by the presence of women, children and slaves.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
How much [must one have eaten] in order for them to recite an invitation? As much as an olive. Rabbi Judah says: as much as an egg. According to the first opinion, to count in a zimun one need only an olive’s worth of food. This accords with the opinion in yesterday’s mishnah, that if the attendant (not a slave) eats an olive’s worth of food, he may join in the zimun. In contrast, Rabbi Judah sets a higher threshold of an egg’s worth. One who eats less than an egg is not required to recite Birkat Hamazon and does not participate in a zimun.
