We’re going to start a new siman (section), siman kuf ayin chet (178). The siman kuf ayin chet is one of the most confusing and complex simanim, I think, in all of Shulchan Aruch. It’s called Shinui Makom, when somebody changes place in the middle of his Seudah (meal). There are all kinds of scenarios: What was he eating? Was it makom (place), something that needs kviut (fixed meal setting)? Was it Hamotzi (the blessing over bread)? Was it fruit? What was it? What did he go for? How long did it take? Did he come back? How many people were staying at the table? Was there no one, or were there some people? Was it for a mitzvah (commandment), or for talking to somebody? All these details are extremely complex and beyond the scope of what I could do from this podium.
However, the good news is that Hacham Ovadia has an introduction, an explanation of why, in these specific halachot (Jewish laws), we seem not to follow the Shulchan Aruch. We have to understand that, according to the simple reading of the Gemara in Pesachim and the Shulchan Aruch, which is almost verbatim like the Gemara, if somebody left the room and came back, he would have to do Birkat Hamazon (Grace after Meals), wash again, and do the whole thing. It’s not very practical when you have to bring something from the kitchen. Imagine every time you have to bring something, you or your wife or whoever goes to the kitchen, you have to do Birkat Hamazon, come back, do Hamotzi again, and then say, “I forgot something,” go back, and do Birkat Hamazon again. So it doesn’t make sense.
Hacham Ovadia has an introduction where he says, “Let’s understand something: people didn’t go to the kitchen. They had a shamash (attendant), and the shamash would do that job.” We talk about the shamash throughout Shas many, many times, including in the specific halachot about whether the shamash could be part of the zimun (communal invitation to bless). The shamash—that was his job. So it makes sense to understand the Gemara as saying, “Why are you going out of the room? You stay here, you finish your Seudah, then you go out.” There was never a necessity to leave that room, because they would bring the bucket for netila (ritual handwashing) here. They would go and bring whatever was needed. So why would a person go out? I understand why it would be a Shinui Reshut (change of domain), with a lot of different halachot.
To quote what Hacham Ovadia quotes, the Gemara there says that anybody who goes into the sukkah (booth), goes out, and then goes into the sukkah again has to say the Beracha (blessing) of leshev basukkah (to dwell in the sukkah). The Ritva says, “Hold on.” Every time he has to say a Beracha, that's only if he went out completely for doing something. Let’s say he was eating breakfast in the sukkah, then went to work, and came back for lunch or dinner. To say a Beracha was a full hefsek (interruption). To not go back to the altar. He’s not coming back right away. But if he doesn't go out of the room to talk to his friend, or to bring something to the sukkah for his time, but if he goes out to speak to someone, or he goes out to bring something into the sukkah, which is our scenario. Usually, in the middle of a meal, why are you going out? To bring something for the Seudah. You forgot the spice, you forgot something. I don’t know. That’s not considered a hefsek. You’re going out of the place, but you’re going for the purpose of the place. Or even if it’s for a short time, he says, to talk to his friend. You have a phone call; maybe you can’t talk there. You go out to speak, then you come back. As long as, when you’re going out, your kavanah (intention) is to come back, he doesn’t say a Beracha. And when you come back, it’s the same thing. The Ritva says it’s the same thing; when it comes, it’s the same thing.
So we have to reread the Gemara in Pesachim and the Shulchan Aruch a little bit. It’s always when you’re going for a certain amount of time, and this has nothing to do with your Seudah. But if you go out for the purpose of the Seudah, or if you go out for a very short amount of time, for a phone call or something like this, we have to relearn the Halacha (Jewish law) and say that in this case it wouldn’t be considered a hefsek, and you may continue the Seudah based on the Berachot (blessings) we said before.