How long a pause between the bracha and eating constitutes an interruption (hefsek)?
Synopsis
The Mechaber rules one must not interrupt between blessing and eating. The Rema defines 'interruption' as more than k'dei dibbur (the time to say 'shalom alecha rabbi'). The Mishnah Berurah and Magen Avraham distinguish between silence (l'chatchila issue only) and speech (invalidates the bracha), and note that even responding to a king or saying amen is forbidden between bracha and eating.
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Discussion
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