Q I take food for seudat shlishit to a friend's home. The food is all my contribution. When it comes to benching, what is the correct Horachaman to say "Harajaman Hu Yebarech et Ba'al haBayit hazeh ... " After all it is my food, and I should be blessed too?
A. On question 2548 regarding someone staying in a Jewish hotel or traveling El Al, if one should say the blessing for the host after eating and reciting Birchat Hamazon, we wrote: "Mishna Berura (193: 27) rules that one who recites birchas hamazon at a Gentiles house should say; Horachamon – The Merciful should send us many brochos in our ways and our stays forever. He may also say; Horachamon – should bless the baal habais – referring to the provider of the meal.
Chashukei Chemed (Brochos 46a) rules that the same applies to one traveling by plane. He quotes Horav Eliashiv Zt”l, that even one paying for his meal, should bless the provider, since without their help to provide a kosher meal, they would go hungry.
Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is that it is proper to say the Horachamon. However, when only the food providers or caterers are Jewish, (as is common in Pesach Hotels), one should mention in the blessing instead of “baal habbais” or the owner of the facility, the term “baal hamazom” or the food provider."
Horav Shlomo Miller's Shlit'a opinion is that, in your question, you should indeed bless the ba'al habbais, and the ba'al habbais should bless you, using the nusach above mentined, ba'al hamzon instead of ba'al habbais.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as advised by Horav Shlomo Miller and Horav Aharon Miller Shlit'a
Important Numbers
