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Q: What is the Halacha if one paused between reciting a Beracha and eating?
A: One should not utter even one word[1] about an unrelated matter between the Beracha and the eating. If one did so they must recite the Beracha again[2]. However, if one spoke for the purpose of the food (i.e. asking for salt), one does not have to recite the Beracha again[3]. Similarly, if one answered Amen (even though they shouldn’t have[4]) one does not have to repeat the Beracha[5]. One should not even pause with silence before eating, yet, if one paused before eating – even for a long period of time – one does not have to repeat the Beracha[6]. On Shabbat, when one person recites the Kiddush or HaMotzi for everyone, it may depend on whether or not the one reciting the Beracha already ate. Therefore, one should take extra care to avoid pausing before tasting from the food. [Answered by Rabbi Moshe Pinhasi]
Q: Can one pause after putting the food in their mouth, before swallowing it?
A: It is preferable to swallow first, however, one does not have to repeat the Beracha if they spoke or paused before swallowing[7]. One may also answer Amen before swallowing[8]. [Answered by Rabbi Moshe Pinhasi]
Sources:
[1] משנ”ב סי’ קסו ס”ק לו, כה”ח ס”ק מד, ועוד אחרונים
[2] או”ח סי’ קסו ס”ו
[3] שם
[4] פמ”ג סי’ רו א”א סק”ד, בא”ח ש”א פר’ אמור סי”ג ועוד
[5] כה”ח סי’ קסו ס”ק סא, הליכות עולם ח”א עמ’ שמג-שמה, ע”ש
[6] חזו”ע הל’ ברכות עמ’ קעא-קעג דסב”ל, ואפי’ עשה מעשה ולא הסיח דעתו.
[7] של”ה שעה”א דף נה. וע”ע במג”א סי’ קסז ס”ק טז. ובשו”ת הלק”ט (ח”ב סי’ לג) כתב שמפני שכוונתו לאכול מיקרי כבר תחילת אכילה, ול”ד למטעמת שא”צ לברך עליה (סי’ רי ס”ב). וכ”פ האחרונים, בא”ח שם סי”ד, כה”ח שם ס”ק מה, אול”צ ח”ב עמ’ שא, ועוד.
[8] יבי”א ח”ה או”ח סי’ טז אות ז’.