Halacha Orach Chaim 169

There is an interesting Halacha regarding a person that is hired to serve in your home. If the waiter is not permitted to eat from your food without first having your explicit permission, one is obligated to feed him or her before eating. The reason for this is because it is not healthy to smell food that is desirable when it is known that you may not be able to eat from it.

This halacha does not apply to guests that are invited to eat with you, as they know that eventually they will be parting in the same meal you are eating. As a matter of fact, the Mishna Berura earlier taught us that it is proper etiquette for the guest to wait for the owner of the home before partaking in the meal.

Based on this, if someone comes collecting charity at your home while you are eating a meal, and the one collecting smells the food, one may perhaps be obligated to feed him, even if a large donation is given. This Halacha may apply to guests that come to visit without knowing you are in the middle of eating as well.

If the waiter or guest know that they are welcome to take whatever they like without a formal invitation, one is not obligated to offer them to eat.

In our next post we will discuss a person that likely will not recite a Bracha on the food that you are serving them.