About doubtful brachot...what about the bracha over shel rosh? isn't that why we say baruch shem right away (and, btw, those who on chol hamoed put on tefillin omit this bracha all together)?
Rabbi Ed Goldstein
woodmere ny
The Mishna Berurah (25:21) discusses this issue. He explains that we totally accept the opinion which requires a brocha for Shel Rosh. Saying "Baruch Shem" is just a precaution. A Posek here in Yerushalayim explained to me that even if one accidentally did not say "Baruch Shem" he is not guilty of saying a Brocha L'vatoloah.
On Chol Hamoed, however, there is a genuine Sofek. Thus some people put on tefillin to be safe, but do not recite the brochas because of the Sofek.
Yehuda Landy
BS''D
A what about Shulchan Oruch ha Rav, where it's said that it is a sofek and that's why the chassidim CHABAD doesn't say the brocha?
Kol tov,
Jehoshua Krush
Regarding the tefilin shel rosh's beracha, Sephardic Jews do not make this beracha. They only make one beracha for both tefillin. I would think that makes it a safek for us Ashkenazim on some level which is why we don't say the beracha out loud and why we add baruch Shem right afterwards.
B'kavod,
Sam Kosofsky
SEE THE ARUCH HASHULCHAN WHO SUGGESTS THE RECITATION IS NOT NECESSARILY DUE TO SAFEK BRACHA BUT ON ACCOUNT OF THE TREMENDOUS YIRAH ASSOCIATED WITH THE SHEL ROSH-- JUST AS WE RESPOND TO THE COHEN GADOL'S UTTERANCE OF THE SHEM.
1) I believe the Gra didn't make a second bracha and thus many Ashkenazim do not.
2) The Aruch hashulchan provides an alternate reason for Boruch Shem k'vod after the shel Rosh. He compares it to Kriyas Shema when we declare hashem's name as one. tefilin has a similar theme and thus Boruch Shem.