The Talmud states that its is forbidden to recite a berakhah while any item is inside the mouth; this is considered antithetical to the intent of the verse, “My mouth shall be filled with Thy praise” (Tehilim 71:8). Some discussion is necessary to understand the thrust of this halakhah. On the surface, it would seem that having any item in the mouth interferes with the mouth being “filled” with praise. Alternatively, another interpretation is possible. The Sefer haEshkol (Hil. Seudah, 18) cites this passage and writes that therefore, “one must recite a berakhah with his full mouth, and not stammer”. This statement implies that the Talmud’s rule is a reflection of the standard of speech set for reciting berakhot; the speech must be clear, and not obstructed by foreign objects.

One issue affected by these two possibilities is the question of one who wishes to recite berakhot while wearing removable false teeth, an issue discussed at length by R. Shlomo Wahrman (Sh’erit Yosef, II, 2). If the halakhah is simply that any external item in the mouth is by definition problematic, an analysis must be made as to whether these teeth can be considered “part of the mouth or not”. This is a question with relevance in other areas of halakhah, such as whether such teeth become prohibited in benefit when attached to a dead body (see Resp. Har Tzvi, Y.D. 276; Gesher HaChaim, 8:8). However, if the issue is one of interfering with speech, the case may be made that these teeth do not affect speech and should thus not pose a problem.

The Kol Bo (Hil. Seudah) writes that if wine is brought out during the meal, every member of the party must make their own berakhah, and can not rely on listening to one member recite the berakhah. This is due to the fact that as the members of the party are in the midst of eating, their mouths are not empty, and they are thus unable to answer “amen” properly. It bears further analysis whether the Kol Bo’s position is a reflection of the nature of this rule or reflective of the nature of the concept of shomea k’oneh.