Borer on Shabbat and changing place during a meal
Question
Shalom, I have a few questions:
1. Regarding the melacha of borer (selection) on Shabbat — is it permitted to take out the food I want using a spoon or a fork? Is this considered borer because it is done with a utensil (kli)?
2. Changing place with regard to a beracha — is it permitted to eat bread or any other food in the office and, in the middle, go out to the corridor or even go up to another floor and then return and continue eating? If there is someone who "guards" the beracha, though he himself is not in the middle of a meal, is that acceptable? And if there is no such guard?
Answer
Shalom u’vracha.
1. It is permitted. This is not considered borer with a utensil, since the utensil is not filtering but is only meant to prevent your hand from getting dirty.
2. There is a difference between bread and other foods. When eating bread, if one goes out to another place, he may return to his place and continue eating. With other foods, however, changing one’s place requires a new beracha.
Therefore, when eating other foods one should be careful not to go out to another place, in order not to become obligated in an unnecessary beracha. Regarding the obligation to make a beracha after such an exit, having a “guard” does not help to exempt him from the beracha.
When eating bread, although he does not become obligated in a new beracha if he goes out, one should still be careful not to leave his place, lest as a result he forget to recite Birkat HaMazon. For this issue it is beneficial to appoint a “guard” who will pay attention and remind him to recite it if he forgets.
Source
Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, siman 318.
There, siman 178.