Blessing for Father and Mother in Birkat Hamazon
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Question
Hello, In Birkat Hamazon, when a person says: "May the Merciful One bless my father and my mother and my wife and my offspring" — father and mother are written in parentheses. Is it accepted according to Halacha for a married person to say this? Could this cause jealousy in his wife if he mentions his parents before her?
Answer
Hello
If he has a father and mother, he mentions them in Birkat Hamazon. [The parentheses are intended to emphasize that not everyone has a father and mother, and therefore not everyone says this, just like: my wife/my husband/my sons/my daughters].
Honoring one's father and mother takes precedence over honoring one's wife, unless it disrupts domestic harmony. Therefore, if he sees that it bothers his wife that he mentions his parents first, he can mention them later.