Reciting 'By the Rivers of Babylon' at Melaveh Malkah?
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Question
Hello Rabbi, On Saturday night during Birkat Hamazon, should one say 'By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat...' or 'A Song of Ascents, when the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion...'? Also, what is the source for reciting these verses? To remember the destruction during the meal?
Answer
Hello Rabbi,
A. One recites 'A Song of Ascents'.
B. The source is from the instruction that one should remember the destruction during the meal. (Mishnah Berurah, Siman 1, Se'if Katan 11).
Source
According to the instructions of the Gaon, Rabbi Ovadia Fried, shlita
Mishnah Berurah, Siman 1, Se'if Katan 11: The Shlah writes that at every meal one should say 'By the rivers of Babylon', and on Shabbat and days when Tachanun is not recited, one should say 'A Song of Ascents, when the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion'. The main thing is that one should understand what he is saying and that it should be with the intention of the heart.