Pas Yisroel - Hostess Gift

QUESTION: On Shabbos, I eat only Pas Yisroel. A guest came for Shabbos and brought us a bread that is not Pas Yisroel. If I do not serve the bread, I am afraid I will insult the guest. What should I do?

ANSWER: Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De’ah 112:13) writes that if a guest brought non-Pas Yisroel to the table, and the non-Pas Yisroel is a superior bread, then the host should specifically say the hamotzi blessing on the superior bread, even though ordinarily he is stringent to eat only Pas Yisroel. Furthermore, the host is permitted to partake from this bread for the duration of the meal. Shach (112:21) explains that the host is permitted to eat the bread, out of consideration that this might otherwise cause enmity. Likewise, Rama (112:15) writes that if one is eating with a group and Pas palter is served, he may partake, so as not to insult the others. However, Taz explains that this leniency only applies when the host recites Hamotzi on behalf of the guest. Therefore, on Shabbos since the custom is that the host recites Hamotzi on lechem mishneh on behalf of all the guests, he is permitted to eat from the non-pas Yisroel bread. During the week, since the prevalent custom is that everyone says their own Hamotzi, the Mishnah Berurah (168:21) writes that since this is a matter of dispute between the Shach and Taz, the host should be strict and not eat from this bread. It should be noted that this leniency applies only to Pas palter and not to Pas ba’al habayis (see Chelkas Binyamin 112:145). 

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