amen is forbidden. If however some people are still responding amen to a blessing, one may begin to respond amen, even if this time interval has passed. One may not respond amen to a (, "blessing made for nought"). Thus, one should not respond amen to a blessing made by someone who is merely reciting the blessing for educational purposes (i.e. to learn how to recite it). However, one is encouraged to respond amen to children's blessings, even though they are not obligated in the recitation of blessings. Because one cannot attest to one's own blessing any more than he or she already has by reciting it, responding amen to one's own blessing is redundant and one may not do so. If the blessing is being recited on food, one who responds amen to one's own blessing will either cause a hefseik (, "[prohibited] interruption") or likely pronounce an amen , depending on whether one responds immediately or waits until after one swallows some food or drink, respectively. An exception to this rule is a situation in which an individual is reciting a series of blessings; in such a case, some authorities permit the individual to respond amen to the last blessing in order to signal the ending of the series. While there are many examples of series of blessings within the Jewish prayer services, Ashkenazi tradition dictates that amen is not recited at the conclusion of a series of blessings. The one exception to this is in Grace after Meals after the third blessing of Boneh Yerushalayim; in order to signify that the first three blessings are biblically mandated, as opposed to the fourth rabbinically-mandated blessing, the Talmud mandates that one recite amen at its closing. When responding amen will constitute a prohibited interruption When responding amen will constitute a (, "[prohibited] interruption"), one should not respond amen. An example of this type of situation would be within the evening kiddush on Jewish holidays, when the blessing of sheheheyanu is added within the kiddush prayer. By listening intently and responding amen to each blessing of the kiddush prayer, all those present can effectively fulfill their obligation to recite kiddush, even though only one person is actually reciting it, via the principle of shomea k'oneh (, "One who hears is the equivalent of one who recites"). While men either recite the blessing in kiddush or dispense their obligation by listening