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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION

Siman קע״ה · The blessing HaTov VeHaMeitiv on wine

דיני ברכת הטוב והמטיב על היין — when a second wine is brought during the meal, one does not repeat בורא פרי הגפן but blesses HaTov VeHaMeitiv ; over any change of wine that is not clearly inferior ; one always blesses the most beloved first ; and this blessing presupposes "a good for him and for his fellow"
סימן קע״ה · ו׳ סעיפים
דיני ברכת הטוב והמטיב על היין
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This siman teaches the ברכת הטוב והמטיב על היין — the blessing recited when a second wine arrives during the meal. One does not repeat בורא פרי הגפן ; one says הטוב והמטיב over every change of wine (שינוי יין) that is not inferior. One also learns that one blesses על העיקר ועל החביב תחלה (the most beloved first), that the blessing presupposes another with him (הטוב לו והמטיב לחבירו), and the case of two barrels. Hebrew text, translation and explanation of the ו׳ seifim, with a section of practical cases.

Topic: The blessing HaTov VeHaMeitiv on wine — a second wine, a change of wine, the beloved first and the laws of the blessing
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן קע״ה · ו׳ סעיפים

Compilation: רב יוסף חיים סממה
DAAT · daattorah.com

After the laws of the blessing over wine in the meal (siman 174), the Choulhan Aroukh devotes this siman to a precise case: what does one do when, in the course of the meal, a new wine arrives? The general rule is that a change of wine requires no new blessing (שינוי יין אינו צריך לברך, Berakhot 59b) — so one does not repeat בורא פרי הגפן ; but the Sages instituted saying הטוב והמטיב, a blessing of thanksgiving for the abundance and the sharing. This siman specifies over which wine one says it, in what order, in what company, and one particular case of two barrels. We study here at the level of principle ; for personal conduct, one relies on custom and on the Rav's ruling.

📑 Study plan

A. הטוב והמטיב על יין אחר (seif 1) — on a second wine one does not repeat בפה״ג but says HaTov VeHaMeitiv
B. על כל שינוי יין (seif 2) — on every change of wine, as long as not inferior
C. על העיקר ועל החביב תחלה (seif 3) — bad and good together: one blesses the beloved first
D. הטוב לו והמטיב לחבירו (seif 4) — one needs another with him
E. כל אחד מברך לעצמו (seif 5) — many seated: each blesses for himself
F. שתי חביות ממין אחד (seif 6) — two barrels of one wine
1-3. Practical cases and comprehension questions

A. הטוב והמטיב על יין אחר — the blessing on a second wine

הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב — "He who is good and does good": a blessing of thanksgiving instituted over wine, when a second wine is added. It differs from the ברכת הנהנין (בורא פרי הגפן) said at the start: the latter expresses enjoyment, the former thanksgiving for the shared abundance. The Talmudic basis: שינוי יין אינו צריך לברך (Berakhot 59b) — a change of wine requires no new blessing, and Rabbi Yohanan adds that one nonetheless says HaTov VeHaMeitiv.

Seif 1 — הביאו להם יין אחר : one says HaTov VeHaMeitiv

הביאו להם יין אחר אינו מברך בורא פרי הגפן אבל מברך עליו הטוב והמטיב. הגה: אף על גב שאין לו עוד מן הראשון ; ולאו דוקא הביאו להם מחדש אלא הוא הדין אם היה להם מתחלה שני יינות מברכין על השני הטוב והמטיב.
Seif 1: if they are brought another wine (יין אחר), one does not bless בורא פרי הגפן [again], but blesses HaTov VeHaMeitiv over it. Gloss of the Rama: even if he has no more of the first [wine]; and it is not only when a [wine] is newly brought, but the same applies if they had two wines from the start — one blesses HaTov VeHaMeitiv over the second.
One ברכת הנהנין, but an added blessing of thanks. Wine is a single "type of food": a change of wine does not restart the בורא פרי הגפן — the first cup's blessing covers the whole meal. But the arrival of a new wine is added good: the Sages instituted saying הטוב והמטיב over it. The Rama notes it makes no difference whether any of the first remains, and that it applies even if both wines were present from the start.

B. על כל שינוי יין — on every change of wine

Seif 2 — as long as one does not know it is inferior

מברכין הטוב והמטיב על כל שינוי יין מן הסתם אפילו אינו יודע שהשני משובח מהראשון כל שאינו יודע שהוא גרוע ממנו.
Seif 2: one blesses HaTov VeHaMeitiv over any change of wine (כל שינוי יין) by default, even if one does not know the second is better than the first — as long as one does not know it is inferior (גרוע) to it.
Doubt leans toward blessing. One does not bless only when the second wine is clearly better: any change of wine suffices, מן הסתם (by default). The only reservation is not to know it is inferior (גרוע) to the first — for then there is no "new good" warranting HaTov VeHaMeitiv. In doubt, one blesses. The Rama adds there is no distinction between two new wines or a new and an old one.

C. על העיקר ועל החביב תחלה — the most beloved first

Seif 3 — bad and good wine together

הביאו לו יין רע ויין טוב כאחד יברך מיד בורא פרי הגפן על הטוב ופוטר את הרע ולא יברך על הרע תחלה בורא פרי הגפן כדי לברך אחריו הטוב והמטיב כי לעולם יש לברך על העיקר ועל החביב תחלה.
Seif 3: if he is brought bad wine and good wine together (כאחד), he blesses at once בורא פרי הגפן over the good and [thereby] exempts the bad ; and he does not bless בורא פרי הגפן over the bad first in order to say HaTov VeHaMeitiv afterward [over the good] — for one must always bless over the principal and the most beloved first (על העיקר ועל החביב תחלה).
One does not "manufacture" an occasion to bless. One might be tempted to start with the bad wine, so the good becomes "a second wine" and merits הטוב והמטיב. The Mechaber forbids it: the principle על העיקר ועל החביב תחלה — one blesses first over the principal and the most beloved — prevails. So one blesses בורא פרי הגפן directly over the good wine, which exempts the bad ; and one does not say HaTov VeHaMeitiv here, since both came together.

D. הטוב לו והמטיב לחבירו — one needs another with him

Seif 4 — one blesses only if there is another with him

אין לברך הטוב והמטיב אלא אם כן יש אחר עמו דהכי משמע הטוב לו והמטיב לחבירו והוא הדין אם אשתו ובניו עמו אבל אם הוא יחידי לא.
Seif 4: one blesses HaTov VeHaMeitiv only if there is another with him (יש אחר עמו), for such is its meaning: "the good for him and the beneficent for his fellow" (הטוב לו והמטיב לחבירו) ; and the same if his wife and children are with him, but if he is alone (יחידי) — no.
A blessing that voices sharing. The very name of the blessing — הטוב והמטיב — carries two terms: הטוב ("the good," for oneself) and המטיב ("the beneficent," for others). Hence the rule: it presupposes another beneficiary. Alone, one does not say it ; but wife and children seated with him suffice to make it a shared good.

E. כל אחד מברך לעצמו — many seated

Seif 5 — many seated at the meal

אם רבים מסובים בסעודה כל אחד מברך לעצמו הטוב והמטיב ולא יברך אחד לכלם דחיישינן שמא יקדימו קנה לושט כשיענו אמן. הגה: אבל אם היו מסובים לשתות בלא אכילה אחד מברך לכלם.
Seif 5: if many are seated at the meal, each blesses HaTov VeHaMeitiv for himself, and one does not bless for all — for we fear that [while eating] the food may enter the windpipe before the gullet (קנה לושט) when they answer amen. Gloss of the Rama: but if they were seated to drink without eating, one blesses for all.
A safety precaution during the meal. When one eats, answering amen to another's blessing requires pausing — and we fear שמא יקדימו קנה לושט: that food may enter the windpipe instead of the gullet (a choking hazard). So, during a meal, each blesses for himself. The Rama qualifies: if one is seated to drink only, without eating, this risk is absent and one may bless for all.

F. שתי חביות ממין אחד — two barrels

Seif 6 — within forty days of the vintage

יין של שתי חביות והכל ממין אחד אם בתוך מ׳ יום לבצירתו שמוהו בשני כלים חשיבי כשני מינים ומברכין עליו הטוב והמטיב ואם לאחר מ׳ יום חלקוהו אין מברכין עליו הואיל והכל ממין אחד.
Seif 6: wine from two barrels, all of one kind — if within forty days (מ׳ יום) of the vintage it was put into two vessels, they are considered as two kinds (כשני מינים) and one blesses HaTov VeHaMeitiv over it ; but if it was divided after forty days, one does not bless over it, since it is all of one kind.
When "one wine" becomes "two wines." Normally, moving from one barrel to another of the same wine is not a "change" and calls for no HaTov VeHaMeitiv. But if the division into two vessels was made within forty days of the vintage, each vessel evolves separately and the two acquire a distinct taste: they count as two kinds (כשני מינים). After forty days the wine is settled: two vessels remain "one wine," and one does not bless.
The siman in one sentence: over a second wine (יין אחר) one does not repeat בורא פרי הגפן but says הטוב והמטיב — over any change of wine that is not inferior ; one blesses על העיקר ועל החביב תחלה ; the blessing presupposes another with him (הטוב לו והמטיב לחבירו) ; while eating, each blesses for himself ; and two barrels of one wine, divided within forty days, count as two wines.

Practical cases

Case 1 — A second wine arrives at the table

Situation: in the middle of the meal, I am brought a new bottle of wine, different from the first. What do I say?
Conduct: one does not repeat בורא פרי הגפן ; one says הטוב והמטיב (הביאו להם יין אחר אינו מברך בורא פרי הגפן אבל מברך עליו הטוב והמטיב, seif 1), as long as one does not know the new wine is inferior (seif 2). For the precise customs, one follows one's Rav.

Case 2 — Good and bad wine together, or when alone

Situation: two wines are brought together, a good one and a lesser one ; or I am alone at the table. How does one act?
Conduct: together, one blesses בורא פרי הגפן over the good wine, which exempts the bad — יש לברך על העיקר ועל החביב תחלה (seif 3), without saying HaTov VeHaMeitiv here. And if one is alone (יחידי), one does not say HaTov VeHaMeitiv — one needs another with him (seif 4), wife and children counting. For the details, one follows one's Rav.

Case 3 — In company, and the case of two barrels

Situation: we are several at the table ; or I am brought the same wine put into two barrels. Does one bless for all? Does one say HaTov VeHaMeitiv?
Conduct: during a meal, each blesses for himself (seif 5) ; only when seated to drink without eating does one bless for all (Rama). And for two barrels of the same wine, one says HaTov VeHaMeitiv only if they were divided within forty days of the vintage (seif 6). For a specific case, one follows one's Rav.

Comprehension questions

Check your understanding:
  1. Why does one not repeat בורא פרי הגפן over a second wine, and what does one say instead (seif 1)?
  2. Over which change of wine does one bless הטוב והמטיב, and what is the only reservation (seif 2)?
  3. Bad and good wine together: over which does one bless first, and why (seif 3)?
  4. What does הטוב לו והמטיב לחבירו mean, and does one say this blessing when alone (seif 4)?
  5. Why, while eating, does each bless for himself, and what does drinking only change (seif 5)? And when do two barrels count as two wines (seif 6)?

Going further

If you wish to deepen this siman:
Continue to the next simanSiman 176 →
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