Why a Level 4 devoted to the Alter Rebbe ? The Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch is not a commentary on the Mehaber (מחבר) — it is a complete, self-standing Shulchan Aruch, written by the Alter Rebbe (Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Habad, disciple of the Maggid (מגיד) of Mezeritch). Its singularity: it combines halakhah (הלכה) + טעמי המצוות + the inner dimension in a single work, and it rules with a uniquely talmudic sharpness.
For Habad, the Alter Rebbe is הפוסק האחרון — his psak is the deciding authority. This page gathers the Rav’s way on siman ר״ב — דִּינֵי פֵּרוֹת הָאִילָן (the laws of the fruits of the tree), which unfolds in the Rav over כ״ד סְעִיפִים (twenty-four seifim): from the very reason for the blessing borei pri haetz — the importance of the fruit, which the blessing comes to spell out — to what grows on the tree without being its essence; from unripe fruit, which has not reached the name of fruit, to spoiled fruit, which has fallen back from it; from pits and peels to fruit juices, where only wine and oil escape the status of mere perspiration; from steeping and cooking water, and the long mahloket it opens, to the rules of principal and subordinate in mixtures and remedies; from the mode of eating and the change of form, which make or unmake the blessing, to fruits candied in honey, cane sugar, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg; down to the law of doubt, and the closing demand: one who has not learned must go and learn.
שולחן ערוך הרב — סימן ר״ב — דִּינֵי פֵּרוֹת הָאִילָן
The full text of the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch
שולחן ערוך הרב, סימן ר״ב — דִּינֵי פֵּרוֹת הָאִילָן — וּבוֹ כ״ד סְעִיפִים
The Alter Rebbe’s own text (Sefaria source Shulchan_Arukh_HaRav,_Orach_Chayim.202), followed by our English translation. The siman comprises twenty-four seifim (כ״ד סְעִיפִים ; seif k → .202.k) — open each seif to read the Rav’s text.
סעיף א כָּל פֵּרוֹת הָאִילָן — בְּרָכָתָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ מִפְּנֵי חֲשִׁיבוּתָם.
דִּינֵי פֵּרוֹת הָאִילָן, וּבוֹ כ״ד סְעִיפִים:
עַל כָּל פֵּרוֹת הָאִילָן, בֵּין מִז׳ הַמִּינִים בֵּין מִשְּׁאָר מִינִים, בְּרָכָה רִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁלָּהֶם הִיא "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ", שֶׁמִּפְּנֵי חֲשִׁיבוּתָם הוֹצִיאוּם מִכְּלַל פֵּרוֹת הָאָרֶץ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁגִּדּוּלָם מִן הָאָרֶץ, וְקָבְעוּ לָהֶם בְּרָכָה מְיֻחֶדֶת, פְּרָטִית וּמְבֹרֶרֶת, שֶׁמְּבָרֶרֶת וּפוֹרֶטֶת חֲשִׁיבוּתָם שֶׁהֵם פְּרִי הָעֵץ, וְלֹא גְּדֵלִים בָּאֲדָמָה, כְּדֵי לְהַרְבּוֹת בִּכְבוֹד הַמָּקוֹם בְּהַזְכָּרַת שִׁבְחוֹ בִּפְרָטוּת, שֶׁבָּרָא פֵּרוֹת חֲשׁוּבִים כִּפְרִי הָעֵץ:
The laws of the fruits of the tree, comprising twenty-four seifim.
Over all fruits of the tree, whether of the seven species or of the other species, their first blessing is borei pri haetz — for on account of their importance they were taken out of the class of the fruits of the ground, even though their growth comes from the ground, and a blessing of their own was fixed for them: particular and explicit, one that spells out and details their importance, namely that they are fruit of the tree and do not grow in the soil — so as to multiply the honour of the Maqom by mentioning His praise in detail, that He created fruits as important as the fruit of the tree.
סעיף ב מַה שֶּׁגָּדֵל עַל הָעֵץ וְאֵינוֹ עִקַּר הַפְּרִי — הָאֲדָמָה ; וְהַקּוֹר — שֶׁהַכֹּל.
לְפִיכָךְ, כָּל דָּבָר שֶׁגָּדֵל עַל הָעֵץ וְאֵינוֹ עִקַּר הַפְּרִי — אֵין בּוֹ חֲשִׁיבוּת לְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ", וּמְבָרְכִין עָלָיו "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה".
וְהוּא שֶׁנּוֹטְעִים הָאִילָן עַל דַּעַת לֶאֱכֹל גַּם אוֹתוֹ דָּבָר, כְּגוֹן מִין אִילָן קָטָן הַנִּקְרָא צָלָף, שֶׁעָלִין שֶׁלּוֹ רְאוּיִין לַאֲכִילָה, וְיֵשׁ בְּעָלָיו תְּמָרוֹת בּוֹלְטוֹת כְּמוֹ בַּעֲלֵי עֲרָבָה, וְגַם הֵן רְאוּיִין לַאֲכִילָה — מְבָרֵךְ עַל הֶעָלִין וְעַל הַתְּמָרוֹת "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה", הוֹאִיל וְנוֹטְעִין הַצָּלָף עַל דַּעַת לֶאֱכֹל גַּם מִן הֶעָלִין וְהַתְּמָרוֹת, שֶׁאֵין מְמַעֲטִין אֶת הָאִילָן בְּכָךְ.
אֲבָל הַקּוֹר, שֶׁהוּא הָרֹאשׁ שֶׁל דֶּקֶל שֶׁנִּתְוַסֵּף בְּכָל שָׁנָה, וְהוּא רַךְ וְרָאוּי לַאֲכִילָה — אֵינוֹ מְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה" אֶלָּא "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ", לְפִי שֶׁאֵין נוֹטְעִין אֶת הַדֶּקֶל עַל דַּעַת כֵּן לֶאֱכֹל אֶת הַקּוֹר, שֶׁהָאוֹכְלוֹ מְמַעֵט עַנְפֵי הַדֶּקֶל. וְהוּא הַדִּין לְלוּלְבֵי גְּפָנִים:
Therefore, anything that grows on the tree and is not the essence of the fruit lacks the importance required to bless borei pri haetz over it, and one blesses borei pri haadama over it. And this is where the tree is planted with the intent to eat that thing as well: for instance, that small species of tree called tzalaf (the caper bush), whose leaves are fit to be eaten, and whose leaves bear protruding temarot like those on willow leaves, which are likewise fit to be eaten — one blesses borei pri haadama over the leaves and over the temarot, since the caper is planted with the intent to eat the leaves and the temarot as well, for the tree is not diminished thereby.
But the kor, which is the head of the palm that is added each year, soft and fit to be eaten — one does not bless borei pri haadama over it but chehakol nihya bidvaro, for the palm is not planted with the intent to eat the kor: whoever eats it diminishes the branches of the palm. The same law applies to vine shoots.
סעיף ג שְׁקֵדִים רַכִּים וּבֹסֶר — עֲדַיִן אֵין שֵׁם פְּרִי עֲלֵיהֶם.
וְכֵן שְׁקֵדִים קְטַנִּים שֶׁהֵם רַכִּים וְאוֹכְלָם בִּקְלִפָּתָם הַחִיצוֹנָה — מְבָרְכִים עֲלֵיהֶם "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ", שֶׁאֵין נוֹטְעִים אוֹתָם אֶלָּא עַל דַּעַת שֶׁיִּגְדְּלוּ וְיַעֲשׂוּ פְּרִי בְּתוֹךְ הַקְּלִפָּה.
בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים? בִּשְׁקֵדִים, שֶׁעִקַּר אֲכִילָתָם כְּשֶׁהֵם קְטַנִּים הִיא קְלִפָּתָם, וְאֵין נוֹטְעִים אוֹתָם אֶלָּא עַל דַּעַת לֶאֱכֹל הַפְּרִי שֶׁבְּתוֹכָם כְּשֶׁיִּגְדְּלוּ, אֲבָל שְׁאָר כָּל הַפֵּרוֹת שֶׁגַּם כְּשֶׁאוֹכְלִים אוֹתָם כְּשֶׁהֵם קְטַנִּים אוֹכְלִים מִגּוּף הַפְּרִי שֶׁיִּגְדַּל אַחַר כָּךְ — מְבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶם "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ" גַּם כְּשֶׁהֵם קְטַנִּים, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא נִטַּע הָאִילָן בִּשְׁבִיל כָּךְ, הוֹאִיל וְאָכַל גּוּף הַפְּרִי שֶׁנִּטַּע הָאִילָן בִּשְׁבִילוֹ.
וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם, עַל עֲנָבִים קְטַנִּים מִכְּפוֹל הַלָּבָן — אֵינוֹ מְבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶם "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ" אֶלָּא "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה", לְפִי שֶׁעֲדַיִן אֵין שֵׁם פְּרִי עֲלֵיהֶם כְּלָל, וּלְפִיכָךְ אֵין בָּהֶם חֲשִׁיבוּת לְבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶם "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ", כְּמוֹ שֶׁאֵין חֲשִׁיבוּת בְּעָלִין וּתְמָרוֹת שֶׁל צָלָף, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּטַּע הָאִילָן עַל דַּעַת לְאָכְלָם גַּם כֵּן.
וְשִׁעוּר פּוֹל הַלָּבָן שֶׁבִּימֵיהֶם לֹא נוֹדַע לָנוּ, לְפִיכָךְ לְעוֹלָם הוּא מְבָרֵךְ "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה" עַל הָעֲנָבִים שֶׁהֵם בֹּסֶר, עַד שֶׁיִּהְיוּ גְּדוֹלִים בְּיוֹתֵר, שֶׁכָּל דָּבָר שֶׁבִּרְכָתוֹ סָפֵק אִם הִיא "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה" אוֹ "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ" — מְבָרֵךְ "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה".
וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם, אֵין לֶאֱכֹל מֵהֶם כְּשִׁעוּר שֶׁחַיָּב בְּרָכָה אַחֲרוֹנָה אֶלָּא בְּתוֹךְ הַסְּעוּדָה, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהוּא סָפֵק אִם יְבָרֵךְ מֵעֵין ג׳ אוֹ "בּוֹרֵא נְפָשׁוֹת רַבּוֹת".
וְכֵן חֲרוּבִים קְטַנִּים קֹדֶם שֶׁיֵּרָאֶה בָּהֶם כְּמִין שַׁרְשְׁרָאוֹת שֶׁל חֲרוּבִים, וְזֵתִים קֹדֶם שֶׁיִּגְדַּל הַנֵּץ סְבִיבָם — אֵין שֵׁם פְּרִי עֲלֵיהֶם, וּמְבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶם "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה":
Likewise small almonds while still soft, eaten with their outer husk — one blesses chehakol nihya bidvaro over them, for they are planted only with the intent that they grow and produce fruit inside the husk.
To what does this apply? To almonds, whose essential eating while small is the husk, and which are planted only with the intent to eat the fruit within once they grow. But all other fruits, of which one eats the very body of the fruit that will later grow, even when eaten small — one blesses borei pri haetz over them even when small, though the tree was not planted for that, since he is eating the body of the fruit for which the tree was planted.
Nevertheless, over grapes smaller than a white bean one does not bless borei pri haetz but borei pri haadama, since the name of fruit does not yet apply to them at all; they therefore lack the importance required for borei pri haetz, just as there is no such importance in the leaves and temarot of the caper, even though the tree was planted with the intent to eat them too.
And the measure of the white bean of their day is not known to us; therefore he always blesses borei pri haadama over unripe grapes, until they are very large — for anything whose blessing is in doubt, whether borei pri haadama or borei pri haetz, one blesses borei pri haadama.
Even so, one should not eat of them the measure that obligates an after-blessing except within a meal, since it is doubtful whether he blesses meéin shalosh or borei nefashot rabot.
So too small carobs, before something like chains of carobs appears on them, and olives, before the calyx has grown around them — the name of fruit does not apply to them, and one blesses borei pri haadama over them.
סעיף ד מִשֶּׁיּוֹצִיא פְּרִי, אַף קָטָן מְאֹד — הָעֵץ ; וְהַמַּר בְּיוֹתֵר — אֵינוֹ פְּרִי.
אֲבָל שְׁאָר כָּל הָאִילָן מִשֶּׁיּוֹצִיא פְּרִי, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא קָטָן מְאֹד — שֵׁם פְּרִי עָלָיו, וּמְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ". וּבִלְבַד שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא מַר אוֹ עָפוּץ בְּיוֹתֵר עַד שֶׁאֵינוֹ רָאוּי לַאֲכִילָה אֲפִלּוּ עַל יְדֵי הַדְּחָק, שֶׁאָז אֵין מְבָרְכִין עָלָיו כְּלָל.
וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם מִתְקוֹ עַל יְדֵי הָאוּר אוֹ דָּבָר אַחֵר — אֵין מְבָרְכִין עָלָיו "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ" אוֹ "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה" אֶלָּא "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ", שֶׁכֵּיוָן שֶׁאֵינוֹ רָאוּי לַאֲכִילָה כְּלָל בְּלֹא מִתּוּק — אֵין שֵׁם פְּרִי עָלָיו כְּלָל, וְאֵינוֹ חָשׁוּב אֲפִלּוּ כִּפְרִי הָאֲדָמָה, אֶלָּא כְּעֵץ בְּעָלְמָא הוּא:
But every other tree, from the moment it produces fruit, even a very small one — the name of fruit applies to it, and one blesses borei pri haetz over it. Provided it is not bitter or so astringent as to be unfit for eating even with difficulty, in which case one blesses nothing at all over it.
And even if he sweetened it by fire or by something else, one does not bless borei pri haetz or borei pri haadama over it but chehakol nihya bidvaro: since it is not at all fit to be eaten without sweetening, the name of fruit does not apply to it at all, and it is not even as important as a fruit of the ground — it is mere wood.
סעיף ה שְׁקֵדִים הַמָּרִים — גְּדוֹלִים אֵין מְבָרְכִין, קְטַנִּים הָעֵץ.
וְכֵן שְׁקֵדִים הַמָּרִים — אֵין מְבָרְכִין עֲלֵיהֶם כְּלוּם כְּשֶׁהֵם גְּדוֹלִים, שֶׁאֵינָם רְאוּיִים לַאֲכִילָה אֲפִלּוּ עַל יְדֵי הַדְּחָק. אֲבָל קְטַנִּים שֶׁהֵם רַכִּים — מְבָרְכִים עֲלֵיהֶם "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ", כִּי עִקַּר אֲכִילָתָם הִיא הַקְּלִפָּה וְאֵינָהּ מָרָה, וְעַל דַּעַת כֵּן נוֹטְעִים אוֹתָן, אֲבָל הַגְּדוֹלִים עִקַּר אֲכִילָתָם מַה שֶּׁבִּפְנִים, וְהוּא מַר.
וְאִם מִתְקָן עַל יְדֵי הָאוּר אוֹ דָּבָר אַחֵר — מְבָרְכִים עֲלֵיהֶם "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ", כִּי הֵם פְּרִי גָּמוּר, וְנוֹטְעִים אוֹתָם עַל דַּעַת כֵּן:
Likewise bitter almonds: when large, one blesses nothing at all over them, for they are unfit to be eaten even with difficulty. But when small and soft, one blesses borei pri haetz over them, for their essential eating is then the husk, which is not bitter, and it is with that intent that they are planted; whereas in the large ones the essential eating is what is within, and that is bitter.
And if he sweetened them by fire or by something else, one blesses borei pri haetz over them, for they are complete fruit and it is with that intent that they are planted.
סעיף ו נוֹבְלוֹת וְסוֹפֵי עֲנָבִים שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּנּוּ לְקִלְקוּל — שֶׁהַכֹּל.
בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים שֶׁמְּבָרְכִין עַל פֵּרוֹת קְטַנִּים שֶׁלֹּא נִגְמַר בִּשּׁוּלָם "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ"? בְּפֵרוֹת שֶׁנִּתְלְשׁוּ מִן הָאִילָן, וְאִם לֹא נִתְלְשׁוּ הָיוּ מִתְבַּשְּׁלִים וְנִגְמָרִים עָלָיו, אֲבָל הַנּוֹבְלוֹת שֶׁהֵם פֵּ[רוֹת] שֶׁנִּשְׂרְפוּ מֵהַחֹם וְנָבְלוּ וְנָפְלוּ מִן הָאִילָן קֹדֶם שֶׁנִּתְבַּשְּׁלוּ, וְכֵן מִין תְּמָרִים שֶׁאֵין מִתְבַּשְּׁלִין עַל הָאִילָן אֶלָּא תּוֹלְשִׁין אוֹתָן וְעוֹשִׂים אוֹתָם כֹּמֶר בָּאָרֶץ וּמִתְבַּשְּׁלִין, אוֹ נוֹתְנִים אוֹתָם לְמַחְצְלָאוֹת לְהִתְחַמֵּם עַד שֶׁיִּתְבַּשְּׁלוּ, וְכֵן סוֹפֵי עֲנָבִים שֶׁאֵין מִתְבַּשְּׁלִין לְעוֹלָם מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִגִּיעַ הַסְּתָיו — מְבָרְכִין עֲלֵיהֶם "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ", שֶׁהוֹאִיל וְנִשְׁתַּנּוּ לְקִלְקוּל מֵחֲמַת קֹר אוֹ חֹם אוֹ דָּבָר אַחֵר — נִגְרְעוּ וְיָרְדוּ מִמַּעֲלָתָם לְעִנְיַן חֲשִׁיבוּת הַבְּרָכָה יוֹתֵר מֵאִלּוּ לֹא הָיוּ מַגִּיעִים לִכְלַל פְּרִי מִפְּנֵי קַטְנוּתָם, שֶׁהָיוּ מְבָרְכִין עֲלֵיהֶם "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה" עַל כָּל פָּנִים, וְעַכְשָׁו שֶׁגָּדְלוּ וְהִגִּיעוּ לִכְלַל פְּרִי וְנִשְׁתַּנּוּ — מְבָרְכִין עֲלֵיהֶם כְּבִרְכַּת פַּת וְתַבְשִׁיל שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּנּוּ לְקִלְקוּל, שֶׁהִיא "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ", כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן ר״ד:
To what does this apply — that one blesses borei pri haetz over small fruits whose ripening is not complete? To fruits detached from the tree which, had they not been detached, would have ripened and been completed upon it. But the novlot, that is, fruits scorched by the heat, withered and fallen from the tree before ripening; likewise that kind of dates which do not ripen on the tree but are picked and piled on the ground to ripen, or laid on mats to warm until they ripen; likewise the last grapes, which will never ripen because autumn has come — one blesses chehakol nihya bidvaro over them. For once they have been altered for the worse by cold, heat or something else, they have been reduced and have descended from their rank as regards the importance of the blessing, more than had they not reached the class of fruit on account of their smallness, in which case one would at least have blessed borei pri haadama. Now that they have grown, reached the class of fruit, and then been altered, one blesses over them as over bread or a cooked dish that have spoiled, namely chehakol nihya bidvaro, as will be explained in siman ר״ד.
סעיף ז הַחֹמֶץ שֶׁל סוֹפֵי עֲנָבִים — כָּעֲנָבִים עַצְמָן.
וְכֵן עַל הַחֹמֶץ שֶׁעוֹשִׂין מִסּוֹפֵי עֲנָבִים — מְבָרְכִין "שֶׁהַכֹּל" כְּמוֹ עַל הָעֲנָבִים עַצְמָן, שֶׁהַיּוֹצֵא מִן הָעֲנָבִים — כְּמוֹתָן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר:
Likewise over the vinegar made from the last grapes one blesses chehakol, just as over the grapes themselves — for what issues from grapes is like them, as will be explained.
סעיף ח גַּרְעִינֵי הַפֵּרוֹת — מְתוּקִים הָעֵץ, מָרִים אֵינָם פְּרִי.
גַּרְעִינֵי הַפֵּרוֹת, אִם הֵם מְתוּקִים וּרְאוּיִים לַאֲכִילָה — שֵׁם פְּרִי עֲלֵיהֶן, וּמְבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶן "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ". וְאִם הֵם מָרִים — אֵינוֹ מְבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶם כְּלָל. וְאַף אִם מִתְקָן עַל יְדֵי הָאוּר אוֹ דָּבָר אַחֵר — אֵינוֹ מְבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶם אֶלָּא "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ", שֶׁגַּרְעִינִים הַמָּרִים אֵין שֵׁם פְּרִי עֲלֵיהֶם כְּלָל, וּכְעֵץ בְּעָלְמָא הֵם:
The pits of fruits: if they are sweet and fit to be eaten, the name of fruit applies to them and one blesses borei pri haetz over them. And if they are bitter, one blesses nothing at all over them. And even if he sweetened them by fire or by something else, he blesses only chehakol nihya bidvaro over them — for to bitter pits the name of fruit does not apply at all: they are mere wood.
סעיף ט אֲבִיּוֹנוֹת וְקַפְרֵיסִין וּקְלִפּוֹת — וּלְעִנְיַן הֲלָכָה הָאֲדָמָה.
הָאֲבִיּוֹנוֹת שֶׁל צָלָף שֶׁהֵם עִקַּר הַפְּרִי — מְבָרְכִין עֲלֵיהֶם "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ". וְהַקַּפְרֵיסִין שֶׁהִיא קְלִפָּה גְּדוֹלָה שֶׁסְּבִיבוֹת הָאֲבִיּוֹנוֹת, כְּעֵין קְלִפָּה הַגְּדֵלָה סְבִיבוֹת אֱגוֹזִים דַּקִּים — יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁגַּם הֵם חֲשׁוּבִים פְּרִי, וּמְבָרְכִים עֲלֵיהֶם "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ". וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁאֵינָם חֲשׁוּבִים פְּרִי, וּמְבָרְכִין עֲלֵיהֶם "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה". וְכֵן עַל קְלִפּוֹת חִיצוֹנוֹת שֶׁל שְׁאָר פֵּרוֹת, כְּגוֹן שֶׁל רִמּוֹנִים וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶם — מְבָרְכִים "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה", שֶׁאֵין מְבָרְכִין "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ" אֶלָּא עַל עִקַּר הַפְּרִי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר לְמַעְלָה. וּלְפִיכָךְ מְבָרְכִין עַל קְלִפֵּי מרנצי״ן מְרֻקָּחִין "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה".
וּלְעִנְיַן הֲלָכָה, לְכַתְּחִלָּה יְבָרֵךְ "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה", שֶׁאָז יוֹצֵא לְדִבְרֵי הַכֹּל, וְאִם בֵּרַךְ "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ" — יָצָא, שֶׁסְּפֵק בְּרָכוֹת לְהָקֵל. וְכֵן בְּכָל דָּבָר שֶׁבִּרְכָתוֹ סָפֵק:
The aviyonot of the caper, which are the essence of the fruit — one blesses borei pri haetz over them. As for the kaprisin, the large husk surrounding the aviyonot, like the husk that grows around thin-shelled nuts: there are those who say that they too are considered fruit and that one blesses borei pri haetz over them; and there are those who say that they are not considered fruit and that one blesses borei pri haadama over them. So too over the outer peels of other fruits, such as those of pomegranates and the like, one blesses borei pri haadama: for one blesses borei pri haetz only over the essence of the fruit, as explained above. Therefore one blesses borei pri haadama over candied bitter-orange peels.
And as to the halakhah: lekhathilah he shall bless borei pri haadama, for then he fulfils his duty according to all opinions; and if he blessed borei pri haetz he has fulfilled his duty, since in doubtful blessings we are lenient. And so with anything whose blessing is in doubt.
סעיף י מֵי פֵּרוֹת זֵעָה בְּעָלְמָא — חוּץ מִיַּיִן וְשֶׁמֶן ; וְדִין עִקָּר וְטָפֵל.
כָּל הַפֵּרוֹת שֶׁסְּחָטָן לְהוֹצִיא מֵימֵיהֶם — אֵין מֵימֵיהֶם חֲשׁוּבִים כְּמוֹתָם לְבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶם "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ", וַאֲפִלּוּ יָצְאוּ מֵעַצְמָן, כְּמוֹ דְּבַשׁ הַזָּב מֵהַתְּמָרִים, אֶלָּא מְבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶם "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ", כִּי זֵעָה בְּעָלְמָא הִיא, וְאֵינָהּ נֶחְשֶׁבֶת כְּגוּף הַפְּרִי, חוּץ מִזֵּתִים וַעֲנָבִים שֶׁהַיּוֹצֵא מֵהֶם כְּמוֹתָם, שֶׁאַף שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּנּוּ — נִשְׁתַּנּוּ לְעִלּוּי, שֶׁבְּשִׁנּוּיָם הֵם בָּאִים לִכְלַל דֶּרֶךְ אֲכִילָתָם, שֶׁעִקַּר הַפְּרִי לְכָךְ נְטָעוּהוּ, עֲנָבִים לְהוֹצִיא מֵהֶן יַיִן, וְזֵיתִים לְהוֹצִיא מֵהֶן שֶׁמֶן, לְפִיכָךְ פְּרִי הוּא, וְרָאוּי לְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ".
אֶלָּא שֶׁהַיַּיִן, מִפְּנֵי חֲשִׁיבוּתוֹ שֶׁסּוֹעֵד וּמְשַׂמֵּחַ הַלֵּב, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב "וְיַיִן יְשַׂמַּח לְבַב אֱנוֹשׁ", הוֹצִיאוּהוּ מִכְּלַל פֵּרוֹת הָעֵץ וְקָבְעוּ לוֹ בְּרָכָה לְעַצְמוֹ, וְהִיא "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן", שֶׁהִיא בְּרָכָה פְּרָטִית וּמְבֹרֶרֶת יוֹתֵר, שֶׁמְּבָרֶרֶת וּפוֹרֶטֶת יוֹתֵר חֲשִׁיבוּתוֹ שֶׁהוּא פְּרִי הַגֶּפֶן. וְאִם בֵּרַךְ "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ" — לֹא יָצָא, אֲפִלּוּ הוּא יַיִן חָזָק שֶׁאֵינוֹ רָאוּי לִשְׁתִיָּה בְּלֹא מַיִם, וְאֵין זֶה דֶּרֶךְ שְׁתִיָּתוֹ וַחֲשִׁיבוּתוֹ כְּשֶׁהוּא חַי. וְכָל פְּרָטֵי בִּרְכוֹת יַיִן שֶׁמְּבָרְכִין עָלָיו "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן" — יִתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן ר״ד וְער״ב.
וְהַשֶּׁמֶן אֵין מְבָרְכִין עָלָיו "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ" כְּשֶׁשּׁוֹתֵהוּ לְבַדּוֹ כְּמוֹת שֶׁהוּא, שֶׁהֲרֵי הוּא מַזִּיק לְגוּפוֹ וְאֵינוֹ נֶהֱנֶה כְּלָל בִּשְׁתִיָּתוֹ, וְאֵין לְבָרֵךְ בִּרְכַּת הַנֶּהֱנִין כְּלָל עַל שְׁתִיָּה זוֹ, אֶלָּא כְּגוֹן שֶׁעֵרְבוֹ עִם אֵיזֶה מַשְׁקֶה בְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּהֱנֶה מִמֶּנּוּ וְאֵינוֹ מַזִּיקוֹ. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַשֶּׁמֶן מוּעָט — אֵין הוֹלְכִים אַחַר הָרֹב לְבָרֵךְ בִּרְכַּת אוֹתוֹ מַשְׁקֶה, אֶלָּא מְבָרֵךְ עַל תַּעֲרֹבֶת זֶה "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ", שֶׁהִיא בִּרְכַּת הַשֶּׁמֶן.
בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים? בְּחוֹשֵׁשׁ בִּגְרוֹנוֹ וּמִתְכַּוֵּן לִרְפוּאָה בִּשְׁתִיָּה זוֹ, שֶׁהַשֶּׁמֶן מְרַכֵּךְ אֶת הַגָּרוֹן וּמְרַפְּאוֹ, אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לִשְׁתּוֹת שֶׁמֶן לְבַדּוֹ לְכָךְ שׁוֹתֶה עַל יְדֵי תַּעֲרֹבֶת שְׁאָר מַשְׁקִין הַרְבֵּה מִמֶּנּוּ, אֲבָל כַּוָּנָתוֹ בִּשְׁתִיָּה זוֹ הוּא עַל הַשֶּׁמֶן, לְפִיכָךְ מְבָרֵךְ בִּרְכַּת הַשֶּׁמֶן שֶׁהִיא הָעִקָּר וּפוֹטֵר אֶת הַמַּשְׁקֶה הַטָּפֵל, שֶׁכָּל עִקָּר וְעִמּוֹ טְפֵלָה — מְבָרֵךְ עַל הָעִקָּר וּפוֹטֵר אֶת הַטְּפֵלָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן רי״ב. אֲבָל אִם אֵינוֹ חוֹשֵׁשׁ בִּגְרוֹנוֹ, וְאֵינוֹ מִתְכַּוֵּן בִּשְׁתִיָּה זוֹ לִרְפוּאָה כְּלָל — הַמַּשְׁקֶה עִקָּר, שֶׁהוּא הָרֹב וְהַשֶּׁמֶן טָפֵל, וְנִפְטָר בְּבִרְכַּת הַמַּשְׁקֶה.
וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ אִם הַשֶּׁמֶן הוּא הָרֹב — אֵינוֹ נֶחְשָׁב עִקָּר כְּשֶׁאֵינוֹ מִתְכַּוֵּן לִרְפוּאָה, הוֹאִיל וְאֵינוֹ רָאוּי לִשְׁתִיָּה בְּלֹא תַּעֲרֹבֶת מַשְׁקֶה, אֶלָּא הַמַּשְׁקֶה עִקָּר וּמְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו וּפוֹטֵר הַשֶּׁמֶן (וְלַסְּבָרָא הָרִאשׁוֹנָה אִם הַשֶּׁמֶן הוּא הָרֹב — אֵינוֹ מְבָרֵךְ כְּלוּם, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמַּזִּיק לְגוּפוֹ, וְאֵינוֹ נֶהֱנֶה בִּשְׁתִיָּה זוֹ כְּלָל, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַשֶּׁמֶן הוּא הָרֹב, וּסְפֵק בְּרָכוֹת לְהָקֵל).
וְכֵן הַשּׁוֹתֶה חֹמֶץ מְעֹרָב בְּמֵי שְׁלָקוֹת שֶׁמְּבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶם "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה", עַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן ר״ה, אִם מִתְכַּוֵּן לִרְפוּאָה, כְּגוֹן שֶׁחוֹשֵׁשׁ בְּשִׁנָּיו וּמְגַמֵּעַ בָּהֶם חֹמֶץ, אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא חָזָק וְאֵינוֹ רָאוּי לִשְׁתִיָּה מְעָרְבוֹ בְּמֵי שְׁלָקוֹת — הַחֹמֶץ עִקָּר, אֲפִלּוּ הוּא מוּעָט, וּמֵי שְׁלָקוֹת טְפֵלִים, וּמְבָרֵךְ בִּרְכַּת הַחֹמֶץ שֶׁהִיא "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ". וְאִם אֵינוֹ מִתְכַּוֵּן לִרְפוּאָה — הַחֹמֶץ בָּטֵל בְּרֹב בְּמֵי הַשְּׁלָקוֹת.
אֲבָל אִם הַחֹמֶץ הוּא הָרֹב, אַף שֶׁלְּפִי סְבָרָא הָאַחֲרוֹנָה הַמֵּי שְׁלָקוֹת הֵם הָעִקָּר הוֹאִיל וְהַחֹמֶץ אֵינוֹ רָאוּי לִשְׁתִיָּה לְבַדּוֹ בְּלֹא תַּעֲרֹבֶת, מִכָּל מָקוֹם, יֵשׁ לָחֹשׁ לַסְּבָרָא הָרִאשׁוֹנָה וּלְבָרֵךְ עַל הַחֹמֶץ "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ" וְלִפְטֹר הַמֵּי שְׁלָקוֹת, שֶׁעַל כֻּלָּם אִם אָמַר "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ" — יָצָא.
וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם אוֹכֵל שֶׁמֶן עִם פַּת — אֵין צָרִיךְ לִטֹּל יָדָיו וּלְבָרֵךְ "הַמּוֹצִיא" אִם אֵינוֹ מִתְכַּוֵּן אֶלָּא לִרְפוּאָה, שֶׁאַף הַפַּת נַעֲשָׂה טְפֵלָה אִם אֵינוֹ מִתְכַּוֵּן בַּאֲכִילָתָהּ אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל הַשֶּׁמֶן שֶׁיּוּכַל לְאָכְלָהּ עִמּוֹ וְלֹא יַזִּיק לוֹ. אֲבָל אִם הוּא רָעֵב וְתָאֵב לֶאֱכֹל פַּת, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאוֹכֵל עִמָּהּ הַשֶּׁמֶן לִרְפוּאָה — הַפַּת עִקָּר, וּמְבָרֵךְ עָלֶיהָ בִּרְכַּת "הַמּוֹצִיא" וּפוֹטֶרֶת אֶת הַשֶּׁמֶן, כְּמוֹ כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הַבָּאִים מֵחֲמַת הַסְּעוּדָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן קע״ז.
וְכֵן הַמְעָרֵב שֶׁמֶן בִּשְׁאָר מַשְׁקִין לִרְפוּאָה וְהוּא צָמֵא וְתָאֵב לִשְׁתּוֹת — הַמַּשְׁקִין עִקָּר לְדִבְרֵי הַכֹּל, אִם הֵם הָרֹב.
וְכָל זֶה בְּשֶׁמֶן, שֶׁהוּא מַזִּיק וְאֵין הֲנָאָה כְּלָל בִּשְׁתִיָּתוֹ כְּמוֹת שֶׁהוּא, אֲבָל אֳכָלִים וּמַשְׁקִים שֶׁהַחֵךְ נֶהֱנָה מֵהֶם, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵם מַזִּיקִים וְקָשִׁים לַגּוּף — צָרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶם בְּרָכָה הַמְיֻחֶדֶת לָהֶם. וְאִם אֵין הַחֵיךְ נֶהֱנָה מֵהֶם, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵם יָפִים וּמוֹעִילִים לַגּוּף — אֵין מְבָרְכִין עֲלֵיהֶם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן ר״ד:
All fruits that one has pressed to extract their liquid — that liquid is not as important as they are, such as to bless borei pri haetz over it; and even if it came out of itself, like the honey that oozes from dates, one blesses chehakol nihya bidvaro over it, for it is mere perspiration and is not reckoned as the body of the fruit. The exception is olives and grapes, whose issue is like them: for although they have been altered, they have been altered upward — through that very alteration they attain their mode of eating, and it is for that that the essence of the fruit was planted: grapes to produce wine, olives to produce oil. It is therefore fruit, and it would be fitting to bless borei pri haetz over it.
Except that wine, because of its importance — it sustains and gladdens the heart, as it is written, “and wine gladdens the heart of man” — was taken out of the class of fruits of the tree, and a blessing of its own was fixed for it, namely borei pri hagafen: a more particular and more explicit blessing, one that spells out and details its importance still further, namely that it is fruit of the vine. And if he blessed borei pri haetz he has not fulfilled his duty, even with a strong wine unfit to be drunk without water: that is not its manner of being drunk nor its importance when undiluted. All the details of the blessings over wine, where one blesses borei pri hagafen, will be explained in simanim ר״ד and ער״ב.
As for oil, one does not bless borei pri haetz over it when drinking it alone as it is, for it harms the body and he derives no pleasure at all from drinking it, and there is no place at all to bless a birkat hanehenin over such drinking. The case is rather where he mixed it with some beverage in a manner from which he derives pleasure and which does not harm him. And even if the oil is the lesser part, one does not follow the majority so as to bless the blessing of that beverage: he blesses borei pri haetz over this mixture, which is the blessing of the oil.
To what does this apply? To one who suffers in his throat and intends this drinking as a remedy — for oil softens the throat and heals it — but who, being unable to drink oil alone, drinks it mixed with much more of other liquids: his intent in this drinking is upon the oil; he therefore blesses the blessing of the oil, which is the principal, and thereby exempts the subordinate beverage — for wherever there is a principal with a subordinate alongside it, one blesses over the principal and exempts the subordinate, as will be explained in siman רי״ב. But if he does not suffer in his throat and does not intend this drinking as a remedy at all, the beverage is the principal, being the majority, and the oil is subordinate and exempted by the blessing of the beverage.
And there are those who say that even if the oil is the majority it is not reckoned the principal when he does not intend a remedy, since it is unfit to be drunk without an admixture of beverage: rather the beverage is the principal, he blesses over it and exempts the oil. (And according to the first opinion, if the oil is the majority he blesses nothing at all, since it harms his body and he derives no pleasure at all from this drinking, the oil being the majority — and in doubtful blessings we are lenient.)
Likewise one who drinks vinegar mixed with the water in which vegetables were boiled, over which one blesses borei pri haadama, along the lines that will be explained in siman ר״ה: if he intends a remedy — for instance, he suffers in his teeth and rinses with vinegar, but since it is strong and unfit to be drunk he mixes it with that water — the vinegar is the principal, even if it is the lesser part, the vegetable water is subordinate, and he blesses the blessing of the vinegar, which is chehakol nihya bidvaro. And if he does not intend a remedy, the vinegar is nullified in the majority of the vegetable water.
But if the vinegar is the majority, then although according to the latter opinion the vegetable water is the principal — the vinegar not being fit to be drunk alone without admixture — one should nevertheless take account of the first opinion and bless chehakol nihya bidvaro over the vinegar, thereby exempting the vegetable water: for over all things, if he said chehakol nihya bidvaro he has fulfilled his duty.
And even if he eats oil with bread, he need not wash his hands and bless hamotsi if he intends only a remedy: for even the bread becomes subordinate if he eats it only for the sake of the oil, so as to be able to take it with him without its harming him. But if he is hungry and desires to eat bread, even though he eats the oil with it as a remedy, the bread is the principal: he blesses the blessing hamotsi over it, and it exempts the oil, like all things that come on account of the meal, as explained in siman קע״ז.
Likewise one who mixes oil into other beverages as a remedy while he is thirsty and desires to drink — the beverages are the principal according to all opinions, if they are the majority.
And all this concerns oil, which is harmful and from whose drinking as it is there is no pleasure at all. But foods and drinks from which the palate derives pleasure, even though they are harmful and hard on the body, require the blessing particular to them. And if the palate derives no pleasure from them, even though they are wholesome and beneficial to the body, one does not bless over them, as will be explained in siman ר״ד.
סעיף יא מֵי שְׁרִיָּה וּבִשּׁוּל שֶׁל פֵּרוֹת — שֶׁהַכֹּל לְכַתְּחִלָּה.
כָּל הַפֵּרוֹת, אֲפִלּוּ זֵיתִים וַעֲנָבִים, שֶׁשְּׁרָאָן אוֹ בִּשְּׁלָן בְּמַיִם, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּכְנַס טַעַם הַפְּרִי בַּמַּיִם — אֵינוֹ מְבָרֵךְ עַל אוֹתָם הַמַּיִם אֶלָּא "שֶׁהַכֹּל", שֶׁהַמַּיִם הֵם עִקָּר. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים? בְּפֵרוֹת שֶׁדַּרְכָּן לְאָכְלָן חַיִּין, אֲבָל מִינֵי יְרָקוֹת שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ אֲכִילָתָם עַל יְדֵי בִּשּׁוּל — מֵי בִּשּׁוּלָם כְּמוֹתָם, שֶׁעַל דַּעַת כֵּן נוֹטְעִים אוֹתָם, לֶאֱכֹל גַּם מֵימֵיהֶם עִמָּהֶם אוֹ עִם פַּת, וְלֹא יָצְאוּ מִתּוֹרַת אֹכֶל לְגַמְרֵי, וּלְפִיכָךְ מְבָרְכִין עֲלֵיהֶם בִּרְכַּת הַיְרָקוֹת, אַף אִם בָּא לִשְׁתּוֹתָן בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָן. אֲבָל פֵּרוֹת שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ אֲכִילָתָם חַיִּים אַף אִם נִתְיַבְּשׁוּ, וְאָז אֵין דַּרְכָּם לְהֵאָכֵל חַיִּים אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי בִּשּׁוּל, מִכָּל מָקוֹם, אֵין עִקַּר נְטִיעָתָם עַל דַּעַת כֵּן, וּמְבָרֵךְ עַל מֵימֵיהֶם "שֶׁהַכֹּל" אִם בָּא לִשְׁתּוֹתָם בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָן, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן עַל מֵי שְׁרִיָּתָם.
וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁכָּל הַפֵּרוֹת מֵי בִּשּׁוּלָם אוֹ שְׁרִיָּתָם כְּמוֹתָם, וּמְבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶם "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ" אִם בָּא לִשְׁתּוֹתָם בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָן, שֶׁכֵּיוָן שֶׁעִקַּר בִּשּׁוּל הַמַּיִם בִּשְׁבִיל הַפֵּרוֹת, לְפִיכָךְ, כֵּיוָן שֶׁנָּתְנוּ הַפֵּרוֹת טַעַם בָּהֶם — הוֹלְכִים אַחַר הַטַּעַם, וְאֵינָן דּוֹמִים לְמַשְׁקִין הַיּוֹצְאִים מֵהַפֵּרוֹת מֵעַצְמָם, אוֹ עַל יְדֵי כְּתִישָׁה וּסְחִיטָה, שֶׁזֵּעָה בְּעָלְמָא הִיא, לְפִי שֶׁהַמַּשְׁקֶה אֵין לוֹ טַעַם הַפְּרִי כְּמוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לַמָּרָק טַעַם הַפְּרִי.
וּסְפֵק בְּרָכוֹת לְהָקֵל, וְאִם בֵּרַךְ "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ" — יָצָא, וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לַחֲזֹר וּלְבָרֵךְ. אֲבָל לְכַתְּחִלָּה יְבָרֵךְ "שֶׁהַכֹּל" וְיוֹצֵא לְדִבְרֵי הַכֹּל. וְאִם אָכַל תְּחִלָּה הַפְּרִי וּבֵרַךְ "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ" וְאַחַר כָּךְ בָּא לִשְׁתּוֹת הַמָּרָק — לֹא יְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ", כִּי שֶׁמָּא נִפְטַר כְּבָר בְּבִרְכַּת "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ", לָכֵן טוֹב שֶׁיִּשְׁתֶּה דָּבָר אַחֵר תְּחִלָּה לְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו "שֶׁהַכֹּל":
All fruits, even olives and grapes, that one has soaked or cooked in water: even though the taste of the fruit has entered the water, one blesses only chehakol over that water, for the water is the principal. To what does this apply? To fruits customarily eaten raw. But species of vegetables, whose mode of eating is by cooking — their cooking water is like them, for it is with that intent that they are planted: to eat their water too along with them or with bread; it has therefore not left the status of food entirely, and one accordingly blesses the blessing of vegetables over it, even if he comes to drink it by itself. But fruits whose mode of eating is raw — even if they have dried, so that they are then customarily eaten only cooked — the essence of their planting is in any case not with that intent: he blesses chehakol over their water if he comes to drink it by itself, and all the more so over their steeping water.
And there are those who say that for all fruits the cooking or steeping water is like them, and that he blesses borei pri haetz over it if he comes to drink it by itself: since the essence of cooking the water is for the sake of the fruits, then once the fruits have given their taste into it, we follow the taste. And this is unlike liquids that issue from fruits of themselves, or by crushing and pressing, which are mere perspiration — for that liquid does not have the taste of the fruit as the broth has the taste of the fruit.
And in doubtful blessings we are lenient: if he blessed borei pri haetz he has fulfilled his duty and need not repeat the blessing. But lekhathilah he shall bless chehakol and fulfil his duty according to all opinions. And if he first ate the fruit and blessed borei pri haetz, and then comes to drink the broth, he shall not bless chehakol nihya bidvaro over it, for perhaps it has already been exempted by the blessing borei pri haetz; it is therefore good that he first drink something else so as to bless chehakol over it.
סעיף יב סְפֵק בְּרָכָה אַחֲרוֹנָה בְּמָרָק, וּמֵי צִמּוּקִים, וּמָרָק שֶׁל דָּגָן.
וְכָל זֶה לָצֵאת יְדֵי סְפֵק בְּרָכָה רִאשׁוֹנָה, אֲבָל אִם יֵשׁ סָפֵק בִּבְרָכָה אַחֲרוֹנָה, כְּגוֹן מֵי שְׁרִיַּת אוֹ בִּשּׁוּל תְּאֵנִים אוֹ שְׁאָר פֵּרוֹת שֶׁל שִׁבְעַת הַמִּינִים, שֶׁבְּרָכָה אַחֲרוֹנָה שֶׁלָּהֶם הִיא בְּרָכָה אַחַת מֵעֵין ג׳, וּכְשֶׁשּׁוֹתֶה הַמָּרָק לְבַדּוֹ — יֵשׁ לְהִסְתַּפֵּק אִם מְבָרֵךְ מֵעֵין ג׳ אוֹ "בּוֹרֵא נְפָשׁוֹת רַבּוֹת", לָכֵן כָּל יְרֵא שָׁמַיִם לֹא יִשְׁתֶּה כַּשִּׁעוּר אֶלָּא בְּתוֹךְ הַסְּעוּדָה, אוֹ יֹאכַל פְּרִי מִז׳ מִינִים, וְגַם יִשְׁתֶּה מַיִם, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּצְטָרֵךְ לְבָרֵךְ בְּרָכָה אַחַת מֵעֵין ג׳ וְגַם "בּוֹרֵא נְפָשׁוֹת רַבּוֹת".
אֲפִלּוּ בְּמֵי שְׁרִיַּת צִמּוּקִים יַעֲשֶׂה כֵּן, אִם שְׁרָאָן עַל דַּעַת לְאָכְלָן עִם מֵימֵיהֶם, שֶׁאָז תּוֹרַת מָרָק עַל מֵימֵיהֶם וְלֹא תּוֹרַת יַיִן. אֲבָל אִם שְׁרָאָן שֶׁלֹּא עַל דַּעַת לְאָכְלָן כְּלָל, אֶלָּא לִשְׁתּוֹת מֵימֵיהֶם לְבַד — תּוֹרַת יַיִן עֲלֵיהֶם, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא מָשַׁךְ אוֹתוֹ עֲדַיִן מִן הַצִּמּוּקִים, וּמְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן", עַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן ער״ב.
וְכֵן בִּשְׁאָר פֵּרוֹת, אִם שְׁרָאָם אוֹ בִּשְּׁלָם לִשְׁתּוֹת מֵימֵיהֶם לְבַד — אֵין שֵׁם מָרָק עֲלֵיהֶם אֶלָּא שֵׁם מַשְׁקֶה, וּלְדִבְרֵי הַכֹּל מְבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶם "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ" וּ״בוֹרֵא נְפָשׁוֹת רַבּוֹת". וְלָכֵן מְבָרְכִין עַל שֵׁכָר תְּמָרִים "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ" וְלֹא "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ". וְכֵן עַל מַיִם מְבֻשָּׁלִים עִם עָלִים שֶׁקּוֹרִין (טיי״א) — אֵין מְבָרְכִין עֲלֵיהֶם "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה" מִטַּעַם זֶה, אֶלָּא "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ".
וְכֵן מָרָק שֶׁל כָּל מַעֲשֵׂה קְדֵרָה מֵחֲמֵשֶׁת הַמִּינִין (בֵּין שֶׁהַגַּרְעִינִים שְׁלֵמִים, רַק שֶׁאֵינָם עוֹמְדִים בְּעֵינָם, שֶׁנִּתְבַּשְּׁלוּ כָּל כָּךְ עַד שֶׁנִּתְמַעֲכוּ וּבִרְכָתָם "בּוֹרֵא מִינֵי מְזוֹנוֹת", בֵּין שֶׁנֶּחְלְקוּ בְּמַכְתֶּשֶׁת לִשְׁנַיִם אוֹ לִשְׁלֹשָׁה וְיוֹתֵר, בֵּין תַּבְשִׁיל מִקֶּמַח שֶׁל חֲמֵשֶׁת הַמִּינִים) — אֵין הַמָּרָק נֶחְשָׁב כְּתַבְשִׁיל לְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו "בּוֹרֵא מִינֵי מְזוֹנוֹת", אִם בָּא לִשְׁתּוֹתוֹ בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן בִּשְּׁלוֹ בִּשְׁבִיל לֶאֱכֹל הַתַּבְשִׁיל, שֶׁאָז הוּא בָּטֵל לְגַבֵּי הַתַּבְשִׁיל.
אֲבָל אִם עִקַּר הַבִּשּׁוּל בִּשְׁבִיל הַמָּרָק לְבַדּוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּבַשְּׁלִים שְׂעוֹרִים לְחוֹלֶה לִשְׁתּוֹת הַמָּרָק לִרְפוּאָה, וְכֵן מִקֶּמַח עוֹשִׂים לִפְעָמִים מְעַט לְבִיבוֹת וּמְשִׂימִים גַּם כֵּן מְעַט קֶמַח לְתוֹךְ הַמָּרָק, וְעִקַּר הַכַּוָּנָה עַל שְׁתִיַּת הַמָּרָק וְלֹא עַל אֲכִילַת הַלְּבִיבוֹת — מְבָרְכִין עָלָיו "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ", שֶׁאֵינוֹ בָּטֵל לְגַבֵּי הַתַּבְשִׁיל וְשֵׁם מַשְׁקֶה עָלָיו. וּמִטַּעַם זֶה מְבָרְכִין עַל שֵׁכָר שְׂעוֹרִים "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ" וְלֹא "בּוֹרֵא מִינֵי מְזוֹנוֹת", כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן ר״ד.
וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם אוֹכֵל גַּם כֵּן הַתַּבְשִׁיל עִם הַמָּרָק — אֵין הַמָּרָק נִפְטָר בְּבִרְכַּת הַתַּבְשִׁיל, שֶׁאֵינֶנּוּ טָפֵל אֵלָיו כְּלָל, כֵּיוָן שֶׁעִקַּר הַבִּשּׁוּל בִּשְׁבִיל הַמָּרָק. וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם, כְּדֵי לַעֲשׂוֹת עַל צַד הַיּוֹתֵר טוֹב — רָאוּי לְבָרֵךְ "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ" תְּחִלָּה עַל הַמָּרָק וְלִשְׁתּוֹת מִמֶּנּוּ בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ מְעַט, וְאַחַר כָּךְ מְבָרֵךְ עַל הַתַּבְשִׁיל "בּוֹרֵא מִינֵי מְזוֹנוֹת", שֶׁגַּם הַתַּבְשִׁיל אֵינוֹ נַעֲשָׂה טָפֵל אֶל הַמָּרָק אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁעִקַּר הַבִּשּׁוּל בִּשְׁבִילוֹ, לְפִי שֶׁמִּין דָּגָן הוּא חָשׁוּב וְאֵינוֹ נַעֲשָׂה טָפֵל לְהַפְסִיד בִּרְכָתוֹ כָּל שֶׁבָּא לִתֵּן טַעַם בַּקְּדֵרָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן ר״ח.
(אֲבָל תַּבְשִׁיל מִמִּין דָּגָן שֶׁהַגַּרְעִינִים עוֹמְדִים בְּעֵינָם שֶׁבִּרְכָתוֹ "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה", הֲרֵי הַמָּרָק כְּמָרָק שֶׁל שְׁאָר פֵּרוֹת, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ עִקַּר הַבִּשּׁוּל בִּשְׁבִיל אֲכִילַת הַפֵּרוֹת — אֵין מְבָרְכִין עַל הַמָּרָק אֶלָּא "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ" לַסְּבָרָא הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, הוֹאִיל וְאֵין דֶּרֶךְ אֲכִילָתָם עַל יְדֵי בִּשּׁוּל, וְאַף חֲמֵשֶׁת מִינֵי דָּגָן אֵין דֶּרֶךְ אֲכִילָתָם עַל יְדֵי בִּשּׁוּל כְּשֶׁהֵם שְׁלֵמִים וְעוֹמְדִים בְּעֵינָם, אֶלָּא לַעֲשׂוֹת מֵהֶם פַּת אוֹ תַּבְשִׁיל לְאַחַר שֶׁנִּכְתְּשׁוּ אוֹ נִטְחֲנוּ, שֶׁמִּפְּנֵי זֶה אֵין מְבָרְכִין עֲלֵיהֶם "בּוֹרֵא מִינֵי מְזוֹנוֹת" אֶלָּא לְאַחַר שֶׁנִּכְתְּשׁוּ אוֹ נִטְחֲנוּ, שֶׁהוּא דֶּרֶךְ אֲכִילָתָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן ר״ח, מִפְּנֵי חֲשִׁיבוּתָם.
אֲבָל מִינֵי קִטְנִיּוֹת שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ אֲכִילָתָם עַל יְדֵי בִּשּׁוּל גַּם בְּעוֹדָם שְׁלֵמִים וְעוֹמְדִים בְּעֵינָם — מְבָרְכִים עַל הַמָּרָק "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה" לְדִבְרֵי הַכֹּל, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ לְאָכְלָם גַּם כֵּן חַיִּים.
וְהוּא שֶׁאֵין עִקַּר הַבִּשּׁוּל בִּשְׁבִיל הַמָּרָק לְבַדּוֹ, אֲבָל אִם עִקַּר הַבִּשּׁוּל בִּשְׁבִיל הַמָּרָק, בֵּין בְּמִינֵי קִטְנִיּוֹת בֵּין בְּמִינֵי דָּגָן — מְבָרְכִין עָלָיו "שֶׁהַכֹּל" אַף אִם אוֹכֵל גַּם כֵּן הַתַּבְשִׁיל עִמּוֹ, וְאֵין הַמָּרָק טָפֵל אֵלָיו כְּלָל וְאֵינוֹ נִפְטָר בְּבִרְכָתוֹ. אֶלָּא לַעֲשׂוֹת עַל צַד הַיּוֹתֵר טוֹב רָאוּי לְבָרֵךְ תְּחִלָּה עַל הַמָּרָק וְלִשְׁתּוֹת מִמֶּנּוּ מְעַט בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ יְבָרֵךְ עַל הַתַּבְשִׁיל אִם הוּא מִין דָּגָן. אֲבָל אִם הוּא מִמִּינֵי קִטְנִיּוֹת לֹא יְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו כְּלָל, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא טָפֵל אֶל הַמָּרָק וְנִפְטָר בְּבִרְכָתוֹ, כֵּיוָן שֶׁעִקַּר הַבִּשּׁוּל בִּשְׁבִילוֹ, וְכֵן בְּפֵרוֹת שֶׁעִקַּר בִּשּׁוּלָם לְצֹרֶךְ הַמָּרָק.
אֲבָל מִינֵי יְרָקוֹת אַף אִם נִתְבַּשְּׁלוּ לְצֹרֶךְ הַמָּרָק, כְּגוֹן לִשְׁתּוֹתָם לִרְפוּאָה — מְבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶם בִּרְכַּת הַיְרָקוֹת, כֵּיוָן שֶׁכָּל הָעוֹלָם מְבַשְּׁלִים אוֹתָם לַאֲכִילָה, וְאָז הַמָּרָק בָּטֵל לְגַבֵּי תַּבְשִׁיל — לֹא נִשְׁתַּנֵּית בִּרְכַּת הַמָּרָק בִּשְׁבִיל זֶה שֶׁבִּשְּׁלָם לְצֹרֶךְ מֵימֵיהֶם (כִּי בְּטֵלָה דַּעְתּוֹ אֵצֶל כָּל אָדָם.
וְאֵינוֹ דּוֹמֶה לְמָרָק שֶׁל שְׂעוֹרִים שֶׁמְּבַשְּׁלִים לְחוֹלֶה, שֶׁאֵין לוֹמַר בָּהֶם כָּל כָּךְ בְּטֵלָה דַּעְתּוֹ אֵצֶל כָּל אָדָם שֶׁמְּבַשְּׁלִים לַאֲכִילָה וְהַמָּרָק בָּטֵל לְגַבֵּי הַתַּבְשִׁיל, שֶׁהֲרֵי הַרְבֵּה בְּנֵי אָדָם עוֹשִׂים דַּיְסָא מִשְּׂעוֹרִים שֶׁהִיא בְּלֹא מָרָק כְּלָל, וְהַרְבֵּה אֵין מְבַשְּׁלִים אוֹתוֹ כְּלָל אֶלָּא עוֹשִׂים מִמֶּנּוּ פַּת. וְכֵן מִינֵי קִטְנִיּוֹת, הַרְבֵּה עוֹשִׂים מֵהֶם כְּעֵין דַּיְסָא בְּלֹא רֹטֶב כְּלָל, וְהַרְבֵּה עוֹשִׂים מֵהֶם פַּת, וְהַרְבֵּה אוֹכְלִים חַיִּים. וְכֵן פֵּרוֹת שֶׁדַּרְכָּם לְהֵאָכֵל חַיִּים, וְגַם הַיְבֵשִׁים שֶׁאֵין דַּרְכָּן לְהֵאָכֵל חַיִּים — הַרְבֵּה שׁוֹרִין אוֹתָם לְצֹרֶךְ מֵימֵיהֶם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁרְגִילִים בְּאַגָּסִים יְבֵשִׁים וּבְצִמּוּקֵי עֲנָבִים. לְפִיכָךְ מְבָרְכִין עֲלֵיהֶם "שֶׁהַכֹּל" לְדִבְרֵי הַכֹּל).
וּמִינֵי זְרָעִים שֶׁאֵינָם נֶאֱכָלִים לְאַחַר בִּשּׁוּלָם אֶלָּא שׁוֹלְקִין אוֹתָם לְצֹרֶךְ מֵימֵיהֶם, כְּגוֹן הַשֶּׁבֶת (שֶׁקּוֹרִין עני״ש) וְכַיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ — זֶהוּ פִּרְיָם, שֶׁלֹּא יָצְאוּ מִתּוֹרַת אֹכֶל לְגַמְרֵי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר לְמַעְלָה. וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם נָתַן לְתוֹכָן שֶׁמֶן לְהַכְשִׁירָם וְלִתֵּן בָּהֶם טַעַם — בָּטֵל בָּרֹב.
וְאִם עִקַּר הַבִּשּׁוּל הוּא רַק בִּשְׁבִיל הַתַּבְשִׁיל וְלֹא כְּדֵי לִשְׁתּוֹת אוֹ לֶאֱכֹל הַמָּרָק עִם הַתַּבְשִׁיל כְּלָל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁרְגִילִים לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּמִינֵי עִסָּה שֶׁמְּבַשְּׁלִים אוֹתָם קֹדֶם הַטִּגּוּן שֶׁלֹּא לֶאֱכֹל הַמָּרָק כְּלָל — אֵין מְבָרְכִין עָלָיו אֶלָּא "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ" אִם בָּא לִשְׁתּוֹתוֹ בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ, לְפִי סְבָרָא הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, שֶׁאֵין מְבָרְכִין עַל מָרָק שֶׁל יְרָקוֹת כְּבִרְכַּת הַיְרָקוֹת עַצְמָן אֶלָּא מִשׁוּם שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ אֲכִילָתָם הוּא עִם הַיָּרָק, לְפִיכָךְ נֶחְשָׁב פְּרִי כְּמוֹתָם, וְהוּא הַדִּין כָּאן, אֵין הַמָּרָק נֶחְשָׁב מָזוֹן כְּהַתַּבְשִׁיל אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן דַּרְכּוֹ לְהֵאָכֵל עִמּוֹ וּלְכָךְ נִתְבַּשֵּׁל. אֲבָל לִסְבָרָא אַחֲרוֹנָה נַהֲפֹךְ הוּא, כֵּיוָן שֶׁעִקַּר בִּשּׁוּל הַמָּרָק בִּשְׁבִיל הַתַּבְשִׁיל וְהַתַּבְשִׁיל נָתַן בּוֹ טַעַם — נֶחְשָׁב כְּמוֹתוֹ, שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה טָפֵל אֵלָיו.
וְכֵן מֵי שְׁרִיַּת פֵּרוֹת שֶׁנִּכְבְּשׁוּ בָּהֶם לְהִתְקַיֵּם — אֵין מְבָרְכִין עֲלֵיהֶם אֶלָּא "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ" לְפִי סְבָרָא הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּכְנַס טַעַם הַפְּרִי בַּמַּיִם, הוֹאִיל וְלֹא נִכְבְּשׁוּ בָּהֶם כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּתְּנוּ בָּהֶם טַעַם, וְלֹא הָיְתָה הַכַּוָּנָה כְּלָל עַל הַמַּיִם שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מֻכְשָׁרִים וּמֻטְעָמִים בְּיוֹתֵר בְּטַעַם הַפְּרִי שֶׁיִּכָּנֵס בָּהֶם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהַכַּוָּנָה הִיא בְּבִשּׁוּל יְרָקוֹת גַּם עַל הַמַּיִם שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מֻטְעָמִים בְּטַעַם הַיָּרָק, שֶׁלְּכָךְ נֶחְשָׁבִים כְּמוֹתָם, הוֹאִיל וְנִתְבַּשְּׁלוּ גַּם לְצֹרֶךְ עַצְמָן וְלֹא לְצֹרֶךְ הַיְרָקוֹת לְבַד. אֲבָל לַסְּבָרָא הָאַחֲרוֹנָה נַהֲפֹךְ הוּא:
And all this is in order to escape doubt concerning the first blessing. But where there is doubt concerning the after-blessing — for instance the steeping or cooking water of figs or of other fruits of the seven species, whose after-blessing is the single blessing meéin shalosh, and when he drinks the broth alone there is room to doubt whether he blesses meéin shalosh or borei nefashot rabot — then every God-fearing person should not drink the requisite measure except within a meal, or else should eat a fruit of the seven species and also drink water, so as to be obliged to bless both the single blessing meéin shalosh and borei nefashot rabot.
He should do so even with the steeping water of raisins, if he soaked them with the intent to eat them together with their water: the status of broth then applies to their water, and not the status of wine. But if he soaked them with no intent to eat them at all, only to drink their water, the status of wine applies to it — even though he has not yet drawn it off from the raisins — and he blesses borei pri hagafen over it, along the lines that will be explained in siman ער״ב.
So too with other fruits: if he soaked or cooked them in order to drink their water alone, the name of broth does not apply to it but the name of beverage, and according to all opinions he blesses chehakol nihya bidvaro and borei nefashot rabot over it. Therefore one blesses chehakol nihya bidvaro over date-beer and not borei pri haetz. So too over water boiled with the leaves called tea — one does not bless borei pri haadama over it, for this same reason, but chehakol nihya bidvaro.
So too the broth of any pot-dish of the five species (whether the kernels are whole, only that they no longer stand as they are, having cooked so much that they are crushed, their blessing being borei minei mezonot; or whether they were split in a mortar into two or three or more; or whether it is a dish made of flour of the five species) — the broth is not reckoned as the dish so as to bless borei minei mezonot over it if he comes to drink it by itself, unless he cooked it in order to eat the dish, in which case it is nullified to the dish.
But if the essence of the cooking is for the broth alone — as when barley is cooked for a sick person so that he may drink the broth as a remedy; or again, when from flour one sometimes makes a few fritters and also puts a little flour into the broth, the main intent being the drinking of the broth and not the eating of the fritters — one blesses chehakol nihya bidvaro over it, for it is not nullified to the dish and the name of beverage applies to it. And for this reason one blesses chehakol nihya bidvaro over barley beer and not borei minei mezonot, as will be explained in siman ר״ד.
And even if he also eats the dish with the broth, the broth is not exempted by the blessing of the dish, for it is in no way subordinate to it, since the essence of the cooking is for the broth. Nevertheless, in order to act in the very best manner, it is fitting to bless chehakol nihya bidvaro first over the broth and drink a little of it by itself, and afterwards bless borei minei mezonot over the dish: for the dish too does not become subordinate to the broth even though the essence of the cooking is for it, since a species of grain is important and does not become subordinate so as to lose its blessing whenever it comes to give taste in the pot, as will be explained in siman ר״ח.
(But a dish of a species of grain whose kernels stand as they are, whose blessing is borei pri haadama — its broth is like the broth of other fruits: even if the essence of the cooking is in order to eat the fruits, one blesses only chehakol nihya bidvaro over the broth according to the first opinion, since their mode of eating is not by cooking; and even the five species of grain, their mode of eating is not by cooking while they are whole and stand as they are, but rather to make of them bread or a dish after they have been pounded or ground — which is why one blesses borei minei mezonot over them only after they have been pounded or ground, which is their mode of eating, as will be explained in siman ר״ח, on account of their importance.
But species of legumes, whose mode of eating is by cooking even while they are whole and stand as they are — one blesses borei pri haadama over the broth according to all opinions, even though they are also customarily eaten raw.
And this is provided the essence of the cooking is not for the broth alone; but if the essence of the cooking is for the broth, whether with species of legumes or with species of grain, one blesses chehakol over it, even if he also eats the dish with it: the broth is in no way subordinate to it and is not exempted by its blessing. Rather, to act in the very best manner, it is fitting to bless first over the broth and drink a little of it by itself, and afterwards bless over the dish if it is a species of grain. But if it is a species of legume he shall not bless over it at all, for it is subordinate to the broth and exempted by its blessing, since the essence of the cooking was for it; and so too with fruits whose cooking is essentially for the sake of the broth.
But species of vegetables, even if they were cooked for the sake of the broth — for instance to drink it as a remedy — one blesses the blessing of vegetables over them, since all the world cooks them for eating, and then the broth is nullified to the dish: the blessing of the broth has not changed on account of his having cooked them for their water (for his intent is nullified before that of every man.
And this is unlike the barley broth cooked for a sick person, of which one cannot say to the same degree that his intent is nullified before that of every man who cooks them for eating, the broth being nullified to the dish: for many people make of barley a porridge with no broth at all, and many do not cook it at all but make bread of it. So too with species of legumes: many make of them a kind of porridge with no sauce at all, many make bread of them, and many eat them raw. So too fruits customarily eaten raw, and also dried fruits not customarily eaten raw: many soak them for the sake of their water, as is commonly done with dried pears and with raisins. Therefore one blesses chehakol over them according to all opinions.)
And species of seeds that are not eaten after their cooking but are boiled for the sake of their water — such as dill and the like — this is their fruit, for they have not left the status of food entirely, as explained above. And even if he put oil into them to make them fit and to give them taste, it is nullified in the majority.
And if the essence of the cooking is only for the dish and not at all in order to drink or eat the broth with the dish — as is customarily done with kinds of dough that are boiled before frying, with no intent to eat the broth at all — one blesses only chehakol nihya bidvaro over it if he comes to drink it by itself, according to the first opinion: for if one does not bless over vegetable broth the blessing of the vegetables themselves, it is only because their mode of eating is together with the vegetable, and it is for that reason reckoned fruit like them. Here likewise, the broth is reckoned food like the dish only if it is customarily eaten with it and was cooked for that. But according to the latter opinion the reverse is true: since the essence of cooking the broth is for the dish and the dish gave taste into it, it is reckoned like it, having become subordinate to it.
So too the steeping water of fruits pickled in it for preservation — one blesses only chehakol nihya bidvaro over it according to the first opinion, even though the taste of the fruit has entered the water, since they were not pickled in it in order that they should give taste into it, and the intent was not at all upon the water, that it should be made fit and flavoured by the taste of the fruit entering it — as is the intent in cooking vegetables, where one also intends that the water be flavoured with the taste of the vegetable, which is why it is reckoned like them, having been cooked also for its own sake and not for the sake of the vegetables alone. But according to the latter opinion the reverse is true.
סעיף יג עֵרְבָן בְּלֹא בִּשּׁוּל — כָּל אֶחָד בִּרְכָתוֹ הַמְיֻחֶדֶת לוֹ.
וְכָל זֶה בְּמָרָק שֶׁנִּתְבַּשֵּׁל בּוֹ הַמַּאֲכָל אוֹ שֶׁנִּשְׁרָה בּוֹ עַד שֶׁנָּתַן בּוֹ טַעַם, אֲבָל אִם לֹא נִתְבַּשֵּׁל וְלֹא נִשְׁרָה בּוֹ אֶלָּא שֶׁעֵרְבָן לֶאֱכֹל יַחַד וּבָא לִשְׁתּוֹתוֹ בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ — צָרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו בְּרָכָה הַמְיֻחֶדֶת לוֹ לְדִבְרֵי הַכֹּל. וּכְשֶׁאֲכָלָן בְּיַחַד — אֵין צָרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו כְּלוּם אֲפִלּוּ הוּא [יַיִן], מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא טָפֵל לַמַּאֲכָל וְנִפְטָר בְּבִרְכָתוֹ. וְאִם עִקַּר כַּוָּנָתוֹ הוּא עַל הַמָּרָק וְהַמַּאֲכָל הוּא לְצֹרֶךְ שְׁתִיַּת הַמָּרָק — מְבָרֵךְ עַל הַמָּרָק. וְאִם כַּוָּנָתוֹ עַל שְׁנֵיהֶם — אֵין הוֹלְכִין בּוֹ אַחַר הָרֹב, אֶלָּא מְבָרֵךְ עַל שְׁנֵיהֶם, תְּחִלָּה עַל הַמַּאֲכָל וְאוֹכֵל מִמֶּנּוּ מְעַט, וְאַחַר כָּךְ "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ" עַל הַמָּרָק. אֲבָל לֹא יְבָרֵךְ עַל שְׁנֵיהֶם יַחַד, כִּי בְּרָכָה הַשְּׁנִיָּה תִּהְיֶה מַפְסֶקֶת בֵּין בְּרָכָה רִאשׁוֹנָה לַטְּעִימָה. וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם הַמַּאֲכָל הוּא מִין דָּגָן — אֵינוֹ נֶחְשָׁב עִקָּר לִפְטֹר הַמָּרָק בְּבִרְכָתוֹ, לְפִי שֶׁאַף מִין דָּגָן שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה רַךְ וְרָאוּי לִשְׁתִיָּה כְּמָרָק אֵין מְבָרְכִין עָלָיו "בּוֹרֵא מִינֵי מְזוֹנוֹת", כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן ר״ח.
אֲבָל מָרָק שֶׁנִּתְבַּשֵּׁל בּוֹ הַמַּאֲכָל אוֹ נִשְׁרָה בּוֹ וְנָתַן בּוֹ טַעַם — הֲרֵי הוּא בָּטֵל לְגַבֵּי הַמַּאֲכָל וּכְאֹכֶל הוּא חָשׁוּב, הוֹאִיל וְעִקָּרוֹ בִּשְׁבִיל הַמַּאֲכָל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר לַסְּבָרָא הָאַחֲרוֹנָה, אוֹ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ הַמַּאֲכָל לֶאֱכֹל עִמּוֹ מָרָק אוֹ עִם פַּת וְלֹא יָצָא מִתּוֹרַת אֹכֶל לְגַמְרֵי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר לַסְּבָרָא הָרִאשׁוֹנָה:
And all this concerns a broth in which the food was cooked, or in which it was steeped until it gave taste into it. But if it was neither cooked nor steeped in it, and he only mixed them to eat together, and then comes to drink it by itself — he must bless over it the blessing particular to it according to all opinions. And when he ate them together, he need bless nothing over it at all, even if it is wine, since it is subordinate to the food and exempted by its blessing. And if his main intent is upon the broth, the food being there for the sake of drinking the broth, he blesses over the broth. And if his intent is upon both, we do not follow the majority here: rather he blesses over both — first over the food, of which he eats a little, and afterwards chehakol nihya bidvaro over the broth. But he shall not bless over both together, for the second blessing would interpose between the first blessing and the tasting. And even if the food is a species of grain, it is not reckoned the principal so as to exempt the broth by its blessing: for even a species of grain that has become soft and fit to be drunk like a broth is not blessed with borei minei mezonot, as will be explained in siman ר״ח.
But a broth in which the food was cooked, or in which it was steeped and gave taste into it — that is nullified to the food and reckoned as food, since it is essentially there for it, as explained according to the latter opinion; or because the way of that food is to be eaten with broth or with bread, and it has not left the status of food entirely, as explained according to the first opinion.
סעיף יד נִתְבַּשֵּׁל בּוֹ בָּשָׂר — שֶׁהַכֹּל לְדִבְרֵי הַכֹּל.
וַאֲפִלּוּ בְּמָרָק שֶׁנִּתְבַּשֵּׁל בּוֹ לֹא נֶחְלְקוּ אֶלָּא כְּשֶׁנִּתְבַּשֵּׁל בּוֹ הַפְּרִי לְבַד בְּלֹא בָּשָׂר, אֲבָל אִם נִתְבַּשֵּׁל בּוֹ בָּשָׂר — לְדִבְרֵי הַכֹּל מְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו "שֶׁהַכֹּל" אִם בָּא לִשְׁתּוֹתוֹ בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ, אֲפִלּוּ בְּמָרָק שֶׁל יְרָקוֹת, כִּי טַעַם הַבָּשָׂר שֶׁבַּמָּרָק חָשׁוּב עִקָּר יוֹתֵר מִטַּעַם הַיְרָקוֹת אוֹ הַפְּרִי.
(אֲבָל מָרָק שֶׁל תַּבְשִׁיל מִמִּין דָּגָן שֶׁמְּבָרְכִין עָלָיו "בּוֹרֵא מִינֵי מְזוֹנוֹת", הֲרֵי טַעַם הַדָּגָן שֶׁבַּמָּרָק חָשׁוּב עִקָּר יוֹתֵר מִטַּעַם הַבָּשָׂר, שֶׁמִּין דָּגָן חָשׁוּב מִכָּל הַמִּינִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן ר״ח):
And even concerning a broth in which the food was cooked, they differed only where the fruit alone was cooked in it, without meat. But if meat was cooked in it, according to all opinions he blesses chehakol over it if he comes to drink it by itself — even with vegetable broth: for the taste of the meat in the broth is reckoned the principal, more than the taste of the vegetables or of the fruit.
(But the broth of a dish of a species of grain over which one blesses borei minei mezonot: the taste of the grain in the broth is reckoned the principal, more than the taste of the meat, for a species of grain is the most important of all the species, as will be explained in siman ר״ח.)
סעיף טו יְרָקוֹת שֶׁנִּתְבַּשְּׁלוּ בְּחֹמֶץ אוֹ בְּמַשְׁקֶה — טַעַם הַמַּשְׁקֶה עִקָּר.
וִירָקוֹת שֶׁנִּתְבַּשְּׁלוּ בְּחֹמֶץ אוֹ בְּמַשְׁקֶה שֶׁקּוֹרִין בארש״ט, אוֹ בְּמַשְׁקֶה אַחֵר חוּץ מִמַּיִם — אֵין מְבָרְכִין עַל הַמָּרָק בִּרְכַּת הַיְרָקוֹת לְפִי סְבָרָא הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, שֶׁאֵין מֵי יְרָקוֹת חֲשׁוּבִים כְּמוֹתָם אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמְּבַשְּׁלִים בָּהֶם עַד שֶׁיִּתְּנוּ טַעַם בָּהֶם וְיֹאכְלוּם גַּם כֵּן, וַהֲרֵי אַף אִם לֹא הָיָה הַבִּשּׁוּל אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל הַמָּרָק לְבַדּוֹ לְאָכְלוֹ בְּטַעַם הַיְרָקוֹת שֶׁנִּכְנַס בּוֹ עַל יְדֵי הַבִּשּׁוּל לֹא הָיוּ מְבָרְכִין עָלָיו בִּרְכַּת הַיְרָקוֹת, כֵּיוָן שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְהַחֹמֶץ אוֹ שְׁאָר מַשְׁקֶה עוֹד טַעַם שֶׁל עַצְמוֹ — הֲרֵי טַעַם זֶה עִקָּר, כְּמוֹ בְּפֵרוֹת הַמְרֻקָּחִים בִּדְבַשׁ שֶׁטַּעַם שֶׁלָּהֶם חָשׁוּב עִקָּר וּמְבָרְכִים עֲלֵיהֶם בִּרְכָתָם וְלֹא בִּרְכַּת הַדְּבַשׁ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּתְבַּשְּׁלוּ כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּתֵּן טַעַם בָּהֶם. וְלֹא אָמְרוּ שֶׁמְּרַק הַיְרָקוֹת כְּמוֹתָם, אֶלָּא בְּמַיִם שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם טַעַם הֲנָאָה שֶׁל עַצְמָם אֶלָּא לְמִי שֶׁהוּא צָמֵא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן ר״ד. אֲבָל לַסְּבָרָא הָאַחֲרוֹנָה, אִם עִקַּר הַבִּשּׁוּל בִּשְׁבִיל הַיְרָקוֹת — הֲרֵי הַמָּרָק בָּטֵל אֶצְלָם וְנֶחְשַׁב כְּמוֹתָם מִשֶּׁנָּתְנוּ בּוֹ טַעַם, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם עוֹד טַעַם שֶׁלָּהֶם:
And vegetables cooked in vinegar, or in the beverage called borscht, or in another beverage other than water — one does not bless the blessing of vegetables over the broth, according to the first opinion. For vegetable water is reckoned like them only because they are cooked in it until they give taste into it and it too is eaten; and indeed, even had the cooking been for the broth alone, in order to eat it with the taste of the vegetables that entered it through cooking, one would not have blessed the blessing of vegetables over it. Since the vinegar or the other beverage still has a taste of its own, that taste is the principal — as with fruits candied in honey, whose own taste is reckoned the principal, so that one blesses their blessing over them and not the blessing of the honey, even though they were cooked so that it should give taste into them. And they said that vegetable broth is like them only with water, which has no pleasurable taste of its own except for one who is thirsty, as will be explained in siman ר״ד. But according to the latter opinion, if the essence of the cooking is for the vegetables, the broth is nullified to them and reckoned like them once they have given taste into it, even though they still have a taste of their own.
סעיף טז אֵין מְבָרְכִין בִּרְכָתָם אֶלָּא בְּדֶרֶךְ אֲכִילָתָם.
כָּל הַפֵּרוֹת, בֵּין פֵּרוֹת הָעֵץ בֵּין פֵּרוֹת הָאֲדָמָה, אֵין מְבָרְכִים עֲלֵיהֶם בִּרְכָתָם אֶלָּא בְּדֶרֶךְ אֲכִילָתָם, שֶׁעַל דַּעַת כֵּן נוֹטְעִים אוֹתָם, וְאִם דַּרְכָּם לְאָכְלָם מְבֻשָּׁלִים מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵם טוֹבִים יוֹתֵר מְבֻשָּׁלִים מֵחַיִּים, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵם טוֹבִים וּרְאוּיִם לַאֲכִילָה גַּם כְּשֶׁהֵם חַיִּים — אֵין מְבָרְכִים עֲלֵיהֶם בִּרְכָתָם אֶלָּא לְאַחַר הַבִּשּׁוּל, אֲבָל כְּשֶׁהֵם חַיִּים מְבָרְכִים עֲלֵיהֶם "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ".
אֲבָל פֵּרוֹת שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ אֲכִילָתָם הוּא גַּם כֵּן לְאָכְלָם חַיִּים, אֲפִלּוּ הֵם טוֹבִים מְבֻשָּׁלִים יוֹתֵר מֵחַיִּים — מְבָרְכִין עֲלֵיהֶם בִּרְכָתָם, בֵּין חַיִּים בֵּין מְבֻשָּׁלִים.
וַאֲפִלּוּ פֵּרוֹת שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ אֲכִילָתָם הוּא כְּשֶׁהֵם חַיִּים וְלֹא מְבֻשָּׁלִים, שֶׁאֵין דֶּרֶךְ רֹב הָעוֹלָם לְבַשְּׁלָם — לֹא נִשְׁתַּנֵּית בִּרְכָתָם בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁבִּשְּׁלָם, שֶׁכֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעוּ לִכְלַל פְּרִי כְּשֶׁהֵם חַיִּים — אֵין הַבִּשּׁוּל מְבַטֵּל תּוֹרַת פְּרִי מֵהֶם. וְהוּא שֶׁלֹּא נִשְׁתַּנָּה טַעֲמָם לִגְרִיעוּתָא, שֶׁהֵם טוֹבִים מְבֻשָּׁלִים כְּמוֹ חַיִּים, אֲבָל אִם הֵם טוֹבִים יוֹתֵר חַיִּים מִמְּבֻשָּׁלִים, כֵּיוָן שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּנּוּ מִדֶּרֶךְ אֲכִילָתָם לִגְרִיעוּתָא בְּטַעֲמָם — יָרְדוּ מִמַּעֲלָתָם, וּמְבָרְכִים עֲלֵיהֶם "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ" כְּשֶׁהֵם מְבֻשָּׁלִים:
All fruits, whether fruits of the tree or fruits of the ground, are blessed with their blessing only in their mode of eating, for it is with that intent that they are planted. If they are customarily eaten cooked because they are better cooked than raw, then even though they are good and fit to be eaten raw as well, one blesses their blessing over them only after cooking; but when raw one blesses chehakol nihya bidvaro over them.
But fruits whose mode of eating is also to be eaten raw — even if they are better cooked than raw — one blesses their blessing over them, whether raw or cooked.
And even fruits whose mode of eating is raw and not cooked, most of the world not being accustomed to cook them: their blessing has not changed because he cooked them, for once they reached the class of fruit while raw, cooking does not abolish the status of fruit from them. And this is provided their taste has not been altered for the worse, that is, that they are as good cooked as raw; but if they are better raw than cooked, then since they have departed from their mode of eating by an alteration of their taste for the worse, they have descended from their rank, and one blesses chehakol nihya bidvaro over them when cooked.
סעיף יז נִשְׁתַּנָּה תָּאֳרָם לְגַמְרֵי — נִשְׁתַּנֵּית בִּרְכָתָם.
וְכֵן אִם נִשְׁתַּנָּה תָּאֳרָם לְגַמְרֵי עַל יְדֵי הַבִּשּׁוּל מִכְּמוֹת שֶׁהָיָה בְּעוֹדָם בְּדֶרֶךְ אֲכִילָתָם, כְּגוֹן שֶׁנִּתְבַּשְּׁלוּ כָּל כָּךְ עַד שֶׁנִּמּוֹחוּ לְגַמְרֵי, שֶׁאֵין עֲלֵיהֶם תֹּאַר הַפְּרִי כְּמוֹת שֶׁהָיָה בְּעוֹדֶנּוּ חַי שֶׁהוּא דֶּרֶךְ אֲכִילָתוֹ — נִשְׁתַּנֵּית בִּרְכָתָם, וּמְבָרְכִים עֲלֵיהֶם "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ".
אֲבָל פֵּרוֹת שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ אֲכִילָתָם הוּא כְּשֶׁהֵם מְבֻשָּׁלִים, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּמּוֹחוּ — דֶּרֶךְ אֲכִילָתָם הוּא בְּכָךְ, וְלֹא נִשְׁתַּנֵּית בִּרְכָתָם, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּנָּה תָּאֳרָם לְגַמְרֵי.
וְאִם לֹא נִמּוֹחוּ לְגַמְרֵי וַעֲדַיִן תֹּאַר הַפְּרִי עֲלֵיהֶם — לֹא נִשְׁתַּנֵּית בִּרְכָתָם אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין דֶּרֶךְ אֲכִילָתָם בְּכָךְ, כְּגוֹן תְּמָרִים שֶׁמִּעֲכָן בַּיָּד וְעָשָׂה מֵהֶם עִסָּה לְאַחַר שֶׁהוֹצִיא מֵהֶם גַּרְעִינָם, וְכֵן כָּל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶם מִשְּׁאָר פֵּרוֹת, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין דַּרְכָּם בְּכָךְ — אַף עַל פִּי כֵן לֹא נִשְׁתַּנֵּית בִּרְכָתָם, וּמְבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶם "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ", הוֹאִיל וְלֹא נִשְׁתַּנָּה תָּאֳרָם לְגַמְרֵי.
(וְאֵינָן דּוֹמוֹת לְקֶמַח שֶׁל חִטִּים, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ לֹא נִטְחַן דַּק דַּק אֶלָּא עֲדַיִן יֵשׁ בּוֹ טַעַם שֶׁל חִטִּים וּרְאוּיִים לַאֲכִילָה קְצָת חַיִּין, וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן אֵינוֹ מְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו בִּרְכַּת הַחִטִּין שֶׁהִיא "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה" אֶלָּא "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ", לְפִי שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּנָּה תֹּאַר הַחִטִּים לְגַמְרֵי בִּטְחִינָתָם, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא נִטְחֲנוּ דַּק דַּק כְּקֶמַח גָּמוּר, מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בִּתְמָרִים וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶם שֶׁנִּתְמַעֲכוּ עֲדַיִן תֹּאַר פְּרִי עֲלֵיהֶם[)].
אֲבָל שֻׁמְשְׁמִין שֶׁטְּחָנָן, וְכֵן אֱגוֹז שֶׁכְּתָשׁוֹ בְּיוֹתֵר עַד שֶׁאֵינוֹ נִכָּר בְּמַהוּתוֹ וְתָאֳרוֹ — מְבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶם "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ", הוֹאִיל וְאֵין דַּרְכָּם בְּכָךְ.
וְכֵן קִטְנִיּוֹת מְבֻשָּׁלִים שֶׁנִּתְמַעֲכוּ דֶּרֶךְ כְּלִי מְנֻקָּב שֶׁהֵן דַּקִּים מְאֹד. [אֲבָל] אִם מִעֵךְ אוֹתָם בְּכַף — מְבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶם "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה", כֵּיוָן שֶׁמַּמָּשָׁן קַיָּם, וְנִכָּר מַהוּתָן וְתָאֳרָן, וְעוֹד, שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ אֲכִילָתָם בְּכָךְ.
וְכֵן פֵּרוֹת שֶׁנִּכְתְּשׁוּ בְּיוֹתֵר עַד שֶׁאֵין תָּאֳרָם עֲלֵיהֶם, אִם הוּא דֶּרֶךְ אֲכִילָתָם — לֹא נִשְׁתַּנֵּית בִּרְכָתָם, כְּגוֹן (זנגבי״ל) אוֹ בְּשָׂמִים שְׁחוּקִים וּמְעֹרָבִים עִם (צוק״ר), אוֹ מְרֻקָּחִים בִּדְבַשׁ — לֹא נִשְׁתַּנֵּית בִּרְכָתָם, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ אֲכִילַת הַבְּשָׂמִים הִיא עַל יְדֵי שְׁחִיקָה.
וְכֵן וְרָדִים וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶם מִפֵּרוֹת שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ אֲכִילָתָם הוּא לְחָתְכָם וּלְרַקְּחָם — מְבָרְכִים עֲלֵיהֶם בִּרְכָתָם אֲפִלּוּ הֵם כְּתוּשִׁים בְּיוֹתֵר שֶׁאֵין תָּאֳרָם נִכָּר עֲלֵיהֶם כְּלָל, כִּי גַּם זֶה דֶּרֶךְ אֲכִילָתָם, מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵין דַּרְכָּם לְהֵאָכֵל כְּשֶׁהֵם שְׁלֵמִים בְּלֹא רִקּוּחַ.
אֲבָל אֱגוֹז הַמְרֻקָּח בִּדְבַשׁ עַד שֶׁאֵינוֹ נִכָּר בְּמַהוּתוֹ וְתָאֳרוֹ — מְבָרְכִים עָלָיו "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ", הוֹאִיל וְדֶרֶךְ אֲכִילָתוֹ הוּא בְּעוֹדוֹ חַי וְשָׁלֵם. וְכֵן כָּל כַּיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ מִפֵּרוֹת הַנֶּאֱכָלִים חַיִּים.
(וּבִרְכַּת הַוְּרָדִים הִיא "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה", לְפִי שֶׁאֵינָן עִקַּר הַפְּרִי, כִּי פְּרָחִים הֵמָּה. וְכֵן הַלּוֹנְדְּרִיס אֵינוֹ עִקַּר הַפְּרִי).
וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ פֵּרוֹת שֶׁנִּמּוֹחוּ לְגַמְרֵי בְּבִשּׁוּל וְאֵין עֲלֵיהֶם תֹּאַר הַפְּרִי כְּלָל, אוֹ שֶׁנִּכְתְּשׁוּ בְּיוֹתֵר עַד שֶׁאֵין מַהוּתָן וְתָאֳרָן נִכָּר כְּלָל — לֹא נִשְׁתַּנֵּית בִּרְכָתָם אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין דֶּרֶךְ אֲכִילָתָם בְּכָךְ.
וְאֵינָן דּוֹמִים לְקֶמַח חִטִּים שֶׁלֹּא נִטְחַן דַּק דַּק, לְפִי שֶׁהַקֶּמַח יֵשׁ לוֹ עִלּוּי אַחַר שֶׁעוֹשִׂין מִמֶּנּוּ פַּת, וְזֶה עִקַּר פִּרְיוֹ, שֶׁעַל דַּעַת כֵּן זוֹרְעִים אוֹתָם, לְפִיכָךְ כֵּיוָן שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּנָּה וְיָצָא מִכְּלַל פְּרִי וְלֹא בָּא לְעִקַּר פִּרְיוֹ — נִגְרַע וְיָרַד מִמַּעֲלַת פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה לְבָרֵךְ עָלָיו "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ", מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן בְּפֵרוֹת שֶׁאֵין עוֹשִׂין מֵהֶם פַּת — אֵין שִׁנּוּיָם מוֹצִיאָם מִתּוֹרַת פְּרִי לְגַמְרֵי לְשַׁנּוֹת בִּרְכָתָם.
אֲבָל מִינֵי קִטְנִיּוֹת שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ בְּנֵי אָדָם לַעֲשׂוֹת מֵהֶם פַּת, הֲרֵי שִׁנּוּיָם מוֹצִיאָם מִתּוֹרַת פִּרְיָם לְדִבְרֵי הַכֹּל, אֲפִלּוּ נִשְׁתַּנּוּ אַחַר בִּשּׁוּלָם, שֶׁאָז אֵין דֶּרֶךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת מֵהֶם פַּת. וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר שֶׁאִם נִשְׁתַּנּוּ בְּעוֹדָן חַיִּים, כְּגוֹן מִינֵי קִטְנִיּוֹת טיטארק״י שֶׁטּוֹחֲנִין אוֹתָם קְצָת, שֶׁקּוֹרִין גרופי״ן, וְעוֹשִׂין תַּבְשִׁיל מִקִּמְחָן כְּעֵין דַּיְסָא — מְבָרְכִין עָלָיו "שֶׁהַכֹּל".
(אֲבָל לַסְּבָרָא הָרִאשׁוֹנָה מְבָרְכִין עָלָיו "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה", שֶׁהֲרֵי זֶהוּ דֶּרֶךְ אֲכִילָתוֹ, וְאַדְּרַבָּא עֲשִׂיַּת פַּת מִקִּטְנִיּוֹת אֵינוֹ דֶּרֶךְ אֲכִילָתוֹ, שֶׁהֲרֵי מְבָרְכִין עָלָיו "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ", כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן ר״ח.
וְלַסְּבָרָא הָאַחֲרוֹנָה, מַה שֶּׁמְּבָרְכִים עַל פַּת קִטְנִיּוֹת "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ", אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין לָהּ עִלּוּי אַחֵר — זֶהוּ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַפַּת נִשְׁתַּנָּה וְיָצָא מִתּוֹרַת פְּרִי לְגַמְרֵי, יוֹתֵר מִשִּׁנּוּי קֶמַח אוֹ פֵּרוֹת הַנִּמּוֹחִים אוֹ הַנִּטְחָנִים וְהַנִּכְתָּשִׁים בְּיוֹתֵר).
וּלְעִנְיַן הֲלָכָה בְּכָל זֶה, סְפֵק בְּרָכָה לְהָקֵל בְּדִיעֲבַד, אֲבָל לְכַתְּחִלָּה יְבָרֵךְ "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ", לָצֵאת לְדִבְרֵי הַכֹּל:
Likewise if their form was entirely altered by cooking from what it was while they were in their mode of eating — for instance if they cooked so much that they dissolved entirely, so that the form of the fruit is no longer upon them as it was while raw, which is its mode of eating — their blessing has changed, and one blesses chehakol nihya bidvaro over them.
But fruits whose mode of eating is cooked, even if they dissolved, that is their mode of eating, and their blessing has not changed, even though their form was entirely altered.
And if they did not dissolve entirely and the form of the fruit is still upon them, their blessing has not changed, even though that is not their mode of eating — for instance dates that he mashed by hand and made into a paste after removing their pits, and likewise anything similar among other fruits: even though that is not their way, their blessing has nonetheless not changed, and he blesses borei pri haetz over them, since their form was not entirely altered.
(And they are unlike wheat flour, which even if not ground very fine, still retaining the taste of wheat and being somewhat fit to be eaten raw, is nevertheless not blessed with the blessing of wheat, which is borei pri haadama, but chehakol nihya bidvaro — because the form of the wheat was entirely altered by grinding, even though it was not ground very fine like finished flour; which is not so with dates and the like that were mashed, where the form of the fruit is still upon them.)
But ground sesame, and likewise a nut pounded so much that its nature and form are not recognizable — he blesses chehakol nihya bidvaro over them, since that is not their way.
Likewise cooked legumes crushed through a perforated vessel so that they are very fine. But if he mashed them with a spoon, he blesses borei pri haadama over them, since their substance endures, their nature and form are recognizable, and moreover that is their mode of eating.
Likewise fruits pounded so much that their form is no longer upon them: if that is their mode of eating, their blessing has not changed — for instance ginger, or spices ground and mixed with sugar, or candied in honey: their blessing has not changed, because the mode of eating spices is by grinding.
Likewise roses and the like, among fruits whose mode of eating is to be cut up and candied — one blesses their blessing over them even if they are pounded so much that their form is not recognizable at all, for that too is their mode of eating, since they are not customarily eaten whole without being candied.
But a nut candied in honey until its nature and form are not recognizable — one blesses chehakol nihya bidvaro over it, since its mode of eating is while raw and whole. And so too with anything similar among fruits eaten raw.
(And the blessing of roses is borei pri haadama, since they are not the essence of the fruit, being flowers. So too lavender is not the essence of the fruit.)
And there are those who say that even fruits entirely dissolved by cooking, having no form of fruit upon them at all, or pounded so much that their nature and form are not recognizable at all — their blessing has not changed, even though that is not their mode of eating.
And they are unlike wheat flour not ground very fine, because flour has a further elevation when bread is made of it, and that is the essence of its fruit, since it is with that intent that it is sown; therefore, once it was altered and left the class of fruit without arriving at the essence of its fruit, it was reduced and descended from the rank of fruit of the ground, so that one blesses chehakol nihya bidvaro over it — which is not so with fruits of which no bread is made: their alteration does not remove them entirely from the status of fruit so as to change their blessing.
But species of legumes of which people customarily make bread: their alteration removes them from the status of their fruit according to all opinions, even if they were altered after cooking, since bread is then not customarily made of them. And it goes without saying that if they were altered while still raw — such as those species of legumes that are ground a little, called groats, of whose flour a dish like porridge is made — one blesses chehakol over it.
(But according to the first opinion one blesses borei pri haadama over it, for this is indeed its mode of eating; and on the contrary, making bread of legumes is not their mode of eating, since one blesses chehakol nihya bidvaro over it, as will be explained in siman ר״ח.
And according to the latter opinion, that one blesses chehakol nihya bidvaro over legume bread even though it has no further elevation, is because the bread was altered and left the status of fruit entirely, more than the alteration of flour, or of fruits dissolved, or ground and pounded excessively.)
And as to the halakhah in all this: in doubtful blessings we are lenient after the fact; but lekhathilah he shall bless chehakol nihya bidvaro, so as to fulfil his duty according to all opinions.
סעיף יח אֱגוֹז הַמְטֻגָּן בִּדְבַשׁ — חוֹזֵר לְבִרְכָתוֹ, וְהַדְּבַשׁ טָפֵל.
אֱגוֹז הַמְטֻגָּן בִּדְבַשׁ, אֲפִלּוּ בִּשְּׁלוֹ בְּמַיִם קֹדֶם הַטִּגּוּן וְנִשְׁתַּנָּה טַעֲמוֹ לִגְרִיעוּתָא, וּבִרְכָתוֹ אָז "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ", אַף עַל פִּי כֵן כְּשֶׁחוֹזֵר וְנִתְקָן עַל יְדֵי הַטִּגּוּן — חוֹזֵר לְבִרְכָתוֹ שֶׁהִיא "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ". וְאַף שֶׁתִּקּוּן זֶה הוּא עַל יְדֵי הַדְּבַשׁ וּבִרְכַּת הַדְּבַשׁ הִיא "שֶׁהַכֹּל", מִכָּל מָקוֹם הָאֱגוֹז הוּא חָשׁוּב עִקָּר וְהַדְּבַשׁ טָפֵל אֵלָיו לְתַקְּנוֹ וּלְהַכְשִׁירוֹ.
וְכֵן בְּכָל מִינֵי פֵּרוֹת מְרֻקָּחִים, בֵּין פֵּרוֹת הָאִילָן בֵּין פֵּרוֹת הָאָרֶץ. וַאֲפִלּוּ פֵּרוֹת שֶׁאֵינָן רְאוּיִים לַאֲכִילָה כְּלָל בְּלֹא טִגּוּן בִּדְבַשׁ, כְּגוֹן וְרָדִים וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶם — אֵין הַדְּבַשׁ חָשׁוּב עִקָּר אֶלָּא טָפֵל, שֶׁהֲרֵי אֵינוֹ בָּא אֶלָּא לְהַכְשִׁיר הַפְּרִי לַאֲכִילָה, וַהֲרֵי זֶה כִּפְרִי שֶׁאֵין דַּרְכּוֹ לְאָכְלוֹ חַי אֶלָּא מְבֻשָּׁל, שֶׁמְּבָרְכִין עָלָיו בִּרְכָתוֹ וְלֹא בִּרְכַּת הַמַּיִם שֶׁנִּתְבַּשֵּׁל בָּהֶם וְהִכְשִׁירוּהוּ לַאֲכִילָה:
A nut fried in honey: even if he cooked it in water before frying and its taste was altered for the worse, its blessing then being chehakol nihya bidvaro, nevertheless, when it is restored by the frying, it returns to its blessing, which is borei pri haetz. And although this restoration is by means of the honey, whose blessing is chehakol, the nut is nonetheless reckoned the principal and the honey subordinate to it, coming to restore it and make it fit.
And so with all kinds of candied fruits, whether fruits of the tree or fruits of the ground. And even fruits that are not at all fit to be eaten without being fried in honey, such as roses and the like — the honey is not reckoned the principal but subordinate, since it comes only to make the fruit fit to be eaten; this is like a fruit not customarily eaten raw but cooked, over which one blesses its own blessing and not the blessing of the water in which it was cooked and which made it fit to be eaten.
סעיף יט פְּרִי שֶׁלֹּא נִגְמַר בִּשּׁוּלוֹ שֶׁהֻכְשַׁר בִּדְבַשׁ — הַדְּבַשׁ עִקָּר.
בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים? בְּפֵרוֹת שֶׁנִּגְמַר בִּשּׁוּלָם, אֲבָל פֵּרוֹת שֶׁאֵינָם רְאוּיִים לַאֲכִילָה אֲפִלּוּ עַל יְדֵי הַדְּחָק כְּשֶׁהֵם חַיִּים מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלֹּא נִגְמַר בִּשּׁוּלָם וְהִכְשִׁירָם עַל יְדֵי דְּבַשׁ — הַדְּבַשׁ הוּא עִקָּר. וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם מְטַגְּנָן בְּלֹא דְּבַשׁ — מְבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶם "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ", מִטַּעַם שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר לְמַעְלָה. לְפִיכָךְ, אֱגוֹזִים שֶׁמְּבַשְּׁלִים בִּדְבַשׁ בְּעוֹדָם יְרֻקִּים וְרַכִּים — מְבָרְכִים עֲלֵיהֶם "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ", שֶׁהֲרֵי הֵם מָרִים וְאֵינָם רְאוּיִם לַאֲכִילָה כְּלָל בְּלֹא דְּבַשׁ:
To what does this apply? To fruits whose ripening is complete. But fruits that are not fit to be eaten even with difficulty while raw, because their ripening is not complete, and which he made fit by means of honey — the honey is the principal. And even if he fries them without honey, he blesses chehakol nihya bidvaro over them, for the reason explained above. Therefore nuts cooked in honey while still green and soft — one blesses chehakol nihya bidvaro over them, since they are bitter and not at all fit to be eaten without honey.
סעיף כ קָנִים הַמְּתוּקִים (צוּקֶּר) — לְכַתְּחִלָּה שֶׁהַכֹּל.
קָנִים הַמְּתוּקִים שֶׁסּוֹחֲטִין אוֹתָן וּמְבַשְּׁלִים מֵימֵיהֶם עַד שֶׁנִּקְפָּאוֹת וְיִדְמוּ לְמֶלַח (שֶׁקּוֹרִין צוק״ר), וְכֵן הַמּוֹצֵץ אוֹתָן - יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁמְּבָרֵךְ "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ" כְּעַל שְׁאָר מֵי פֵּרוֹת. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁאֵינָן דּוֹמִין לִשְׁאָר מֵי פֵּרוֹת, הוֹאִיל וְאֵין הַקָּנִים רְאוּיִים לַאֲכִילָה, וְאֵין נוֹטְעִין אוֹתָם אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל מֵימֵיהֶם — זֶהוּ פִּרְיָם, וּמְבָרְכִים עֲלֵיהֶם "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ". וּסְפֵק בְּרָכוֹת לְהָקֵל בְּדִיעֲבַד, אֲבָל לְכַתְּחִלָּה יְבָרֵךְ "שֶׁהַכֹּל" לָצֵאת לְדִבְרֵי הַכֹּל:
Sweet canes, which are pressed and whose juice is cooked until it congeals and resembles salt (what is called sugar), and likewise one who sucks them: there are those who say that he blesses chehakol nihya bidvaro, as over other fruit juices; and there are those who say that they are unlike other fruit juices, since the canes are not fit to be eaten and are planted only for the sake of their juice — that is therefore their fruit, and one blesses borei pri haetz over them. And in doubtful blessings we are lenient after the fact; but lekhathilah he shall bless chehakol, so as to fulfil his duty according to all opinions.
סעיף כא פִּלְפְּלִין רְטֻבִּים — לְכַתְּחִלָּה בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה.
פִּלְפְּלִין בְּעוֹדָן רְטֻבִּים שֶׁהֵם רְאוּיִים לַאֲכִילָה — יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁמְּבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶם "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ", כֵּיוָן שֶׁהֵם גְּדֵלִים בָּאִילָן. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁמְּבָרְכִים עֲלֵיהֶם "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה", הוֹאִיל וְעִקַּר נְטִיעָתָם הוּא עַל דַּעַת שֶׁיִּתְיַבְּשׁוּ וְיֵאָכְלוּ רֻבָּם שְׁחוּקִים [כְּ]תַבְלִין, וְאֵינָן נֶאֱכָלִין בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָם אֶלָּא מִעוּטָם לִפְעָמִים. וּסְפֵק בְּרָכוֹת לְהָקֵל בְּדִיעֲבַד, אֲבָל לְכַתְּחִלָּה יְבָרֵךְ "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה" לָצֵאת לְדִבְרֵי הַכֹּל:
Peppers while still moist and fit to be eaten: there are those who say that he blesses borei pri haetz over them, since they grow on a tree; and there are those who say that one blesses borei pri haadama over them, since the essence of their planting is with the intent that they dry and be eaten mostly ground as spice, and that they are not eaten by themselves except in small part, occasionally. And in doubtful blessings we are lenient after the fact; but lekhathilah he shall bless borei pri haadama, so as to fulfil his duty according to all opinions.
סעיף כב פִּלְפְּלִין יְבֵשִׁים וְצִפֹּרֶן — אֵין מְבָרְכִין כְּלוּם ; קִנָּמוֹן — הָאֲדָמָה.
אֲבָל פִּלְפְּלִין יְבֵשִׁים וְזַנְגְּבִיל יָבֵשׁ וְכֵן הַצִּפֹּרֶן (שֶׁקּוֹרִין נעגלי״ך) , וְכָל כַּיּוֹצֵא בְּאֵלּוּ שֶׁאֵין נֶאֱכָלִים בְּיֹבֶשׁ אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי תַּעֲרֹבֶת — אֵין מְבָרְכִין עֲלֵיהֶם כְּלוּם כְּשֶׁאוֹכְלָם בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָם, שֶׁאֵין זוֹ אֲכִילָה שֶׁל הֲנָאָה לְבָרֵךְ עָלֶיהָ בִּרְכַּת הַנֶּהֱנִין. אֲבָל עֵץ שֶׁל קִנָּמוֹן (שֶׁקּוֹרִין צמרינ״ד) רְגִילִין לְאָכְלוֹ בְּיֹבֶשׁ, וּמְבָרְכִין עָלָיו "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה", כִּי הוּא גָּדֵל עַל הָאָרֶץ כְּמוֹ קָנִים:
But dry peppers, dry ginger, and likewise cloves, and all such things that are not eaten dry except in a mixture — one blesses nothing at all over them when eating them by themselves, for this is not an eating of pleasure over which to bless a birkat hanehenin. But cinnamon wood is customarily eaten dry, and one blesses borei pri haadama over it, for it grows upon the ground like canes.
סעיף כג אֱגוֹז מוּשְׂקָט — הָעֵץ ; וּבְתוֹךְ הַשֵּׁכָר לִרְפוּאָה.
וְכֵן אֱגוֹז שֶׁקּוֹרִין מוּשְׂקָ״ט נו״ס רְגִילִין גַּם כֵּן לְאָכְלוֹ בְּיֹבֶשׁ, וּמְבָרְכִין עָלָיו "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ". וּמִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ שִׁלְשׁוּל וְנוֹתֵן הַמּוּשְׂקָ״ט לְתוֹךְ הַשֵּׁכָר כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּעֲצֹר, אִם אֵינוֹ צָמֵא וְאֵינוֹ שׁוֹתֶה אֶלָּא לִרְפוּאָה — הַמּוּשְׂקָ״ט עִקָּר וְהַשֵּׁכָר טָפֵל, וּמְבָרֵךְ "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ". וְאִם הוּא צָמֵא אוֹ תָּאֵב לִשְׁתּוֹת הַשֵּׁכָר גַּם בְּלֹא רְפוּאָה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנּוֹתֵן לְתוֹכוֹ הַמּוּשְׂקָ״ט לִרְפוּאָה — הַשֵּׁכָר עִקָּר, וּמְבָרֵךְ "שֶׁהַכֹּל" וּפוֹטֵר אֶת הַמּוּשְׂקָ״ט (הוֹאִיל וּבְלִיעַת הַמּוּשְׂקָ״ט הוּא עַל יְדֵי שֵׁכָר, וּבִלְעָדָיו לֹא הָיָה בּוֹלְעוֹ).
וְאַף שֶׁיֵּשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ שֶׁמֶן שֶׁאֵינוֹ רָאוּי לַאֲכִילָה כְּלָל בְּלֹא תַּעֲרֹבֶת, וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן אִם עֵרְבוֹ בְּאֵיזֶה מַשְׁקֶה — אֵין הַמַּשְׁקֶה נֶחְשָׁב עִקָּר אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הַשֶּׁמֶן מוּעָט שֶׁהוּא בָּטֵל בְּתוֹכוֹ בְּרֹב, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר לְמַעְלָה, וְכָאן שֶׁהַמּוּשְׂקָ״ט וְהַשֵּׁכָר אֵינָן נִבְלָלִים זֶה בָּזֶה, אֶלָּא הַמּוּשְׂקָ״ט עוֹמֵד בְּעֵינוֹ בְּתוֹךְ הַשֵּׁכָר, אֵין לֵילֵךְ אַחַר רֹב שֵׁכָר, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הָיָה מִתְבַּשֵּׁל בּוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר לְמַעְלָה, וְאִם כֵּן הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ עַל הַמּוּשְׂקָ״ט בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ וְעַל הַשֵּׁכָר בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ — מִכָּל מָקוֹם סְפֵק בְּרָכוֹת לְהָקֵל:
Likewise the nutmeg is also customarily eaten dry, and one blesses borei pri haetz over it. And one who has diarrhoea and puts nutmeg into beer in order to check it: if he is not thirsty and drinks only as a remedy, the nutmeg is the principal and the beer subordinate, and he blesses borei pri haetz. And if he is thirsty, or desires to drink the beer even apart from the remedy, then even though he puts the nutmeg into it as a remedy, the beer is the principal: he blesses chehakol and exempts the nutmeg (since the swallowing of the nutmeg is by means of the beer, and without it he would not have swallowed it).
And although there are those who say that even oil, which is not at all fit to be eaten without an admixture, if nevertheless he mixed it into some beverage, that beverage is not reckoned the principal unless the oil is a small quantity nullified within it by the majority, as explained above; and here, where the nutmeg and the beer are not blended one into the other, the nutmeg standing as it is inside the beer, one should not follow the majority of beer, unless it had been cooked in it, as explained above, and one would then have to bless over the nutmeg by itself and over the beer by itself — in any case, in doubtful blessings we are lenient.
סעיף כד כָּל פְּרִי שֶׁהוּא מְסֻפָּק — הָאֲדָמָה ; וּמִי שֶׁלֹּא לָמַד יֵלֵךְ אֵצֶל חָכָם.
כָּל פְּרִי שֶׁהוּא מְסֻפָּק בּוֹ אִם הוּא פְּרִי הָעֵץ אוֹ פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה, שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ לְבָרְרוֹ עַל פִּי הַסִּימָן שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּסִימָן ר״ג, אוֹ פְּרִי הָעֵץ שֶׁמִּסְתַּפֵּק בּוֹ אִם הוּא עִקַּר הַפְּרִי אִם לָאו — יְבָרֵךְ "בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה". וְאִם אֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ מַה הוּא — מְבָרֵךְ "שֶׁהַכֹּל נִהְיָה בִּדְבָרוֹ". וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם, אִם הוּא דָּבָר שֶׁיָּכוֹל לְפָטְרוֹ בְּתוֹךְ הַסְּעוּדָה — הוּא טוֹב יוֹתֵר, שֶׁאָז אֵין סָפֵק כְּלָל.
וְכָל זֶה בְּסָפֵק שֶׁנִּסְתַּפֵּק לוֹ אַחַר שֶׁלָּמַד, אֲבָל מִי שֶׁלֹּא לָמַד — לֹא יֹאכַל בְּבִרְכַּת "שֶׁהַכֹּל", כִּי אֵינָהּ פּוֹטֶרֶת הַכֹּל אֶלָּא בְּדִיעֲבַד וְלֹא לְכַתְּחִלָּה כְּשֶׁאֶפְשָׁר, וְזֶה אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ לֵילֵךְ אֵצֶל חָכָם שֶׁיְּלַמְּדֶנּוּ הִלְכוֹת בְּרָכוֹת:
Any fruit about which he is in doubt — is it a fruit of the tree or a fruit of the ground? — not knowing how to determine it by the sign that will be explained in siman ר״ג; or a fruit of the tree about which he is in doubt whether it is the essence of the fruit or not — he shall bless borei pri haadama. And if he does not know what it is, he blesses chehakol nihya bidvaro. And in any case, if it is something he can exempt within a meal, that is better, for then there is no doubt at all.
And all this concerns a doubt that arose for him after he had learned. But one who has not learned shall not eat relying on the blessing chehakol, for it exempts everything only after the fact and not lekhathilah where it is possible — and for him it is possible to go to a sage who will teach him the laws of blessings.
הלכה למעשה — מנהג חב״ד
Practical Habad conduct
Points of conduct that follow directly from siman ר״ב in the sensibility of the Alter Rebbe and of Habad — presented at the level of principle, referring to the Rav for the detail of cases.
For the Habad Hassid — Siman ר״ב (דִּינֵי פֵּרוֹת הָאִילָן)
- ① Seif א. Every fruit of a tree — of the seven species or not — takes borei pri haetz. The Rav does not stop at the ruling: he gives its reason. It is the fruit’s importance that lifted it out of the common register of ground-fruits, and the dedicated blessing exists to detail the praise, not merely to discharge an obligation.
- ② Seif ב. The test is not botanical but one of the essence of the fruit. Whatever grows on the tree without being its essence drops to haadama — and only if the tree is planted with that in view as well: the caper’s leaves and temarot, yes; the palm’s kor, no, for eating it maims the tree — chehakol. The same for vine shoots.
- ③ Seif ג. An unripe fruit is judged by what is eaten: in a soft almond one eats the husk, which is not what the tree was planted for — chehakol; in other fruits one already eats the body of the fruit — haetz, however tiny. Smaller than a white bean, a grape is not yet a fruit: haadama. And since the measure of the white bean is unknown to us, the Rav rules: over unripe grapes, always haadama.
- ④ Seif ד. For all other trees, producing fruit is enough, however small. The limit is edibility: a fruit bitter or astringent to the point of being inedible even with difficulty takes nothing at all. And sweetening it by fire does not raise it back: it is no more than a piece of wood — chehakol.
- ⑤ Seif ה. The bitter almond illustrates the principle both ways: large, it takes no blessing; small, the husk being unbitter and the tree planted for that too, it takes haetz; sweetened, it takes haetz — for it is itself a completed fruit.
- ⑥ Seif ו. Unripeness and spoilage are not the same. Fruit picked before its time keeps its rank; but novlot, dates that ripen only on the ground, and the last grapes of autumn have been altered downward — they fall lower than the unripe, like spoiled bread: chehakol.
- ⑦ Seif ז. The rule of the last grapes extends to their vinegar: what issues from the fruit follows the fruit. The vinegar of sofei anavim therefore takes chehakol just as they do.
- ⑧ Seif ח. A pit is judged by its taste, not by its place: sweet and edible, it is fruit — haetz; bitter, it is nothing; artificially sweetened, it remains wood — chehakol. The same logic as seif ד.
- ⑨ Seif ט. On the kaprisin the Rav does not conceal the mahloket: haetz for some, haadama for others. His practical ruling is a model for escaping doubt — lekhathilah haadama, which satisfies every opinion; bediavad, haetz discharges, for safek berakhot lehakel. And he generalizes: “and so with anything whose blessing is in doubt”.
- ⑩ Seif י. Juice is not the fruit: it is mere perspiration — chehakol — except wine and oil, for which the alteration is an elevation. Wine takes hagafen, and haetz does not discharge it. Oil drunk alone takes nothing: no pleasure, no birkat hanehenin. Mixed as a remedy for the throat it remains the principal despite being the minority; with no therapeutic aim, the majority beverage becomes the principal again. The governing principle of the siman: the palate’s pleasure, not the body’s benefit.
- ⑪ Seif יא. Steeping or cooking water: for fruits, water stays water — chehakol; for vegetables, whose very manner is to be cooked, the cooking water is like them. Against the yesh omrim who extend haetz to all fruit-cooking water, the Rav concludes: lekhathilah chehakol, bediavad haetz discharges. And if one has already blessed haetz over the fruit, one does not bless chehakol over the broth — one first drinks something else.
- ⑫ Seif יב. The after-blessing is not settled like the first: over the broth of the seven species, the doubt between meéin shalosh and borei nefashot is not dissolved by a rule of leniency. The Rav gives the God-fearing person’s way out: drink the measure only within a meal, or eat a fruit of the seven species and drink water, so as to be liable for both. Raisin water: broth if one means to eat them, wine if one wants only the liquid. Date beer, barley beer, tea: chehakol. And for a broth cooked for its own sake — bless chehakol over it first, drink a little, then mezonot over the dish.
- ⑬ Seif יג. A mere mixture, with no cooking and no steeping: each keeps its own blessing. Eaten together, the drink is subordinate — even wine. And if the intent is upon both, we do not follow the majority: bless over the food, eat a little, then chehakol over the broth — never the two blessings in succession, which would be a hefsek.
- ⑭ Seif יד. Meat overrides the vegetal: a broth in which meat was cooked takes chehakol by every opinion, even a vegetable broth. Only one thing overrides meat — the five species of grain, the most important of all.
- ⑮ Seif טו. Cooking in something other than water changes the case: vinegar, borscht, or any liquid with a taste of its own remains the principal, just as candied fruit keeps its blessing against the honey. The rule that vegetable water is like the vegetables holds only for water, which has no taste of its own.
- ⑯ Seif טז. The blessing follows the derekh akhilah: a fruit whose manner is cooked, eaten raw — chehakol; eaten both ways — its blessing in both cases; cooked when the manner is raw — its blessing stands, provided the taste is not thereby degraded.
- ⑰ Seif יז. Form counts as much as taste. Dissolved by cooking outside its manner — chehakol; dissolved where the manner is cooked — unchanged; merely mashed while keeping its shape (dates made into a paste) — unchanged. Ground sesame, an over-pounded nut, legumes passed through a sieve: chehakol; mashed with a spoon: haadama. Ground spices and candied roses keep their blessing, for grinding is their manner. Against the yesh omrim, the conclusion: bediavad be lenient, lekhathilah chehakol.
- ⑱ Seif יח. Honey that restores is subordinate: a nut spoiled by boiling and then restored by frying in honey recovers haetz. So with all candied fruits, including those not eaten without honey, such as roses: the honey is there only to make the fruit edible, like the water it was cooked in.
- ⑲ Seif יט. But honey that creates edibility becomes the principal: an unripe fruit, inedible even with difficulty, made edible by honey, takes chehakol — and even fried without honey. Hence green nuts cooked in honey: chehakol.
- ⑳ Seif כ. Cane sugar is a textbook doubt: ordinary fruit juice (chehakol), or the cane’s true fruit, since it is planted for nothing else (haetz)? Bediavad be lenient; lekhathilah, chehakol.
- ㉑ Seif כא. Fresh pepper carries the converse doubt: a tree (haetz), or a plant whose destination is drying and grinding (haadama)? Bediavad be lenient; lekhathilah, haadama.
- ㉒ Seif כב. Dry pepper, dry ginger and cloves eaten on their own: no blessing at all — this is not an eating of pleasure. Cinnamon, however, is eaten dry: haadama, for it grows like a cane.
- ㉓ Seif כג. Nutmeg is eaten dry: haetz. In beer against diarrhoea everything turns on thirst: without thirst it is the principal — haetz; with thirst the beer prevails — chehakol, which discharges it. The Rav raises the objection drawn from oil — nutmeg and beer do not blend — and still concludes: safek berakhot lehakel.
- ㉔ Seif כד. The siman closes on the law of doubt and on a demand for study. Doubt between haetz and haadama: haadama. Ignorance of what the food even is: chehakol. Better still: exempt it within a meal. But one who has never learned may not shelter behind chehakol: it is possible for him to go to a sage and learn hilkhot berakhot — and that possibility obliges him.
⚠ This section presents Habad conduct grounded in the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch, siman ר״ב (the real text is reproduced in §1). It does not replace a rabbinic ruling for a particular case. For any concrete question — which blessing over this fruit, this juice, this broth or this confection — consult your Rav, and for Habad, a Habad Rav.