If a family is sitting down eating fruit for their Tu B’Shvat party and a kind neighbor knocks on and brings a type of fruit that they never thought about when making their berachos, must they make another berachah?
The Shulchan Aruch (206:5) writes: If one made a berachah on the fruit in front of him, and afterwards they brought him more of that fruit, or some other type of fruit which has the same berachah, there is no need to recite another berachah. However, the Mishnah Berurah (s.k. 22) writes: Many Achronim disagree with this din, and maintain that if one made a berachah without thinking, it only exempts fruit that comes later if it is exactly the same type of fruit, if, however, it is a different type of fruit then the original berachah doesn’t help, and one needs to recite a new berachah, unless the new fruit was brought before one finished the first type of fruit.
However, after bringing the above, the Mishnah Berurah brings in the name of the Chayei Adam, that if one fixed himself to eat fruit, even if he made a berachah without thinking on the fruit in front of him, and they brought a new type of fruit after he finished his original fruit, there is no need to recite a new berachah, as he was kovea [fixed himself] to eat, and he never took his mind away.
However, it could be that when the Chayei Adam says, “they brought him”, it means from inside his own home and not from a neighbor. However, see Rema (177:5) and the Aruch HaShulchan (sif 9) that when it is normal for neighbor or friend to sent to each other, then it’s different.
Therefore, if it is normal for the neighbor to bring fruit than no new berachah would need to be made, however, if it’s not normal the halachah is not so clear, and perhaps one should keep the fruit to be eaten at a later point.
(The Hilchos Berachos shailos are based on a shiur given by R’ Yom Tov Sanger shlita)
