This coming week we will be celebrating Tu B’Shvat. Tu B’Shvat marks the time of year that the majority of the rainfall has passed, and the sap begins to rise up in the tree. This is the first step in the process of development of the fruit.
Rav Leibele Eiger asks (Toras Emes pg. 104 – 105, cited by Higyonay Halachah pg. 90) a very probing question: Why should we eat fruits on Tu B’Shvat? Any fruits that are available for consumption on Tu B’Shvat are part of last year’s crop, from last year’s rain and last year’s sap, not this year’s. As we celebrate the beginning of the new year of fruit, why do enjoy fruits of the year before? What logic is there in celebrating a new year with old fruit?
Rav Leibele Eiger invokes a Gemara in Berachos to answer his question. The Gemara teaches us that anyone who derives benefit from this world without first reciting a berachah is guilty of theft. He is stealing from Hashem and from Klal Yisroel.
Rashi there (35b) explains that the guilty party is stealing the berachah from Hashem, and he is stealing from Klal Yisroel because when people are sinful and don’t make berachos, fruit does not grow properly. The crop of fruit will not be abundant and will not grow successfully when people are “nehneh min ha’olam hazeh b’lo berachah, take benefit from this world without a blessing.” In short, fruits suffer when berachos are not made. But the converse is certainly true as well. Making berachos properly instils within the growing crop of fruit the vigour that will allow it to grow properly. Therefore, on Tu B’Shvat, which marks the beginning of the new development of fruits, we make sure to partake of them. Not for the sake of the fruits, but so that we can recite the proper berachos over them; thereby the new fruits that have just achieved their embryonic state of chanatah will continue to grow successfully. This, says Rav Leibele Eiger, is why we eat fruit on Tu B’Shvat.
After this introduction, I would like to discuss a number of shailos related to Hilchos Berachos.
What Berachah Achronah Should Be Made on A Fruit Salad Which Contains, Apples, Oranges and Raisins or Grapes?
If one eats a fruit salad containing apples, oranges, and either raisins or grapes, and he ate a kezayis of the raisins or grapes, however, the majority of the salad is made from other fruit whose berachah achronah is Borei Nefoshos, what berachah achronah should be made, Al HaPeiros, or Borei Nefoshos?
The Machlokes HaPoskim Regarding What Berachah Rishonah to Make on the Fruit Salad?
The reason for the above doubt is due to a big dispute amongst the poskim regarding what the correct berachah rishonah [blessing before eating] is on such a fruit salad. The Mishnah Berurah (212:1) quotes the Magen Avraham who says, that if one eats a mixture of two types of food, and they are both a main part of the mixture, however, there is more of one then the other, the majority component is considered the main component, even if each component is recognisable on its own. Based on this, if one would eat a fruit salad containing both pieces of ha’eitz and pieces of ho’adomah, one would make a berachah rishonah on which ever component is the majority.
However, in Sha’ar HaTziyun (s.k. 2) and in Biur Halachah (d.h. Im) the Mishnah Berurah quotes the Chayei Adam (Klal 51, 13) who says: If each component is recognisable in its own right, one should make a separate berachah on each component. Practically, sofek berachos l’hokel, when it comes to doubts regarding making berachos we rule leniently, and one needs to make just one berachah.
[The Shu”t Shevet HaLevi (7:27:3, and 10:47:1) leans more towards the opinion of the Chayei Adam, as he maintains that if one really wants both components, why should the majority override – just, because one component is more than the other, why should that override what he wants, and he wants both - see also the Shulchan Aruch HaRav (204:17) who writes, that if the mixture is not cooked together, the minor component is not nullified to the majority. This is also the opinion of the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (54:5) and Ben Ish Chai (Year 1, Parshas Pinchos 17).]
The above discussion is only if one eats the mixture together, if, however, one takes from the salad grapes or raisins and eats them, and then he takes pieces of pineapple from the mixture and eats them, they are no longer considered a toful [subordinate] to the apple, and one needs to make a berachah rishonah and achronah on it (see Aruch HaShulchan 212:2). Based on this, R’ Shlomah Zalman Auerbach said: When making a berachah rishonah on a mixture, one should lechatchilah make sure to have on his first spoonful a majority of the component that he is making a berachah on (see Vezois HaBerachah pg. 94, ois 14).
Is There a Solution to Make Everyone Happy?
In order to avoid getting into the above machlokes, some people take a piece of fruit which is ha’eitz from the mixture and make a berachah, then they take a second piece of fruit which is ho’adomah out the mixture and make a berachah. Although this may save one from making a berachah levatolah [blessing in vain], it may be another problem of berachah she’eino tzricha, reciting an unnecessary blessing, as there is a big dispute if one is allowed to cause a berachah she’eino tzricha, if one has a doubt regarding Hilchos Berachos (see at length in Vezois HaBerachah, Birur Halachah, siman 29).
They bring a rayah (Vezois HaBeracah pg. 381) from the Biur Halachah (beginning of 212) who cites the machlokes between the Magen Avraham and Chayei Adam that we mentioned, and he brings an eitzah [solution] for those who want to be stringent for the opinion of the Chayei Adam, and he suggests that they should crush the minority component of the mixture into the majority component, and make a berachah on the majority. If, there would be no problem of berachah she’eino tzricha in such a case, then why does he not simply advise to do the eitzah we said? We see that the Mishnah Berurah holds that this is not a good eitzah.
However, there are those who do this, and what we have to say, it’s not a problem of berachah she’eino tzricha as there are many poskim who in fact hold like the Chayei Adam.
Berachah Achronah on A Fruit Salad Containing Shivas HaMinim
In light of the above, R’ Aharon Leib Steinman rules that the same thing applies to the berachah achronah and if one eats a fruit salad containing pieces of apple, orange and grapes (or raisins), and the majority is apples and oranges, since the minority is nullified to the majority, the grapes (or raisins) are toful to the apple and orange and the correct berachah achronah would be Borei Nefoshos even if one eats a kezayis of grapes (or raisins) (cited in Shalmay Todah, Hilchos Berachos pg. 16). The above is also clear from the Shulchan Aruch (212:1) which says that the rules of ikar and toful apply to both berachah rishonah and berachah achronah.
How Can a Rabbinic Berachah of Borei Nefoshos, Exempt Al HaPeiros Which is De’O’raisa?
The Rema (202:1) writes: If wine gets mixed with beer we follow the majority. If the majority is wine then the berachah is hagofen, and if majority is beer the berachah is shehakol. Based on this, if the majority is beer, the berachah achronah would be Borei Nefoshos, and not Al HaGefen (like it’s clear in 212:1 in regard to ikar and toful, that it applies to both the berachah rishonah and achronah).
The Pri Megodim (202, M.Z, s.k. 1) asks: According to the opinions that Me’ein Shalosh is de’O’raisa (see Magen Avraham 172:3), how can Borei Nefoshos on beer which is derabonon exempt the Me’ein Shalosh on wine which is de’O’raisa? He answers: By berachos we go after the majority, and when there is an ikar and a toful we make a berachah on the ikar and it exempts the toful. This is really the same idea as what R’ Aharon Leib says.
We can add, that even without this, the opinions who learn Me’ein Shalosh is de’O’raisa, that’s only in a case when one eats a shiur seviah [an amount that satisfies oneself] of that particular fruit (in our case grapes or raisins), and this is not so common by a fruit salad containing raisins or grapes, and normally they are the minority component.
The Beriyah and the Berachah Achronah Dilemma
The Shulchan Aruch (210:1) writes: If one eats less than a kezayis, or drinks less than a reviis, he should recite a berachah rishonah suitable for the item he is consuming, and afterwards he shouldn’t recite any berachah. Some are in doubt and say, if one eats something which is beriyah [complete item] such as a grape or a pomegranate seed, one should recite a berachah achronah even if he eats less than a kezyayis (this makes a big difference on Rosh Hashanah night, when one eats a pomegranate seed before the meal as a good omen, perhaps in such a case one must make a berachah achronah, see Mateh Ephraim 600:10 who discusses there). Therefore, one should be careful when eating a beriyah to make sure to eat at least a kezayis, to avoid getting into a halachic doubt.
Berachah Achronah for a Beriyah that Was Peeled or Cut Into Pieces
The Rema adds: A complete item is only considered a beriyah if it is eaten as it is, if however, one removes the seeds/pits then it is no longer considered a beriyah. The Mishnah Berurah (s.k. 8) writes: If part of the fruit is cut off, or falls off during the cooking process, the item loses its status as a beriyah. The Aruch HaShulchan adds (sif 4), that the same is with a fruit or a nut, that if one removes the soft peel attached to the fruit (when edible, such as the soft peel around a peanut), the item is no longer considered a beriyah. [Although the Igros Pri Megodim (Igeres 3, d.h. egoz) writes, that even if one peels the fruit/nut, it is still considered a beriyah]. Based on the above, the Ben Ish Chai writes (Year 1, Parshas Matos 65): If one eats an entire beriyah in small bites (i.e. bite by bite), since he doesn’t place the entire item into his mouth in one go, it doesn’t have the status of a beriyah.
Berachah Achronah for a Beriyah Which Has Lost Its shape, Due to Chewing It
The Chazon Ish (Yoreh Deah, 14:6, d.h. shiur) in the sugya of checking food for tolaim [worms] writes: “A crushed item which is annulled – it doesn’t make a difference if it is crushed in the pot due to the heat of cooking, or if its crushed with one’s mouth via chewing, anything which can’t be recognized by the eyes before swallowing, is nullified the same way as yovesh beyovesh is (i.e. a beriyah is never nullified in a mixture, however, dry items are nullified much more easily, a crushed beriyah has the same status as regular dry items), and anything which loses its shape before swallowing, loses its status of beriyah.”
According to the Chazon Ish the doubt of what berachah achronah to make on a beriyah is virtually impractical as most times when one eats, he chews and then swallows, therefore, the beriyah loses its status of beriyah before one actually consumes it.
The Darkei Teshuvah (Hilchos Taruvos siman 100, s.k. 2) quotes the Shu”t Masas Moshe (Vol. 3, Yoreh Deah 3) who is in doubt, if one eats a fruit containing a worm, and he chews the fruit well and the worm gets crushed in his mouth and he only then swallows it – if such a person is exempt from malkus [lashes] since before he swallowed the worm it was already crushed and is no longer a beriyah, or if, since it entered the mouth complete, one gets malkus for eating it, as he benefited from it, and a dovar tomei [impure item] entered his mouth. I.e. do we go after the swallowing or do we go after what was placed in the mouth.
The Masas Moshe continues: Certainly, lechatchilah it is forbidden to chew a fruit which contains a worm, as ein mevatlin issur lechatchilah, we don’t nullify forbidden items on purpose, however, if one did does he get malkus? He concludes that one does.
The Darchei Teshuvah cites various other Achronim who concur and then says, if one places a beriyah into his mouth, even if one chews it up before swallowing, it still has the status of beriyah for all matters.
The above is also meduyak in the Sha’ar HaTziyun. The Sha’ar HaTziyun ((210:21) writes in the name of the Chayei Adam, that a worm loses its status of beriyah, “If it is first divided into two, and then it’s eaten”. It seems that only if it is first split into two does it lose its beriyah status, and not if it is broken into two after it has already entered one’s mouth.
In Shu”t Machzeh Eliyohu (Vol. 1, 89:1) R’ Pesach Eliyohu Falk zt”l asks a number of questions on the Chazon Ish. 1) How is it ever possible to give someone malkus for eating a beriyah, perhaps it got crushed before it was swallowed. 2) The Rosh (Berachos 6:16) discusses reciting a berachah achronah on a complete fruit (beriyah) which is less than a kezayis and differentiates between a case when the stone was removed before the fruit was placed in the mouth, and a case when it was only removed after the fruit was placed in the eater’s mouth. According to the Chazon Ish, even if one removed it whilst in his mouth, it should still not be considered a beriyah, as by the time it was swallowed it was no longer a beriyah?
However, we can differentiate between what the Chazon Ish writes about a beriyah regarding macholas assuros, and berachah achronah, and perhaps the Chazon Ish’s rule only applies to macholas assuros. There is reason to differentiate between the two areas of halachah, as when it comes to macholas assuros, there is room to say that chewing the beriyah helps nullify it, as in the end of the day, when one consumed the beriyah it was no longer complete. However, when it comes to berachah achronah which is to do with eating, it all depends on what one placed in his mouth, and therefore, it makes sense to look at what one placed into his mouth, and not after what one swallowed.
Are Raisins Considered a Beriyah
There is room to question whether a raison is considered a beriyah, and this makes a big difference in a case when one isn’t able to eat a kezayis. Perhaps since they are dried out inside, they are no longer considered a beriyah. The Shu”t Shevet HaLevi (Vol. 8, 34:1) discuss this, and he writes: Only if the fruit is lacking, or is crushed until it no longer has its original shape, or the seeds have been taken out do we say it loses its status of beriyah. Raisins, however, which are simply dried out from inside - unless they are so dried out, that none of the flesh of the grape remains, then there is room for doubt.
Avoid Entering Into Doubt, As Borei Nefoshos Is Not a Way Out
Based on the above, one should be careful when eating fruit on Tu B’Shvat. If one eats a kezayis of shivas haminim [seven special fruits] within kedei achilas pras (a relatively short amount of time) and one needs to recite me’ein shalosh, then he may eat raisins / grapes and pomegranate seeds. However, if one doesn’t, then he should make sure not to eat less than a kezayis of items which are a beriyah, as he will enter himself into a doubt about whether he may recite me’ein shalosh, and borei nefoshos doesn’t help in such a case.
Is It Better to Recite a Berachah on a Complete Small Pomegranate, or On Half a Big Pomegranate?
If one has in front of him a small complete pomegranate, and half of a large pomegranate, which one should he recite ho’eitz on? On the one hand the Shulchan...
