Wine After Hamotzi

Q. I recited Hamotzi on bread. During the meal, I want to have a drink of wine. Must I recite Hagafen, or was the beracha on the wine already covered by the beracha on the bread?

A. Shulchan Aruch (OC 174:1) writes that if you drink wine in the middle of your meal, a beracha must be recited on the wine. Although the beracha of Hamotzi on the bread includes most foods eaten during the meal, it does not include wine. This halacha is based on a Gemara in Berachos 41b. The Gemarah asks why is wine unique? The Gemarah responds, “Because wine is gorem (causes) it’s own beracha”. What does the Gemarah mean? Rashi explains that we drink wine and recite the brocho of borei pri hagofen when performing many mitzvos (e.g., Kiddush, Havdalah, Bentching, Bris Milah), even if one has no desire to drink wine. (Apparently, this shows the importance of wine.) Tosfos explains that the Gemarah means that wine is unique because it has its own special beracha. Although the beracha on grapes is Ha’eitz (recognizing Hashem’s creation of the trees), on wine we recite an even more specific blessing of Hagafen (recognizing Hashem’s creation of the vineyard).

The Mishnah Berurah (174:1) writes that even if one had specific intent when he recited the beracha of Hamotzi to cover wine as well, Borei pri hagofen must be recited on the wine.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.