Types of Blessings

Richard B. Aiken

Blessings: Morning (Birchot HaShachar)

In the morning blessings, say she’asa li kol tzarki even if you are not wearing shoes (even on Tish’a B’Av morning).

Blessings: Food

Food When No One Will Bless

You should feed a poor Jew, even if he or she won’t say a blessing on the food. If a Jew is not poor, you should not give him or her food unless he or she (or someone else--it could be yourself) says a blessing on it for him/her.

Note: If someone else says the blessing for the poor person, the person saying the blessing must also eat some of that food.

You may sell food to Jews even if they will not make a blessing over it (you may of course sell to non-Jews since they are not required to say a blessing on it!).

Food Fore-Blessing (Bracha Rishona)

Priorities

You must say the blessing which was designed to be said on each type of food. B'diavad, a lower level blessing will still cover the food.

From lowest to highest level, here are the food fore-blessings:

* She’hakol;

* Borei pri ha’adama;

* Borei pri ha’eitz (on common fruits);

* Borei pri ha’eitz (on the Five Special Fruits);

Note: You will only say borei pri ha’eitz once to include both common fruits and also special fruits that you will eat at one sitting

* Borei minei mezonot;

* Borei pri ha’gafen;

* Ha’motzi lechem min ha’aretz.

In general, say the highest-level fore-blessing (bracha rishona) on a food.

Note: As some foods get processed by cooking or by other means, they qualify for a higher-level blessing.

Examples:

* Raw, rolled oats only merit the fore-blessing of she’hakol. But once the oats are cooked, the blessing of borei minei mezonot applies.

Note: Raw oats could get the fore-blessing borei pri ha’adama, since they grow directly in the earth. But because oats are not normally considered edible when raw, they get demoted to she’hakol.

* A raw grape or raisin gets the blessing of borei pri ha’eitz. But once made into wine or grape juice, it merits borei pri ha’gafen.

Copyright 2015 Richard B. Aiken. Halacha L’Maaseh appears courtesy of www.practicalhalacha.com Visit their web site for more information.

This material is provided for informational purposes only – not a substitute for the consultation of a competent rabbi.