Borei Pri HaGafen

Richard B. Aiken

Borei Pri HaGafen: What It Covers

Say borei pri ha’gafen on wine or grape juice, whether at a meal with bread or not.

Mixed Drinks

Say borei pri ha’gafen on drinks of wine or grape juice mixed with water if at least 1/7th of the total volume is wine (or grape juice) but the mixture but also still be considered to be wine or grape juice.

Say borei pri ha'gafen on mixtures of wine (or grape juice) with beverages other than water, as long as the final mixture would still be considered to be wine (or grape juice) by most people in your area.

Note: If the mixture is at least 50% wine (and maybe even at greater dilutions), it will normally be considered borei pri ha’gafen.

Borei Pri HaGafen: In Succession with SheHakol

After SheHakol

Situation: You said she’hakol on a non-grape beverage, drank the beverage, and then want to drink wine (or grape juice).

What To Do: Say borei pri ha’gafen before drinking the wine (or grape juice).

Before SheHakol

If you say borei pri ha’gafen and drink at least 2 fl. oz. (59 ml) of wine (or grape juice) within 30 seconds, the borei pri ha’gafen will cover all subsequent beverages you drink at about the same time--even if their fore-blessing should be she’hakol.

Note: Saying the after-blessing on the wine/grape juice--if drinking at least 3.3 fl. oz. (99 ml) of the wine/grape juice--covers the water or other beverage that you drank.

If you say borei pri ha’gafen and drink less than 2 fl. oz. (59 ml) of wine (or grape juice) within 30 seconds, you must say she’hakol over any subsequent non-grape-based beverages that you drink.

Borei Pri HaGafen: Saying Again

You may say a new blessing on any remaining wine if:

You said, or heard someone saying, borei pri ha’gafen,

Drank some wine (or grape juice),

Decided to stop drinking (hesech da’at), and

Returned to drink from the same cup later.

Note: If you are not sure you had hesech da’at, do not say a new blessing.

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.