Hilchos B'rachos part IX
Having In Mind
A
common issue associated with reciting b’rachos is to know which items
are included in a b’racha recited over a specific item. One might sit
down to a snack and recite a b’racha over almonds and then decide
that he would now like to eat an apple. Indeed both items require a boreh
p’ri ha’eitz, but must he recite a new b’racha over the apple or
is it included in the original ha’eitz?
In the
future shiurim we will attempt be”H to simplify this matter
When will one definitely need to recite a new
b’racha?
If one
recited a b’racha over a specific item, having in mind that this is
the only item one intends on eating, one will be required to recite a new
b’racha over a new item.
This
is true even if
·
one intends on eating a similar food item.
·
one has not yet finished eating the original food.
·
the new item is of less importance the original
one.
Moshe is on a diet and he told himself that he is going to
eat only one single piece of cream cake. After savoring the first bite, he
changed his mind and decided that one more will not harm.
Moshe
is required to recite a new b’racha on the second piece, because he
had specific intention not to eat another piece. In other words, the
b’racha only covered the one piece of cake.
Does this apply to bread as well?
Indeed
it does.
Yankel bought a bread bun in a store, washed and recited
hamotzi knowing that he intended to eat that single bun. Halfway through, he
realized that one bun will not satiate him and bought another bun.
He is
required to recite a new hamotzi on the new bun, even though he had
not yet consumed the first one.
This is because the b’racha did not include anything other than the
first bun.
Is there a way to avoid having to recite a new
b’racha?
As we
will see, one is often faced with s’feikos as to whether a new
b’racha is necessary. To avoid this problem, one should have in mind
that whatever food will come his way is included in the b’racha.
What will a b’racha with that intention include?
It
will include everything that requires a similar b’racha.
Even
if
·
the new food was not present at the time of the
b’racha.
·
the new food is of more importance, i.e. one
recited a boreh p’ri ho’eitz on an apple and subsequently grapes were
brought in. Even though grapes are of more importance than apples, as they
are one of the shiva minim, the b’racha includes them because
one had specific intention to do so.
·
the original food was eaten prior to receiving the
new food.
At which part of the b’racha must one have the intention to
include all foods?
The
optimal point of intention is before one commences the b’racha.
How does the halacha regard a guest, after all he does
not know what is in store?
A
guest is considered as having specific intention to include everything
that will be placed before him,
because he knows that all types of food will be placed before him.
Consequently his b’racha will include all items with similar
b’rachos, even when they are of more importance.
What if the host had not yet decided to serve
certain foods, and subsequently served them, is the guest required to recite
a new b’racha over those foods?
It
seems paradoxical because the host is required to recite a new b’racha,
being that he did not have in mind to consume certain foods, and the guest
will not recite a new b’racha because it is as if he had in mind to
include everything.
Moshe was dining at Yankel and towards the end of the meal,
Yankel placed beautiful pears on the table. Both people recited a b’racha
and several minutes later Yankel decided to serve pomegranates.
Moshe
does not need to recite a new b’racha because he is a guest and
Yankel must recite a new b’racha because he did not have the
pomegranates in mind when he recited the b’racha.
