Brachot on a Nice Smell: Difference between revisions

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==Brachot on smells==
==Havdalah==
# If there’s a safek about the Bracha on a certain smell, one may not make the Bracha out of doubt and therefore one should refrain from smelling that thing. <Ref>Vezot HaBracha (pg 174, chapter 19) </ref>
# The Ashkenaz minhag is to make Boreh Mini Besamim (בורא מיני בשמים) which is the general Bracha for nice smells at Havdalavah no matter what’s being used for besamim. However, according to Sephardim, one should make the appropriate Bracha for that besamim. <Ref>Mishna Brurah 297:1, Vezot HaBracha (pg 181, chapter 19) </ref>
# A tree product that has a nice smell requires a Boreh Atzei Besamim. The definition of a tree is a hard stalk, growing above ground, lives from year to year, and has leaves. <Ref> Mishna Brurah 216:6 </ref>Therefore, rose, hadas (myrtle), jasmine, and rosemary require Atzei Besamim. <Ref>Vezot HaBracha (pg 174, chapter 19) </ref>  
# The rest of the week there’s no argument that there’s a distinction between the following categories:
# A shrub product that has a nice smell requires a Boreh Ishbei Besamim. A plant that has a soft stalk such as hyacinth, mint, and daffodil require an Esev. <Ref> Vezot HaBracha (pg 174, chapter 19) </ref>
==Boreh Atzei Besamim==
# For tree products the Bracha is Boreh Atzei Besamim. Halacha includes any plant (above ground) that has a hard stalk, has leaves, and lasts from year to year. <Ref>Vezot HaBracha (pg 174, chapter 19) </ref>
# Examples of tree products that require Atzei Besamim: Rose, Rosemary, Jasmine, Hadas (myrtle; not on Sukkot), honeysuckle (yellow and white flowery vine) <Ref>Vezot HaBracha (pg 174, chapter 19) </ref>
==Boreh Isbei Besamim==
# For shrub products the Bracha is Boreh Isbei Besamim. Halacha includes any plant that has a soft stalk or doesn’t last from year to year. <Ref>Vezot HaBracha (pg 174, chapter 19) </ref>
# Examples of shrub products that require Boreh Isbei Besamim: mint, hyacinth, daffodil (certain types). <Ref>Vezot HaBracha (pg 174, chapter 19) </ref>
==HaNoten Rayach Tov BaPerot==
# For edible fruits that give off a strong smell (from the fruit and not from the peel) the Bracha required is HaNoten Rayach Tov BaPerot. The major limitation of this category is that one should only make the Bracha for a strong smell and only if the fruit is taken to smell and not to eat. <Ref>Vezot HaBracha (pg 175, chapter 19) </ref>
# Examples: Etrog (not on Sukkot), quince, apple, melon <Ref>Vezot HaBracha (pg 175, chapter 19) </ref>
==Boreh Mini Besamim==
# The general Bracha for nice smells is Boreh Mini Besamim and is made for non-plant or fruit products, or for items for which there’s an unresolved dispute in the poskim. <ref>Vezot HaBracha (pg 175-7, chapter 19) </ref>
# Examples: cinnamon, cloves (common for havdalah), lemon, hot ground coffee beans (taken to smell), mixture of tree and shrub products. <ref>Vezot HaBracha (pg 397, Luach Brachot) </ref>
# For synthetic smells, as is common in cheap perfumes, some say that the Bracha is Boreh Mini Besamim and some say that there’s no Bracha on such a smell. <Ref> <ref>Vezot HaBracha (pg 182, chapter 19) quotes a dispute between Rav Pinchas Sheinburg who says that synthetic products have a Bracha, and Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach who holds that no Bracha is made. </ref>
==After the fact==
# There’s a dispute whether Bracha of Shehakol covers any Bracha for a nice smell and because of the dispute, after the fact, one may not make another Bracha. <ref>Vezot HaBracha (pg 176, chapter 19) </ref>
# The Bracha of Atzi doesn’t cover the products that require Isbei. <Ref>Mishna Brurah 216:39, Vezot HaBracha (pg 176, chapter 19) </ref>
==If one’s in doubt==
# If you have a plant which has a nice smell but you personally are in doubt as to whether the Bracha is Atzei or Isbei, if it’s easy to find out the correct Bracha, one should do so, otherwise, one may make Boreh Mini Besamim. (This is different than foods where there’s an obligation to figure out the appropriate halacha instead of making Shehakol.) <ref>Vezot HaBracha (pg 176, chapter 19) </ref>
# If one is unsure whether a product has a nice or strong smell, one may smell it to check, make the Bracha, and then make the Bracha. <Ref>Vezot HaBracha (pg 180, chapter 19) </ref>
==No Bracha==
# Certain items have no Bracha including: tavak <ref>Vezot HaBracha (pg 397, Luach Brachot) </ref>
# No Bracha is made on a smell that was absorbed or rubbed off a nice smelling product, but now there’s no substance of the Basamim existent. Example: perfume bottle, etrog box, tea leaves. <ref>Vezot HaBracha (pg 180, chapter 19) </ref>
# No Bracha is made of a nice smelling product that was used to remove a bad smell. Example: air freshener in a bathroom. <Ref>Vezot HaBracha (pg 179, chapter 19) </ref>
==List of Brachot==
Item Ashkenazim (Vezot HaBracha, Luach Brachot) Sephardim (Birkat Hashem vol 3)
Air freshener (if taken to smell) No Bracha Mini
Black pepper Questionable Mini
Cinnamon Mini Mini
Cloves Mini Atzi
Daffodil Isbei Mini
Deodorant Dispute Mini
Etrog HaNoten Rayach Tov BeParot HaNoten Rayach Tov BeParot
Ground coffee beans Mini No Bracha
Hadas (myrtle) Atzi Atzi
Honeysuckle Atzi
Hyacinth Isbei
Jasmine Atzi
Lemon Mini Mini
Melon HaNoten Rayach Tov BeParot
Mint Isbei Isbei
Orange Mini
Quince HaNoten Rayach Tov BeParot
Rose Atzi Atzi
Rosemary Atzi
Tavak No Bracha No Bracha
Zatar Mini
 
 


==References==
==References==
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Revision as of 21:43, 8 January 2011

Havdalah

  1. The Ashkenaz minhag is to make Boreh Mini Besamim (בורא מיני בשמים) which is the general Bracha for nice smells at Havdalavah no matter what’s being used for besamim. However, according to Sephardim, one should make the appropriate Bracha for that besamim. [1]
  2. The rest of the week there’s no argument that there’s a distinction between the following categories:

Boreh Atzei Besamim

  1. For tree products the Bracha is Boreh Atzei Besamim. Halacha includes any plant (above ground) that has a hard stalk, has leaves, and lasts from year to year. [2]
  2. Examples of tree products that require Atzei Besamim: Rose, Rosemary, Jasmine, Hadas (myrtle; not on Sukkot), honeysuckle (yellow and white flowery vine) [3]

Boreh Isbei Besamim

  1. For shrub products the Bracha is Boreh Isbei Besamim. Halacha includes any plant that has a soft stalk or doesn’t last from year to year. [4]
  2. Examples of shrub products that require Boreh Isbei Besamim: mint, hyacinth, daffodil (certain types). [5]

HaNoten Rayach Tov BaPerot

  1. For edible fruits that give off a strong smell (from the fruit and not from the peel) the Bracha required is HaNoten Rayach Tov BaPerot. The major limitation of this category is that one should only make the Bracha for a strong smell and only if the fruit is taken to smell and not to eat. [6]
  2. Examples: Etrog (not on Sukkot), quince, apple, melon [7]

Boreh Mini Besamim

  1. The general Bracha for nice smells is Boreh Mini Besamim and is made for non-plant or fruit products, or for items for which there’s an unresolved dispute in the poskim. [8]
  2. Examples: cinnamon, cloves (common for havdalah), lemon, hot ground coffee beans (taken to smell), mixture of tree and shrub products. [9]
  3. For synthetic smells, as is common in cheap perfumes, some say that the Bracha is Boreh Mini Besamim and some say that there’s no Bracha on such a smell. Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag

After the fact

  1. There’s a dispute whether Bracha of Shehakol covers any Bracha for a nice smell and because of the dispute, after the fact, one may not make another Bracha. [10]
  2. The Bracha of Atzi doesn’t cover the products that require Isbei. [11]

If one’s in doubt

  1. If you have a plant which has a nice smell but you personally are in doubt as to whether the Bracha is Atzei or Isbei, if it’s easy to find out the correct Bracha, one should do so, otherwise, one may make Boreh Mini Besamim. (This is different than foods where there’s an obligation to figure out the appropriate halacha instead of making Shehakol.) [12]
  2. If one is unsure whether a product has a nice or strong smell, one may smell it to check, make the Bracha, and then make the Bracha. [13]

No Bracha

  1. Certain items have no Bracha including: tavak [14]
  2. No Bracha is made on a smell that was absorbed or rubbed off a nice smelling product, but now there’s no substance of the Basamim existent. Example: perfume bottle, etrog box, tea leaves. [15]
  3. No Bracha is made of a nice smelling product that was used to remove a bad smell. Example: air freshener in a bathroom. [16]

List of Brachot

Item Ashkenazim (Vezot HaBracha, Luach Brachot) Sephardim (Birkat Hashem vol 3) Air freshener (if taken to smell) No Bracha Mini Black pepper Questionable Mini Cinnamon Mini Mini Cloves Mini Atzi Daffodil Isbei Mini Deodorant Dispute Mini Etrog HaNoten Rayach Tov BeParot HaNoten Rayach Tov BeParot Ground coffee beans Mini No Bracha Hadas (myrtle) Atzi Atzi Honeysuckle Atzi Hyacinth Isbei Jasmine Atzi Lemon Mini Mini Melon HaNoten Rayach Tov BeParot Mint Isbei Isbei Orange Mini Quince HaNoten Rayach Tov BeParot Rose Atzi Atzi Rosemary Atzi Tavak No Bracha No Bracha Zatar Mini


References

  1. ↑ Mishna Brurah 297:1, Vezot HaBracha (pg 181, chapter 19)
  2. ↑ Vezot HaBracha (pg 174, chapter 19)
  3. ↑ Vezot HaBracha (pg 174, chapter 19)
  4. ↑ Vezot HaBracha (pg 174, chapter 19)
  5. ↑ Vezot HaBracha (pg 174, chapter 19)
  6. ↑ Vezot HaBracha (pg 175, chapter 19)
  7. ↑ Vezot HaBracha (pg 175, chapter 19)
  8. ↑ Vezot HaBracha (pg 175-7, chapter 19)
  9. ↑ Vezot HaBracha (pg 397, Luach Brachot)
  10. ↑ Vezot HaBracha (pg 176, chapter 19)
  11. ↑ Mishna Brurah 216:39, Vezot HaBracha (pg 176, chapter 19)
  12. ↑ Vezot HaBracha (pg 176, chapter 19)
  13. ↑ Vezot HaBracha (pg 180, chapter 19)
  14. ↑ Vezot HaBracha (pg 397, Luach Brachot)
  15. ↑ Vezot HaBracha (pg 180, chapter 19)
  16. ↑ Vezot HaBracha (pg 179, chapter 19)
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