Brachot On Foods That Start With The Letter B: Difference between revisions

| Bagel || [[HaMotzei]]  || Birkat Ha'mazon<ref>Bet Yosef 168:14 learns from the Gemara Yevamot 40a that dough which was first boiled in water and then baked in the oven is [[HaMotzei]]. He codifies it in Shulchan Aruch 168:14. Laws of [[Brachos]] (Rabbi Forst, pg 260) writes that bagels are made in this way of boiling dough and then baking it in an oven and so it should be [[HaMotzei]]. Halachos of [[Brachos]] (Rabbi Bodner, chap 26, pg 467) agrees. See also Pri Megadim (E"A 168:39), Kaf HaChaim 168:119, and Chazon Ish OC 26:9 who write that bagels are [[HaMotzei]] based on the above Shulchan Aruch 168:14. </ref>

| Banana || HaAdama  || Borei Nefashos<ref>Gemara [[Brachot]] 40a-b defines a tree in Halacha as a plant which is capable of giving fruit more than once (after picking the fruit, the tree doesn't die). Tosfot ([[Brachot]] 40a s.v.  Itah) understands that as the plant can produce fruit for more than one year even if the branches and trunk of the plant wither in the winter if it comes back because of the roots it's still HaEtz. However, the Rosh ([[Brachot]] 6:23) argues that only if the trunk stays intact during the winter in order to produce fruit another year does the fruit require HaEtz. Shulchan Aruch 203:2 rules like the Rosh that any plant of which the trunk withers during the winter and doesn't produce fruit the next year the bracha is HaAdama. Additionally, Shulchan Aruch 203:3 rules that bananas which fit into this halachic category is HaAdama. The Laws of [[Brachos]] (Rabbi Forst, pg 383) and Halachos of [[Brachos]] (Rabbi Bodner, chap 22, pg 393) concur that the bracha is HaAdama.</ref>

|  If one’s primary intent is for the barley (and soup) || [[Mezonot]] || Al Hamichya<ref>The Chaye Adam 54:16 writes that the discussion of the Magan Avraham whether or not to make [[Mezonot]] or [[Shehakol]] on the liquid in barley soup that is only where one only drank the water and not the barley but if one ate the barley certainly one makes [[Mezonot]] on the barley and that covers the water. The Mishna Brurah 205:11 and Kaf HaChaim 205:11 agree. Therefore, Halachos of [[Brachos]] (Rabbi Bodner, chap 23, pg 436) writes that on barley vegetable soup one should make [[Mezonot]] even if there are more vegetables than barley. Similarly, Laws of [[Brachos]] (chap 7, pg 220) writes that if one’s primary intent is for the barley one should make [[Mezonot]]. </ref>

|      On barley || [[Mezonot]] || Al Hamichya<ref>* The Magan Avraham 205:6 concludes that if one only added a little barley and the water is almost clear then certainly the water isn’t [[mezonot]] and so one should make [[Shehakol]] on the water and [[Mezonot]] on the barley. The Netiv Chaim and Yad Efrayim (on the Magan Avraham 205:6) edit the text of the Magan Avraham and write that one should make [[Mezonot]] on the barley and then [[Shehakol]] on the water because [[Mezonot]] always precedes [[Shehakol]]. However, the Chaye Adam 54:16 copies the language of the Magan Avraham and in Nishmat Avraham (at the end of Siman 54) he explains that perhaps it’s based on a doubt that perhaps the [[Mezonot]] on the barley would cover the water and so one should switch the usual order. Nonetheless, the Chaye Adam concludes that it’s preferable to make [[Mezonot]] on the barley and then [[Shehakol]] on something else (in order to maintain the correct order and avoid all doubt). The Mishna Brurah 205:11 quotes the Chaye Adam that one should make [[Mezonot]] on the barley and then [[Shehakol]] on the soup, but it’s preferable to make [[Shehakol]] on something else. [Mishna Brurah in 208:23 writes the same halacha.] Laws of [[Brachos]] (Rabbi Forst, pg 220, and 385, note 4) agrees with the Mishna Brurah.<br>* However, Sh”t Igrot Moshe 1:69 agrees with the Netiv Chaim and Yad Efraim that one should make [[Mezonot]] first and then [[Shehakol]] on the soup but it’s preferable to make [[Shehakol]] on something else like the Chaye Adam. Halachos of [[Brachos]] (Rabbi Bodner, chap 23, pg 436, note k) writes like the Chaye Adam that one should make [[Mezonot]] on the barley and then [[Shehakol]] on another item. </ref>

* The Magan Avraham 205:6 says that according to the Rambam since [[mezonot]] grain (for example pearl barley) isn’t usually cooked in water in order to drink the water the Bracha on the water would be [[Shehakol]], however, according to the Rosh since one’s primary intent is to cook the barley, the Bracha on the water would be [[Mezonot]]. The Chaye Adam 54:16 writes that because of this dispute one should make [[Mezonot]] on the barley and [[Shehakol]] on another food and eat enough of the barley and enough of the other food in order that one could make Al Hamichya and Borei Nefashot. The Mishna Brurah 205:11 concurs. However, the Kaf HaChaim 205:11 writes that because of the dispute one should simply make [[Shehakol]]. </ref>

| Boston Cream Pie || [[Mezonot]]  || Al Hamichya<ref>If one has the filling as an enhancer of the cake then the bracha is [[Mezonot]], however, if the filling is considered a thick layer for which one has intent to eat (not merely as an enhancer), then make two [[brachot]], [[mezonot]] on the cake, and [[Shehakol]] on the filling. (This is based on the last paragraph). <br>* S”A 168:8 and 212:2 rules that if one eats jam/marmalade on a cracker one should only make a Bracha on the marmalade and it exempts the cracker. Magan Avraham 212:5 writes that one honey crackers are primary and one only makes a Bracha on that and it covers the marmalade. <br>* Mishna Brurah 168:45 rules like the Magan Avraham but adds that it’s only one Bracha when it is baked together, however, if they’re baked separately it would require two [[Brachot]], one for the cracker, one for the marmalade because one is not eaten as an enhancer of the other but rather one is eating it for both of the cracker and the jam. However, Mishna Brurah 212:6 rules that if one eats cheese on a cracker one only makes a Bracha on the cracker even if one likes the cheese because one is eating the cheese as a spread. <br>**[It’s clear that the Mishna Brurah 212:6 is discussing where one didn’t bake it together, because if so, the Shaar HaTziyun 212:21 should have answered that the difference in cases between in 212:5 and 212:6 was that in 212:5 it wasn’t baked together and in 212:6 it was.] Similarly, Sh”t Shevet HaLevi 7:27(6) explains that Mishna Brurah 168:45 only meant to make two [[Brachot]] when there’s a thick layer of jam but if there’s a thin layer one should only make one Bracha. <br>* To clarify this distinction: Vezot HaBracha (chap 11, pg 99) rules that if there’s a cake with a thick layer of whipped cream, cheese, or ice cream and the two were not baked together one should make two [[Brachot]] (similar to the case of Mishna Brurah 168:45). However, if one eats the cream or topping of fruit, chocolate, or nuts in order to enhance the cake one should only make a Bracha on the cake. [See Vezot HaBracha (Birur 42) where he explains the distinction at length.]<br>* Boston crème pie is a cake and not a pie (like the name implies). It is made with two layers of sponge cake and is filled with a thick layer of custard or cream. Laws of [[Brachos]] (Rabbi Forst, pg 360, pg 385, note 9) explains that one should make two [[Brachot]] on Boston crème pie because the filling is not merely an enhancer of the cake (and is similar to Mishna Brurah 168:45). However, Halachos of [[Brachos]] Handbook (Rabbi Bodner, pg 15) explains that Boston crème pie is simply a cake and the filling only enhances the cake and so the Bracha should be [[Mezonot]] (similar to Mishna Brurah 212:6). [http://www.ou.org/publications/brachot/default.htm OU] also writes [[Mezonot]].</ref>

|  Sephardim || [[Shehakol]] || Borei Nefashos<ref>Yalkut Yosef (vol 3, pg 426) </ref>

| Brussels Sprouts || HaAdama  || Borei Nefashos<ref>Laws of [[Brachos]] (Rabbi Forst, pg 359-384), Halachos of [[Brachos]] (pg 396), [http://www.ou.org/publications/brachot/default.htm OU Guide to Brachos] </ref>