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Brachot on a Nice Smell: Difference between revisions

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Just like it is forbidden to benefit from a food without making a Bracha Rishona, it is also forbidden to benefit from a nice smell before making a bracha.<ref>Kitzur S"A 58:1</ref>
Just like it is forbidden to benefit from a food without making a Bracha Rishona, it is also forbidden to benefit from a nice smell before making a bracha.<ref>Kitzur S"A 58:1</ref>
==Havdalah==
==Havdalah==
# 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>
# The Ashkenaz minhag is to make Boreh Minei 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>
# During the rest of the week, there’s no argument that there’s a distinction between the following categories:
# During the rest of the week, there’s no argument that there’s a distinction between the following categories:
==Boreh Atzei Besamim==
==Boreh Atzei Besamim==
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# 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>
# 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>
# Examples: Etrog (not on [[Sukkot]]), quince, apple, melon <Ref>Vezot HaBracha (pg 175, chapter 19) </ref>
==Boreh Mini Besamim==
==Boreh Minei 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>
# The general Bracha for nice smells is Boreh Minei 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>
# 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> 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>
# For synthetic smells, as is common in cheap perfumes, some say that the Bracha is Boreh Minei Besamim and some say that there’s no Bracha on such a smell. <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==
==After the fact==
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# The Bracha of Atzi doesn’t cover the products that require Isbei and the Bracha of Isbei doesn't cover products that require Atzi. <Ref>Kitzur S"A 58:7, Mishna Brurah 216:39, Vezot HaBracha (pg 176, chapter 19) </ref>
# The Bracha of Atzi doesn’t cover the products that require Isbei and the Bracha of Isbei doesn't cover products that require Atzi. <Ref>Kitzur S"A 58:7, Mishna Brurah 216:39, Vezot HaBracha (pg 176, chapter 19) </ref>
==If one’s in doubt==
==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>Kitzur S"A 58:7, Vezot HaBracha (pg 176, chapter 19) </ref>
# 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 Minei Besamim. (This is different than foods where there’s an obligation to figure out the appropriate halacha instead of making Shehakol.) <ref>Kitzur S"A 58:7, 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), [https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehalacha.com%2Fattach%2FVolume4%2FIssue11.pdf Halachically Speaking] quoting Ben Ish Chai (VeEtchanan#2). </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), [https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehalacha.com%2Fattach%2FVolume4%2FIssue11.pdf Halachically Speaking] quoting Ben Ish Chai (VeEtchanan#2). </ref>
==No Bracha==
==No Bracha==
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==List of Brachot==
==List of Brachot==
<table width="700" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" bordercolor="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><tr> <td><span class="style5"> Item </span></td> <td><span class="style5"> Ashkenazim (Vezot HaBracha, Luach Brachot) </span></td> <td><span class="style5"> Sephardim (Birkat Hashem vol 3) </span></td>
<table width="700" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" bordercolor="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><tr> <td><span class="style5"> Item </span></td> <td><span class="style5"> Ashkenazim (Vezot HaBracha, Luach Brachot) </span></td> <td><span class="style5"> Sephardim (Birkat Hashem vol 3) </span></td>
  </tr><tr> <td> Air freshener (if taken to smell) </td> <td> No Bracha </td> <td> Mini Besamim </td></tr><tr>  
  </tr><tr> <td> Air freshener (if taken to smell) </td> <td> No Bracha </td> <td> Minei Besamim </td></tr><tr>  
  </tr><tr> <td> Black pepper                   </td> <td> Questionable <ref> The Mishna Brurah 297:1 rules that since there is a dispute among the poskim (whether one should make any bracha on it) one shouldn't make a bracha on it. The Vezot HaBracha (pg 179) agrees and adds that due to this dispute one should refrain from smelling it. </ref></td> <td> Mini Besamim <ref> Kaf HaChaim 297:5, Rav Moshe HaLevi (Menuchat Ahava (vol 1 9:24) and Birkat Hashem (vol 3, 12:17), Ish Matzliach (commentary on Mishna Brurah 297:1) </ref></td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Black pepper                   </td> <td> Questionable <ref> The Mishna Brurah 297:1 rules that since there is a dispute among the poskim (whether one should make any bracha on it) one shouldn't make a bracha on it. The Vezot HaBracha (pg 179) agrees and adds that due to this dispute one should refrain from smelling it. </ref></td> <td> Minei Besamim <ref> Kaf HaChaim 297:5, Rav Moshe HaLevi (Menuchat Ahava (vol 1 9:24) and Birkat Hashem (vol 3, 12:17), Ish Matzliach (commentary on Mishna Brurah 297:1) </ref></td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Cinnamon                          </td> <td> Mini Besamim    </td> <td> Mini Besamim </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Cinnamon                          </td> <td> Minei Besamim    </td> <td> Minei Besamim </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Cloves         </td>    <td> Mini Besamim    </td> <td> Atzei Besamim </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Cloves         </td>    <td> Minei Besamim    </td> <td> Atzei Besamim </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Daffodil </td> <td> Isbei Besamim         </td> <td> Mini Besamim </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Daffodil </td> <td> Isbei Besamim         </td> <td> Minei Besamim </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Deodorant </td> <td> Dispute </td> <td> Mini Besamim </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Deodorant </td> <td> Dispute </td> <td> Minei Besamim </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Etrog </td> <td> HaNoten Rayach Tov BeParot </td> <td> HaNoten Rayach Tov BeParot </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Etrog </td> <td> HaNoten Rayach Tov BeParot </td> <td> HaNoten Rayach Tov BeParot </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Ground coffee beans </td> <td> Mini Besamim </td> <td> No Bracha </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Ground coffee beans </td> <td> Minei Besamim </td> <td> No Bracha </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Hadas (myrtle) </td> <td> Atzei Besamim </td> <td> Atzei Besamim </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Hadas (myrtle) </td> <td> Atzei Besamim </td> <td> Atzei Besamim </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Honeysuckle </td> <td> Atzei Besamim </td> <td> - </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Honeysuckle </td> <td> Atzei Besamim </td> <td> - </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Hyacinth </td> <td> Isbei Besamim </td> <td> - </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Hyacinth </td> <td> Isbei Besamim </td> <td> - </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Jasmine </td> <td> Atzei Besamim </td> <td> - </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Jasmine </td> <td> Atzei Besamim </td> <td> - </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Lemon </td> <td> Mini Besamim </td> <td> Mini Besamim </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Lemon </td> <td> Minei Besamim </td> <td> Minei Besamim </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Melon </td> <td> HaNoten Rayach Tov BeParot </td> <td> - </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Melon </td> <td> HaNoten Rayach Tov BeParot </td> <td> - </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Mint </td> <td> Isbei Besamim </td> <td> Isbei Besamim </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Mint </td> <td> Isbei Besamim </td> <td> Isbei Besamim </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Orange </td> <td> - </td> <td> Mini Besamim </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Orange </td> <td> - </td> <td> Minei Besamim </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Quince </td> <td> HaNoten Rayach Tov BeParot </td> <td> - </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Quince </td> <td> HaNoten Rayach Tov BeParot </td> <td> - </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Rose </td> <td> Atzei Besamim </td> <td> Atzei Besamim </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Rose </td> <td> Atzei Besamim </td> <td> Atzei Besamim </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Rosemary </td> <td> Atzei Besamim </td> <td> - </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Rosemary </td> <td> Atzei Besamim </td> <td> - </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Tavak </td> <td> No Bracha </td> <td> No Bracha </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Tavak </td> <td> No Bracha </td> <td> No Bracha </td></tr><tr>
  </tr><tr> <td> Zatar </td> <td> - </td> <td> Mini Besamim </td></tr><tr> </table>
  </tr><tr> <td> Zatar </td> <td> - </td> <td> Minei Besamim </td></tr><tr> </table>


==Sources==
==Sources==
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