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Ikar and Tafel: Difference between revisions

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* See Magen Avraham (212:4) who disagrees with the Rama and holds that the bracha of the ikar food should be recited on the tafel.  
* See Magen Avraham (212:4) who disagrees with the Rama and holds that the bracha of the ikar food should be recited on the tafel.  
* Mishna Brurah 212:10 and Beiur Halacha s.v. VeAyno quotes many achronim who disagree with the Rama. Mishna Brurah concludes that one should avoid this situation by eating the primary food first. </ref>
* Mishna Brurah 212:10 and Beiur Halacha s.v. VeAyno quotes many achronim who disagree with the Rama. Mishna Brurah concludes that one should avoid this situation by eating the primary food first. </ref>
 
# In general, objective significance is eclipsed by subjective purpose. Therefore, eating cake to temper the bitterness of a shot of whiskey demotes the cake to a status of tafel, notwithstanding the objective significance of flour. <ref>M.B 212:5. The Mishnah in Brachos 44a rules that the bracha recited on an ikar excuses the need for an additional bracha on the tafel if the consumer had both in mind when reciting a bracha on the ikar. Thus, when bread is secondary to a salty dish, one recites a bracha only on the salty dish (Tosfos Brachos 44a s.v. be’Ochlei peiros and S”A 212:1). However, it is important to note that the Mishnah Brurah (212:5 s.v “ve’achar”) paskins that a bracha on the bread would be in order if one had an appetite for it as well. Furthermore, based on a Shlah, the Mishnah Brurah advises to avoid such a situation of using bread to temper the effects of the whiskey, as it is difficult to ascertain definitively that one has no appetite for the bread itself.
In a slightly similar vein, R. Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe 4:43) paskins that for strudel (fruit-filled pastry), one who would enjoy the pastry alone can make a Mezonos on the pastry followed by a Ha’eitz on the fruit. Similarly, for ice-cream wafers, if one would enjoy the wafer alone, one can make a Mezonos followed by a Shehakol. R. Moshe explains that many people enjoy the Mezonos part alone, thereby warranting a separate bracha for those who desire the Mezonos part. Similarly, for cereal and milk, a bracha is also recited upon the milk if one would enjoy it independently of the cereal and drink it separately. Comparably, R. Moshe paskins that chicken soup with k’neidel warrants only a Mezonos unless the chicken soup will be eaten separately from the k’neidel.  </ref>
==Foods Made With One of the Five Grains==
# Foods made with the five grains are Mezonot since the five grains are objectively more significant than other foods. <ref>Brachos 36b states that anything containing any of the five grains deserves a Mezonos. S"A 208:2 codifies this gemara. Rambam (Hilchos Brachos 3:4-7) understands this principle to be a function of ikar ve’tafel. Accordingly, Tosfos (Brachos 36b s.v. kol she’yaish) write that the flour in a mixture warrants a Mezonos only when the flour serves to satiate, and not merely to hold the components together. While Tosfos do not mention explicitly that this principle is a function of ikar ve’tafel, the Rosh (Brachos 6:7) does, explaining that flour serving as a binder is not considered ikar. However, the Ritva (Brachos 47a s.v. ha’koseis) learns that the five grains are an exception to the typical rules of ikar ve’tafel, warranting a Mezonos even when not assuming the role of ikar in a food.  </ref>
==Secondary ingredient serves the primary ingredient==
==Secondary ingredient serves the primary ingredient==
===Definition===
===Definition===
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==Secondary ingredient enhances the primary ingredient==
==Secondary ingredient enhances the primary ingredient==
===Definition===
===Definition===
#  The second category is if the Tofel is eaten to add taste, yet, one is eating the mixture primarily to eat one of the two foods and that’s called the Ikar. <Ref> Mishna Brurah 212:6, Vezot HaBracha (pg 89, chapter 11) </ref> The primary food and the enhancer is determined according to each individual’s preference. <Ref> VeTen Bracha (Halachos of Brochos by Rabbi Bodner, chapter 4, pg 59) </ref>
#  The second category is if the Tofel is eaten to add taste, yet, one is eating the mixture primarily to eat one of the two foods and that’s called the Ikar. <Ref> Mishna Brurah 212:6, Vezot HaBracha (pg 89, chapter 11) </ref> The primary food and the enhancer is determined according to each individual’s preference. <Ref> VeTen Bracha (Halachos of Brochos by Rabbi Bodner, chapter 4, pg 59). See Rashi (Brachos 41a s.v. She’hayah Tz’non ikar) with regards to an olive eaten to temper the sharpness of a radish. See also Rashi (Brachos 41b s.v. Devarim ha’Ba’im) with regards to foods eaten in a meal to enhance bread. </ref>
===Rules===
===Rules===
# The Ikar only covers the Tofel if the two are eaten together (in one spoonful, forkful, or handful). <Ref> Shaar HaTziyun 212:21, Vezot HaBracha (pg 89, chapter 11) </ref>  
# The Ikar only covers the Tofel if the two are eaten together (in one spoonful, forkful, or handful). <Ref> Shaar HaTziyun 212:21, Vezot HaBracha (pg 89, chapter 11) </ref>