Order of Brachot: Difference between revisions

# If both breads are of the same grain, preference is given to the whole roll (as opposed to sliced, broken, or ripped). <Ref>Veten Bracha (Halachos of Brochos by Rabbi Bodner pg 172, chapter 11)</ref>

# If both breads are of the same grain and both are either whole or both are sliced, precedence is given to better quality bread. If all the above is the same, then the larger bread has precedence. Lastly, if all the above is the same, then the preferred bread has precedence. <Ref>Veten Bracha (Halachos of Brochos by Rabbi Bodner pg 172-3, chapter 11) </ref>

# The order of having the Shivat HaMinim is 1)Olives 2)Dates 3)Grapes 4) Figs 5)Pomegranates. When any of the five grains are cooked into mezonot dishes they take precendance over the Shivat HaMinim because the Bracha of Mezonot precedes HaEtz. Conversely, if the five grains are eaten raw, the Bracha is HaAdama and it the Shivat HaMinim being HaEtz take precedence to the HaAdama. <ref>S”A 211:4 says that the order of the SHivat haMinim is according to the proximity each food has to the word “Eretz” in the פסוק “ארץ חטה ושערה וגפן ותאנה ורמון ארץ זית שמן ודבש:” (Devarim 8:8). The order is judged by proximity (reading the פסוק in the forward direction) to either word Eretz, and the first Eretz has precedence. Seemingly then the order should be1)Wheat (first to the first Eretz) 2) Olives (first to the second Eretz) 3)Barley (second to the first Eretz) 4)Dates(second to second Eretz) 5)Grapes (third to first Eretz) 6)Figs (fourth to first Eretz) 7)Pomegranates (fifth to first Eretz). However, the Mishna Brurah 211:25 concludes that barley (when cooked into a dish) precedes olives since Mezonot always precedes HaEtz. Additionally, S”A 211:5 writes that wheat and barley only take precedence when they are cooked into a Mezonot dish, as opposed to when they are eaten raw and require HaAdama. Mishna Brurah 211:27 rules that if one does eat wheat or other grains raw, since they are HaAdama it comes after the other Shivat HaMinim which are HaEtz unless the raw grain is one’s personal preference (like any HaAdama and HaEtz). </ref>

# In the absence of when there’s no Shevat HaMinim or complete food, then the preferred food is used for the Bracha. This applies if it’s both the food that’s usually and presently preferred. However, if one food is usually more preferred and one that’s presently more preferred, one should make the Bracha on the one that’s regularly more preferred and then immediately have the one that’s presently preferred. <Ref> Mishna Brurah 211:10 </ref> If one usually likes both equally, then the one that’s preferred at the moment takes precedence. <Ref>Mishna Brurah 211:35, Veten Bracha (Halachos of Brochos by Rabbi Bodner pg 170-1, chapter 11)