Order of Brachot

From Halachipedia

Order of Brachot

Foods of different Brachot

  1. If you have two foods of different Brachot, the order of the Brachot is as follows: HaMotzei, Mezonot (5 grains and then rice), HaGefen, HaEtz, HaAdama, and then Shehakol. (There’s an acronym to remember this is Maga Esh). [1]
  2. This order doesn’t change even if one of the foods is from the Shevat HaMinim and even if one of the foods is preferred (desired). [2]

HaEtz and HaAdama

  1. However, deciding between a HaEtz food and a HaAdama food, usually we say that HaEtz goes first, yet, if the HaAdama is usually more preferred and presently preferred, it takes precedence. Similarly, if the HaAdama food is from the Shevat HaMinim (raw wheat, granola) it goes before the HaEtz unless the HaAdama is preferred both regularly and presently. [3]
  2. When any of the five grains are cooked into mezonot dishes they take precedence 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. [4]

After the fact

  1. If one made the Brachot in the wrong order, after the fact, both Brachot are valid. [5]

Foods of the same Brachot

  1. If two foods have the same Bracha, then one should make the Bracha on the food that is: Shevat HaMinim, if neither are Shevat HaMinim, then one should make the Bracha on the food that’s complete, if neither are complete, then one should make the Bracha on the preferred food. [6]

=Types of bread

  1. If there’s two types of bread (which are both Hamotzei) the order of precedence depends on the grain with which it was made: 1)wheat 2)barley 3)spelt 4)rye and oats. [7]
  2. If both breads are of the same grain, preference is given to the whole roll (as opposed to sliced, broken, or ripped). [8]
  3. 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. [9]

Shivat HaMinim

  1. 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. [10]
  2. 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. [11] If one usually likes both equally, then the one that’s preferred at the moment takes precedence. [12]

After the fact

  1. If one had two foods with the same Bracha, and one didn’t give priority to the ‘halachically preferred’ food, after the fact, no new Bracha is needed if one later eats the ‘halachically preferred’ food as long as one had that food in mind at the time of the Bracha. If one didn’t have the ‘halachically preferred’ food in mind while making the Bracha and one already finished eating the first food, another Bracha is required on the ‘halachically preferred’ food. [13]
  2. Even though the halacha is that Shivat HaMinim is considered ‘halachically preferred’ over a food that’s desired, if one had the food that one desires, since some opinions hold that the food that’s desired is considered ‘halachically preferred’ no new Bracha is needed. [14]
    1. For example, if one had apples and grapes on the table and really one should have made the Bracha on the grapes first, however, if one made the Bracha on the HaEtz first, then another Bracha will be needed for the grapes only under three conditions
      1. one finished eating the apples
      2. the apples weren’t your preference and
      3. one didn’t have explicit intent for the Bracha to cover the grapes. [15]

Exceptions to the rule

  1. When there’s a dispute about the Bracha of a food, one should make the Bracha on that one first in order that one doesn’t fulfill their obligation with another food. For example, one should make the Shehakol on orange juice before HaEtz on an orange, since once an HaEtz was made on the orange, some say that the juice was covered, and one wouldn’t be able to make another Bracha. Additionally, one should make Shehakol on chocolate before making HaEtz on a fruit. [16]
  2. There’s only an issue of putting the more important food earlier if one wants to eat both foods. [17]

Bracha Achrona

  1. The order of different Brachot Achrona’s is Al HaMichya and then Boreh Nefashot. [18]

Reference

  1. Rama 211:4,5 writes that HaMotzei precedes Mezonot which in turn precedes HaGefen. S”A 211:3 writes that HaEtz or HaAdama take precedence over Shehakol, and quotes an opinion that HaEtz precedes HaAdama, which the Mishna Brurah 211:18 in the name of the Achronim accept as halacha. Mishna Brurah 211:35 summaries it as says that the order is HaMotzei, Mezonot, HaEtz, HaAdama, and Shehakol. This is also codified in Vezot HaBracha (pg 124-5, chapter 13).
  2. Mishna Brurah 211:35
  3. Mishna Brurah 211:18. If the HaAdama is preferred over the HaEtz, the Rosh and Ravyah say that either can go first, while the Rav Hai Goan holds that the preferred food should go first. S”A 211:1 holds like the first opinion. However, Buir Halacha 211:1 D”H VeYesh points out that seemingly in the rishonim many hold like the second opinion including Rav Hai Goen, Rabbenu Chananel, Rif, Tosfot, Rabbenu Yonah, and Rashba as opposed to the first opinion which is only the Rosh and Ravyah. Mishna Brurah 211:9 concludes that even though S”A holds like the Rosh one should still be stringent for the Rav Hai Goan and have the preferred food first since it’s a possible option. Buir Halacha (211:1 D”H VeYesh at the end) concludes that if the HaEtz is presently or usually preferred, HaEtz still takes precedence and only when the HaAdama is both presently and usually preferred it takes precedence. So rules Vezot HaBracha (pg 125).
  4. 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. [So rules Halachos of Brochos (VeTen Bracha by Rabi Bodner pg 168).] 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).
  5. VeTen Bracha (Halachos of Brochos by Rabbi Bodner, chapter 11, pg 182)
  6. S”A 211:1 brings two opinions; the first opinion (Behag) is that when there’s two foods which have the same Bracha, if one is the Shivat HaMinim, one should make the Bracha on the Shivat HaMinim. However, the second opinion (Rambam) holds that we go by whichever food is more preferred. Mishna Brurah 211:13 writes that it’s implied from S”A that halacha accords with the first opinion which was brought as an anonymous opinion as opposed to the second which was brought as a minority opinion. S”A 168:1 writes that a food bring whole is more significant to being preferable. Veten Bracha (Halachos of Brochos by Rabbi Bodner pg 167-170, chapter 11) brings these three (Shivat Haminim, complete, and preferred) criteria in this order.
  7. Veten Bracha (Halachos of Brochos by Rabbi Bodner pg 172, chapter 11)
  8. Veten Bracha (Halachos of Brochos by Rabbi Bodner pg 172, chapter 11)
  9. Veten Bracha (Halachos of Brochos by Rabbi Bodner pg 172-3, chapter 11)
  10. 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).
  11. Mishna Brurah 211:10
  12. Mishna Brurah 211:35, Veten Bracha (Halachos of Brochos by Rabbi Bodner pg 170-1, chapter 11)
  13. Rama 211:5. Mishna Brurah 211:32 emphasizes that one needs explicit intent to cover the other food as opposed to when you made the Bracha on the correct food. Mishna Brurah 211:32 mentions that according to some achronim if one was still eating the ‘non-halachically preferred’ food, no new Bracha is needed for the ‘halachically preferred’ food.
  14. Mishna Brurah 211:33 adds that no new Bracha will be needed if the food one had first was one’s personal preference even if the ‘halachically preferred’ food is one of the Shivat HaMinim.
  15. Veten Bracha (Halachos of Brochos by Rabbi Bodner, chapter 11, pg 182), based on Mishna Brurah 211:32, 33
  16. Vezot HaBracha (pg 127)
  17. Rama 168:1, Veten Bracha (Halachos of Brochos by Rabbi Bodner pg 180, chapter 11)
  18. Veten Bracha (Halachos of Brochos by Rabbi Bodner pg 179, chapter 11)