Which Beracha should a person recite if he drinks olive oil? Although olive oil is generally not drunk straight, and is rather used for seasoning or mixed with other ingredients, some people drink olive oil for medicinal purposes, such as to soothe a sore throat. Which Beracha would a person recite in this case?
The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 202:4) rules that since drinking olive oil straight is "Mazik" – harmful for a person – one who drinks it should not recite a Beracha at all. According to Halacha, foods or drinks that are generally detrimental to one's health, and also provide no enjoyment, do not warrant the recitation of a Beracha. The Shulhan Aruch thus writes – based on the ruling of the Rif (Rabbi Yishak of Fez, Morocco, 1013-1103) and the Rosh (Rabbenu Asher Ben Yehiel, Germany-Spain, 1250-1327) – that one does not recite a Beracha before drinking olive oil. This is in contrast to the view of the Rambam (Rabbi Moshe Maimonides, Spain-Egypt, 1135-1204), who held that before drinking olive oil one should recite the Beracha of "She'hakol."
Surprisingly, the Ben Ish Hai (Rabbi Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) held a third opinion, namely, that before drinking olive oil one should recite the Beracha of "Bore Peri Ha'etz." Some explained his position based on a comment of Rabbi Refael Baruch Toledano (Morocco, 1890-1970) in his Kisur Shulhan Aruch, that nowadays olive oil does not yield any detrimental health effects. Either due to the difference in the oil's processing or because of the physical makeup of people nowadays, drinking olive oil does not have the same effect as it had during the time of the Shulhan Aruch. For this reason, it would seem, the Ben Ish Hai reached the conclusion that one who drinks olive oil should recite the Beracha of "Bore Peri Ha'etz."
As for the final Halacha, Hacham Ovadia Yosef, in his work Yabia Omer (vol. 6, 48:6), applies here the famous rule of "Safek Berachot Le'hakel," that one should never recite a Beracha if some uncertainty exists as to whether it is required. Thus, one who drinks olive oil should not recite any Beracha, in accordance with the ruling of the Shulhan Aruch. This is also the ruling of Rabbi Moshe Halevi (Israel, 1961-2001), in his work Birkat Hashem (vol. 3, chapter 7).
Should a person recite a Beracha if he drinks olive oil mixed with another beverage? For example, the Talmud speaks of people who would drink olive oil mixed with beet juice. Would one recite a Beracha in such a case, and, if so, which Beracha should he recite?
Rabbi Moshe Halevi (ibid.) rules that the Halacha in such a case depends on whether the person drinks the mixture for the medicinal effects of the olive oil, or for enjoyment. If he drinks for medicinal purposes, then the olive oil constitutes the primary ingredient even if comprises a smaller proportion of the mixture than the other liquids. Hence, in such a case one would recite "Bore Peri Ha'etz," and, if he drinks an amount of a Revi'it, he recites after drinking the Beracha Aharona of "Al Ha'etz Ve'al Peri Ha'etz." (This is also the ruling of the Mishna Berura, 202:31.) If, however, one drinks the mixture for enjoyment, then the Beracha is determined based upon the majority ingredient in the mixture. If the olive oil constitutes the majority, then in this case, too, one recites "Bore Peri Ha'etz"; otherwise, such as if beet juice comprised the majority, then one would recite "She'hakol."
Summary: One who drinks olive oil straight does not recite any Beracha before drinking. If he mixes olive oil with another liquid and drinks the mixture for medicinal purposes, then he recites "Bore Peri Ha'etz" before drinking and "Al Ha'etz Ve'al Peri Ha'etz" after drinking. If he drinks the mixture for enjoyment, then the Beracha is determined based upon the majority ingredient in the mixture.
