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The Text Recited in the Conclusion of the "Beracha Me'en Shalosh"

After a person partakes of grain products, wine or one of the special fruits (grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates), he must recite the "Beracha Me'ein Shalosh." As the Ben Ish Hai (Rabbi Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) discusses in Parashat Masei (Halacha 1; listen to audio recording for precise citation), the text one should recite in the conclusion of this Beracha depends on the origin of the given food product. If the product was grown in the Land of Israel, then the following texts should be recited:

Grains: "Al Ha'aretz Ve'al Miheyatah Ve'al Kalkelatah"
Fruits: "Al Ha'aretz Ve'al Peroteha"
Wine: "Al Ha'aretz Ve'al Peri Gafnah"

It must be emphasized that the determining factor is where the product was grown, and not where the product is eaten. Thus, these texts must be recited even if a person in the United States partakes of foods that were imported from Israel.

If one partakes of foods that were grown outside Israel, then, according to the Ben Ish Hai, the following texts should be recited:

Grains: "Al Ha'aretz Ve'al Ha'miheya Ve'al Ha'kalkala"
Fruits: "Al Ha'aretz Ve'al Ha'perot"
Wine: "Al Ha'aretz Ve'al Peri Ha'gefen"

Once again, this Halacha refers to the origin of the food, and not where it is currently eaten. Hence, if a food was imported into Israel from abroad, one would recite these texts, since the food was grown outside Israel.

Hacham Ovadia Yosef, in his work Hazon Ovadia (Laws of Berachot, p. 192; listen to audio recording for precise citation), observes that nowadays the majority of grains used for food production in Israel are imported from abroad. As such, even if one eats grain foods produced in Israel, he should recite the text of "Al Ha'aretz Ve'al Ha'miheya," rather than "Ve'al Miheyatah." Since it can presumed that the grains were grown outside Israel, one should recite the text of "Ve'al Ha'miheya" unless he has ascertained that they were grown in Israel.

Several pages later (p. 198), Hacham Ovadia takes issue with the Ben Ish Hai's position regarding the conclusion of the Beracha Aharona over grains generally. Recall that according to the Ben Ish Hai, this Beracha concludes with the phrase "Al Ha'miheya Ve'al Ha'kalkala" if the grains had grown outside Israel, and "Al Miheyatah Ve'al Kalkalatah" if the grains had grown in Israel. Hacham Ovadia, however, notes that according to the majority of Rishonim (Medieval Halachic authorities), including the Rif, the Rambam, the Rosh, the Re'aveya, the Or Zarua, the Pardes, the Siddur Rashi, the Samag, and the Ra'a, the proper conclusion is "Al Ha'aretz Ve'al Ha'miheya," without the additional phrase "Ve'al Ha'kalkala." For grains grown in Israel, one concludes this Beracha with the phrase "Al Ha'aretz Ve'al Miheyatah," without the additional phrase "Ve'al Kalkalatah."

Summary: Halacha requires reciting the "Beracha Me'en Shalosh" after partaking of foods made from one of the five principal grains, wine, or one of the special fruits (grapes, olives, figs, pomegranates and dates). For foods that grew in the Land of Israel, one concludes this Beracha with the text "Al Ha'aretz Ve'al Miheyatah" (for grains), "Al Ha'aretz Ve'al Peri Gafnah" (for wine), or "Al Ha'aretz Ve'al Peroteha" (for fruits). For foods that grew outside Israel, one concludes with the text "Al Ha'aretz Ve'al Ha'miheya" (for grains), "Al Ha'aretz Ve'al Peri Ha'gefen" (for wine), or "Al Ha'aretz Ve'al Ha'perot" (for fruits). It should be noted that most grain foods produced in Israel today are made from imported grain, and thus unless one knows that the grain was grown in Israel, after eating Israel-made grain products he should recite the text of "Al Ha'aretz Ve'al Ha'miheya."

 


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