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Today's Halacha:
There is a well-known Halacha that one who eats a food that grew from a tree must first recite the Beracha of “Boreh Peri Ha’etz.” However, there is a debate among the Rishonim (Medieval Halachic scholars) regarding the precise definition of a “tree” with respect to this Halacha. The Mordechi (Rav Mordechai Ben Hillel Ashkenazi, Germany, 13th century) maintained that in order to qualify as a “tree,” the trunk must remain intact all year round. An apple tree, for example, remains standing throughout the year, even though it produces fruit only in certain seasons, and thus it meets the Halachic definition of a “tree,” such that we recite “Ha’etz” over apples. The Rosh (Rabbenu Asher Ben Yehiel, Germany-Spain, c. 1250-1327) famously disagreed with this position, and ruled that a tree meets the Halachic definition even if only its roots remain intact from year to year. Even if the entire trunk collapses and then grows anew each year, it is nevertheless considered a “tree” and one would recite the Beracha of “Ha’etz” over its fruit, as long as the same roots produce the new trunk each year.
The practical difference between these two views is a banana tree, which collapses and grows anew each year. The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 203:3) rules that one recites the Beracha of “Boreh Peri Ha’adama” over the “Muzish,” the Arabic word for “banana.” (Interestingly enough, Rav Moshe Feinstein wrote that he did not know which fruit Maran refers to with this term, but we know from the Arabic that it means “banana.”) Maran follows the view of the Mordechi, that the definition of a “tree” requires that the trunk remains intact all year long. Therefore, in his view, the banana tree does not qualify as a “tree” with respect to Berachot, and the Beracha is “Boreh Peri Ha’adama,” rather than “Boreh Peri Ha’etz.” As we know, this is the accepted practice. According to the Rosh, however, the Beracha over a banana would be “Boreh Peri Ha’etz,” since in his view, the banana tree meets the Halachic definition of “tree.”
Although Halacha does not follow the view of the Rosh, if a person mistakenly recited the Beracha of “Ha’etz” over a banana, and then realized his mistake, he does not then recite “Ha’adama.” He should eat the banana without reciting a new Beracha, since the Beracha he recited was valid according to the view of the Rosh.
Hacham Ovadia Yosef, in his work Yabia Omer (vol. 8), notes an additional practical application of the Rosh’s ruling. Normally, when a person eats a fruit requiring “Ha’etz” as well as a food requiring “Ha’adama,” he first recites the Beracha over the “Ha’etz” food. Hacham Ovadia ruled that this is not the case regarding one who eats an apple (or another ‘Ha’etz” food) and a banana. In such a situation, he writes, one should first recite “Ha’adama” and partake of the banana before reciting “Ha’etz” over the apple. If one would first recite “Ha’etz” and partake of the apple, he would be placed in a situation of Halachic doubt concerning the banana. According to one view among the Rishonom, as we saw, the recitation of “Ha’etz” covered the banana, such that he would not have to recite a Beracha over the banana. According to the other view, he must recite “Ha’adama” before eating the banana. Although Halacha accepts the latter view, one should nevertheless avoid this question by partaking of the banana before partaking of the apple.
This Halacha underscores the importance of detailed study of Berachot. Even if a person knows which Beracha is recited on every food, he may still end up reciting an incorrect Beracha if he does not study the details of when and in which sequence Berachot must be recited. In addition to learning which Beracha is recited over which food, we must also study the many detailed guidelines governing the recitation of Berachot to ensure that we recite Berachot properly.
Summary: Although Halacha requires reciting the Beracha of “Ha’adama” over a banana, one who mistakenly recited “Ha’etz” has nevertheless fulfilled his obligation and should eat the banana without reciting “Ha’adama.” One who eats an apple (or another “Ha’etz” food) and a banana should first recite “Ha’adama” and partake of the banana, before reciting “Ha’etz” and partaking of the apple.
