DailyHalacha.com for Mobile Devices Now Available

Click Here to Sponsor Daily Halacha
"Delivered to Over 6000 Registered Recipients Each Day"

      
(File size: 1.13 MB)
The Beracha When Eating Spices; The Beracha Over Chocolate

The Yalkut Yosef discusses the case of one who eats spices that are normally used only as condiments or for seasoning, such as mustard. If a person eats mustard on its own, he recites the Beracha of "She’hakol." Even though mustard is made from a seed that grows from the ground, and according to the Shulhan Aruch a food that is mashed retains its original Beracha, nevertheless, one does not recite "Ha’adama" over mustard. Since the food is normally used only for seasoning, its status vis-ŕ-vis Berchot is "downgraded" to a "She’hakol." This would also apply to someone who eats ground cinnamon; he recites "She’hakol" instead of "Ha’adama." Likewise, if one eats plain nutmeg, which comes from a tree, he recites "She’hakol" instead of "Ha’etz."

The Yalkut Yosef extends this rule to leaves that are used for seasoning, such as parsley leaves, cilantro leaves, and mint leaves. One who eats these leaves recites "She’hakol," even though they come from plants that grow from the ground. This applies even to celery leaves. Even though one recites "Ha’adama" over stalks of celery, one who eats the leaves – which are commonly used only for seasoning – recites "She’hakol."

Despite the fact that chocolate is produced from the cocoa bean, which grows on trees, it is customary to recite "She’hakol" over chocolate. Nevertheless, if one mistakenly recited "Ha’etz" over chocolate, he has fulfilled his obligation and does not have to recite another Beracha. For this reason, if one recites a Beracha over fruit before eating chocolate, he must have specific intention for the Beracha not to cover the chocolate. For example, if one is having fruit and chocolate for dessert, if he first recites "Ha’etz" on an apple, this Beracha will cover the chocolate unless he specifically has in mind for the Beracha not to cover the chocolate. Therefore, one must have intention when reciting the Beracha over the fruit that the Beracha does not cover the chocolate, so he may then recite "She’hakol" over the chocolate.

This applies also when one eats an apple and a banana. Although the accepted practice is to recite "Ha’adama" over bananas, some authorities maintained that it requires the Beracha of "Ha’etz," and therefore if one mistakenly recited "Ha’etz" over a banana, he has fulfilled his obligation and does not recite a new Beracha. Therefore, if one eats an apple (or other fruit) before a banana, he must have explicit intent for the Beracha not to cover the banana, as otherwise he will not be able to recite "Ha’adama" on the banana.

Summary: If one eats a food that is normally used only as seasoning, such as mustard, cinnamon, parsley leaves, mint leaves, cilantro leaves or celery leaves, he recites "She’hakol," even though the food comes from the ground or from a tree. The Beracha over chocolate is "She’hakol," though if one mistakenly recited "Ha’etz" he has fulfilled his obligation. If one eats a fruit before eating chocolate, he must have specific intention when reciting "Ha’etz" that the Beracha should not cover the chocolate, and then recite "She’hakol" over the chocolate.

 


Recent Daily Halachot...
Passover- Searching for Hametz in the Synagogue
Passover- Do Not Regard Meat As 'This Is For Pesach'
Passover- If A Hametz Pot Was Mistakenly Used For Pesach Cooking
Passover- The Laws regarding Glass Dishes On Passover and Throughout The Year
Passover- The Time To Start the Seder and Saying HALLEL At The End of The Seder
Passover- The Importance of MAGID In The Seder , and Leaning on the Night of Pesach
Passover- Is It Permissible To Drink Milk from A Non-Jew Owned Farm Cow Which Itself Consumed Chametz
Passover- Kashrut Questions and Answers Regarding Baby Formula, Sugar, Rice, and Food for Live Fish
Passover- Is It Permissable To Eat ROASTED Foods On Seder Nights
Passover- If A Tiny Amount of Hametz Falls Into A Pot & Cooking in Hametz Pots
May Two People Eat Meat and Milk at the Same Table?
Smelling Forbidden Foods; Heating Meat and Dairy Foods in a Microwave Oven
Drinking Non-Dairy Milk While or After Eating Meat
Serving at a Meat Meal Parve Foods That Were Served at a Dairy Meal
Is It Permissible to Use A Meat Pot To Cook A Parve Item That Will Be Mixed With A Dairy Item
Page of 239
3585 Halachot found