DailyHalacha.com for Mobile Devices Now Available

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

      
(File size: 4.63 MB)
The Beracha of “She’ha’kol”

The Aruch Ha’shulhan (Rav Yechiel Michel Epstein of Nevarduk, 1829-1908) observes an intriguing difference between the Beracha of "She’ha’kol" and most of the other Berachot we recite before eating. Other Berachot use the verb "Bara" ("create") – "Boreh Peri Ha’adama," "Boreh Peri Ha’etz," "Boreh Mineh Mezonot." In the Beracha of "She’ha’kol," however, we use the verb "Niheya," which means "made," as opposed to "create."

To explain this difference, the Aruch Ha’shulhan writes that the verb "Bara" refers to a new creation, and we therefore use it in Berachot over food items that are produced anew each year – fruits, vegetables, grains, and so on. The Beracha of "She’ha’kol," by contrast, is recited over things like meat and fish, which come from animals – creatures that are not recreated anew. Therefore, the more appropriate verb is "Niheya," as opposed to "Bara."

There are different texts of the Beracha of "She’ha’kol," as some Ashkenazim recite, "She’ha’kol Niheyeh Bi’dbaro." The custom among Sepharadim, however, is to recite, "Niheya," not "Niheyeh," and everybody should follow his or her community’s custom.

Summary: In the text of the Beracha of "She’ha’kol," there are those who recite, "She’ha’kol Niheyeh Bi’dbaro," but Sephardic custom is to pronounce the word as "Niheya," and not "Niheyeh."

 


Recent Daily Halachot...
Opening Cans on Shabbat
Winding A Watch or Toy on Shabbat
What Types of Reading Are Permitted on Shabbat
Is Proofreading on Shabbat Permissible
Opening Vessels on Shabbat: Soda Cans, Yogurt Cups and Bottles
Is It Permissible To Build A Crib or Playpen on Shabbat
The Laws of Sovea - Is It Permissible To Shine or Clean Shoes, or to Pour Colored Spices On Food On Shabbat
Cleaning Shoes on Shabbat
Placing a Hot Water Bottle on One’s Body on Shabbat
Is It Permissible to Add Hot Water to Instant Soup Mixes on Shabbat?
Is It Permissible to Stir Food on a Blech on Shabbat?
Cooking with Sunlight or a Microwave on Shabbat
Is it Permissible to Cook Foods on Surfaces Heated by Fire?
How Close Must One Be to the Habdallah Candle?
Establishing a Partnership with a Non-Jew in a Business Open on Shabbat-Part 2
Page of 239
3585 Halachot found