One who eats a fruit from the special species of Eretz Yisrael – grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives or dates – must recite "Me’en Shalosh," specifically, the Beracha of "Al Ha’etz." This is in contrast to one who eats other fruits, such as apples or oranges, who afterwards recites the Beracha of "Boreh Nefashot."
The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 208:13) rules that if one ate both types of fruit in one sitting – such as if one ate grapes and apples – then he recites only "Al Ha’etz." Since this Beracha makes reference to fruits generally – "Al Ha’aretz Ve’al Ha’perot" – it covers all fruits, even those which are not among the special species. Therefore, one who eats one of the special species and another fruit recites only "Al Ha’etz," and does not recite "Boreh Nefashot."
There is considerable controversy surrounding the question of whether this Halacha applies also if one ate one of the special species together with a product requiring "Ha’adama" before eating, such as melons, bananas or vegetables. The clear implication of the Shulhan Aruch – who speaks only of one who eats one of the special species together with another fruit – is that he refers only to this particular case, and not to the case of one who ate fruit from the special species together with a "Ha’adama" food. Indeed, the Shulhan Aruch based his ruling on the fact that the Beracha of "Al Ha’etz" mentions "Peri Ha’etz" ("fruit of trees"), which covers all fruits. This would certainly suggest that this Beracha does not cover foods that do not fall under the category of "Peri Ha’etz." This is, in fact, the ruling of the Tur (Rabbenu Yaakob Ben Asher, 1269-1343), as well as the Rambam (Rav Moshe Maimonides, 1135-1204), as understood by the Sha’ar Ha’siyun (208:64). This is the position accepted by Hacham Bension Abba Shaul (Israel, 1924-1998), in his Or Le’sion.
However, there was one of the Rishonim – the Rashbetz (Rav Shimon Ben Semah Duran, Algiers, 1361-1444), whose writings were not accessible until after the time of Maran, author of the Shulhan Aruch – who ruled differently. He noted that the Beracha of "Al Ha’etz" concludes, "Al Ha’aretz Ve’al Ha’perot," and the word "Perot" ("fruits") refers not only to fruit that grows on trees, but also produce that grows directly from the ground. Therefore, he maintained, the Beracha of "Al Ha’etz" covers all produce, and so if one ate one of the special species as well as any other kind of fruit or vegetable, he recites only "Al Ha’etz," and does not recite "Boreh Nefashot."
In light of this position, numerous Poskim – including Rav Yishak Harari in Zechor Le’Yishak, as well as Hacham Ovadia Yosef – ruled that a person in this case should recite "Boreh Nefashot" before "Al Ha’etz." If one recites "Al Ha’etz" first, he then cannot recite "Boreh Nefashot," since this Beracha is not required according to the view of the Rashbetz. Therefore, in order to avoid this situation of uncertainty, a person who eats fruit from the special species and a product requiring "Ha’adama" must first recite "Boreh Nefashot" followed by "Al Ha’etz." Hacham Ovadia acknowledged that Hacham Bension ruled differently, but he noted that Hacham Bension seems to not have been aware of the Rashbetz’s position, and if he had, he would have likely ruled differently.
This is also the conclusion of Rabbi Moshe Levi (Israel, 1961-2000), in his work Birkat Hashem (vol. 3, p. 245; listen to audio recording for precise citation).
Hacham Ovadia’s son, Hacham Yishak Yosef, writes in Yalkut Yosef (vol. 3, p. 482; listen to audio recording for precise citation) that he once discussed this precise question with Hacham Ovadia, and Hacham Ovadia ruled that one must, in fact, recite "Boreh Nefashot" after "Al Ha’etz" in such a case, where one ate fruit of the special species as well as a "Ha’adama" product. Hacham Yishak thus concluded that Hacham Ovadia retracted his ruling, and followed the view of the Shulhan Aruch, without concerning himself with the view of the Rashbetz. However, this does not appear to be correct, because in Halichot Olam (vol. 2, p. 28), which was published later, Hacham Ovadia writes that in such a case one recites "Boreh Nefashot" and then "Al Ha’etz" out of consideration for the view of the Rashbetz.
Rabbi Moshe Levi, addressing the comments of Yalkut Yosef (listen to audio recording for precise citation), speculates that Hacham Ovadia was perhaps speaking of a slightly different case – where one ate a "Mezonot" food together with "Ha’adama" foods. In this case, the "Me’en Shalosh" recited over the "Mezonot" food – "Al Ha’mihya" – does not include the phrase "Peri Ha’etz," and so, presumably, it does not cover "Ha’adama" foods, even according to the Rashbetz. And so it was regarding such a case, Rabbi Moshe Levi suggests, that Hacham Ovadia ruled that one recites "Me’en Shalosh" followed by "Boreh Nefashot."
However, in the aforementioned passage in Halichot Olam, Hacham Ovadia clearly applied his ruling even to the case where one ate "Mezonot" food together with "Ha’adama" food. Even in such a case, he writes, the "Me’en Shalosh" might cover the "Ha’adama" food according to the Rashbetz, because the Beracha of "Al Ha’mihya" includes the phrase "Al Tenubat Ha’sadeh," which refers to anything that grows from the ground. Therefore, according to Hacham Ovadia, even if one ate "Ha’adama" foods with "Mezonot" food, he should first recite "Boreh Nefashot," as otherwise the "Ha’adama" food might be covered by the Beracha of "Al Ha’mihya." And therefore, if one recited "Al Ha’etz" or "Al Ha’mihya" first in these cases, he does not then recite "Boreh Nefashot."
Summary: If one ate a fruit from special species – grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives or dates – as well as a different fruit, such as an apple or orange, then after eating he recites only the Beracha of "Al Ha’etz." If he ate a fruit the special species as well as a "Ha’adama" food, such as melon or a vegetable, then he should first recite "Boreh Nefashot" and then "Al Ha’etz." According to Hacham Ovadia Yosef, this applies also if one ate a "Ha’adama" food together with a food requiring "Al Ha’mihya" – he should first recite "Boreh Nefashot," followed by "Al Ha’mihya." If he recited "Al Ha’etz" or "Al Ha’mihya" in these cases first, he does not then recite "Boreh Nefashot."
