If a person has before him two foods which he wishes to eat – one which requires the Beracha of "Ha’etz," and another which requires "Ha’adama" – which food should he eat first? For example, if a person wants to eat an apple and a banana, should he first take the apple and recite "Ha’etz," and then, after taking a bite from the apple, recite "Ha’adama" and eat the banana? Or, should he first recite the Beracha of "Ha’adama" and have some banana before reciting "Ha’etz" and partaking of the apple?
Most Rishonim (Medieval Halachic authorities) interpret a comment in the Gemara, in Masechet Berachot (41), as establishing that in such a case one may choose which food to eat first. In the example of an apple and a banana, then, one can choose whether to first recite "Ha’etz" and eat the apple, or first recite "Ha’adama" over the banana, and then recite the Beracha over the second fruit. Even if one of the foods is included among the seven special species – such as a grape, or an olive – one may choose which food to eat first. This is the view taken by most Rishonim, and the position codified by the Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 211).
However, the Behag ("Ba’al Halachot Gedolot," 9th century) understood the Gemara differently, as simply establishing that when a person eats two foods that require these two Berachot, he must recite separate Berachot over the foods. According to the Behag’s reading, the Gemara did not address the question of which food should be eaten first; it simply instructs that in this situation one must recite both "Ha’etz" and "Ha’adama." And the Behag ruled that one must eat the "Ha’etz" food before the "Ha’adama" food.
The Kaf Ha’haim (Rabbi Yaakob Haim Sofer, Baghdad-Israel, 1870-1939) writes that although the Shulhan Aruch rules that one can choose which food to eat first in this case, the custom follows the view of the Behag, to eat the "Ha’etz" food before the "Ha’adama" food. This is, indeed, the Halacha. Therefore, a person who wishes to eat an apple and a banana should first recite a Beracha over and partake of the apple, and then recite the Beracha over and partake of the banana.
Summary: If a person wishes to eat a food requiring "Ha’etz" and a food requiring "Ha’adama," he should first recite the Beracha over the "Ha’etz" food, eat some of that food, and then recite the Beracha over and partake of the "Ha’adama" food.
