Class #035 VIDEO / Berachot 6.2 / The Berachot change the essence of the food, how the holy water?

1. Text of the Mishnah and context

Mishnah Berachot 6:2 (summary of the relevant part):

One who recites “Blessed... who creates the fruit of the land” (Boré warranty haadamá) on the fruit of the tree, to comply with its obligation.
One who recites “Blessed... who creates the fruit of the tree” (Boré warranty haéts) on the fruits of the earth, does not comply with its obligation.
And above all, if he recites “Blessed... by whose word all things were created” (Shehakol nihyá bidvaró), to comply with its obligation.

This Mishnah is in the chapter 6 of Berachotthat is the blessings over the food within the larger system of berachot for enjoyment (birjot hanenéin).

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2. General framework: hierarchy of blessings

In the halachah is set types of berachot prior to the meal. In simplified form, in order of “specificity” descending:

1. Hamotzí lejem min haáretz – over bread.
2. Boré miné mezonot – mass/cereals that are not bread.
3. Boré warranty hagafen – wine and grape juice.
4. Boré warranty haéts – fruits of the tree.
5. Boré warranty haadamá – products of the ground (vegetables, tubers, some fruits low).
6. Shehakol nihyá bidvaró – “by whose word all things were created”: blessing totally generic.

The basic rule is:

• Lejatjilá (a priori): you must say the blessing more specific that corresponds to that food.
• Bediavad (ex-post): if you said a blessing less specific, but which logically includesthe obligation can be satisfied.

The Mishnah 6:2 defines precisely where to draw that “bediavad”.

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3. First case: Haadamá on fruits of the tree

“Whoever recites ‘Who creates the fruit of the land’ on a fruit of the tree, to comply with its obligation.”

3.1. Logic halachic

• Every tree it is born and grows from the earth.
• Therefore, to say Boré warranty haadamá one is praising God for the fruit of the earth, category includes also the trees.
• It is a berajá more general: of the adamá comes in both a carrot as an apple tree.

The commentators classic (Rambam, Bartenura, etc) explain that:

• The normal and correct for an apple is haéts.
• However, if one made a mistake and said haadamá, does not repeat the berajábecause the praise continues to be true: that fruit is, ultimately, a product of the earth.

3.2. Practical examples

• Apple, orange, olives, dates, grapes (when eaten as a fruit, do not like wine):
  • Correct lejatjilá: Boré warranty haéts.
  • If you said haadamá by mistake: metnot repeated.

4. Second case: Haéts on products of the earth

“Whoever recites ‘Who creates the fruit of the tree’ on the fruits of the earth does not comply with its obligation.”

Here the logic is reversed:

• Not all the products that grow from the earth are fruits of a tree.
• A potato or a carrot no are warranty haéts, but warranty haadamá.
• Say Boré warranty haéts on something that is NOT the fruit of the tree is a description false from the point of view halachic and botanical.

For this reason, the Mishnah clearly affirms:

• This person does not meet their obligation.
• You should repeat the berajá correct, if you still haven't eaten, or in some cases according to the poskim, even if you already ate (there are nuances that are studied in practice).

4.1. Practical examples

• Potato, sweet potato, carrot, tomato, cucumber, lettuce:
  • Correct lejatjilá: Boré warranty haadamá.
  • If you said haéts: not fulfilled; in principle, should return to bless correctly (by referring to psak of its own rabbinic tradition).

5. Third case: Shehakol above all

“And on all types of food, if one recites ‘By whose word all things were created’ (Shehakol), to comply with its obligation.”

5.1. Nature of Shehakol

Shehakol nihyá bidvaró it is the blessing that:

• Praises to God not by a particular type of productbut for the general fact that all it was created by His word.

This is why:

• Lejatjilá reserves for:
  • Food do not grow from the earth- meat, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, drinks that do not come from a fruit with berajá own, etc
• Bediavadaccording to the Mishnah and the halachah later:
  • If someone said Shehakol about any other food that has a berajá more accurate (bread, wine, fruits, vegetables, mezonot), he fulfilled his obligation and does not repeat the berajá.

5.2. Implications halájicas strong

The codes later (Shulchan Aruch, Shulchan Aruch Harav, etc) teach that:

• Shehakol is valid bediavad even on bread and wine: who says Shehakol instead of Hamotzí or Hagafen met, though he acted incorrectly and lost the upper level of precision.

That's why many rabbis say in practice:

• In the case of doubt serious what berajá corresponds to a food, you can use Shehakol as an “emergency exit”.
• But no it must become a habit, because the goal is to to clarify and refine conscience-not to simplify it to a minimum.

6. Development talmud the Mishnah

The Gemara in Berachot (mostly 35a–40b) expands these ideas:

1. Classification of foods
   • Discusses what foods are really haéts and what haadamá (for example, products that come out of the trunk vs. directly from the land; palm, herbs, flours, etc).
2. State “ideal” vs. “gradient” of the food
   • If a product you will eat in a way not usual or degraded (for example, fruit powdered or raw vegetables which are usually eaten cooked), it is often a low berajá to Shehakol.
3. Error in the berajá
   • The Gemara analyzes when an error is acceptable (yatzá, fulfilled), and when not, applying the logic of our Mishnah:
     • If the berajá general logically includes the specific category → yatzá.
     • If the berajá assigned to a category more close the real → what yatzá.
4. Bread and wine as special categories
   • Despite the general rule, bread and wine maintain a status of the utmost importance (for satiety, for his role in the Kiddush, Birkat Hammazón, etc).
   • However, even there, if someone made a mistake and said Shehakol, the poskim tend to accept yatzá (met), based on the amplitude extreme of this berajá.

7. Coding in Rambam and Shulchan Aruch

7.1. Rambam

In Hilchot Berachotthe Rambam organizes the laws of berachot about food, following the outline of our Mishnah and the Gemara:

• Defines each category (tree, earth, wine, bread, etc).
• Explains that Shehakol applies to:
  • All that does not grow from the earth,
  • and in many cases also to plant-based foods consumed in a state of “non-primary”.

7.2. Shulchan Aruch (Orach Jaím 202-204)

• Set the berachot specific for each food.
• In several places indicates explicitly:
  • That if you said Shehakol about something which, strictly speaking, is haadamá, haéts, mezonot, etc, does not repeat the berajá.
  • That you must always seek the berajá correct, and go to Shehakol only when you do not have clarity.

8. Dimension conceptual and spiritual

Beyond the technical halachic, this Mishnah teaches deep insights:

8.1. Accuracy in the recognition of the creation

• Each berajá specific (haéts, haadamá, hagafen, hamotzí...) require the person to contemplate the origin what you eat:
  • What is the fruit of a tree perennial?
  • What is the direct product of the earth?
  • What is the staple that holds the human being (bread)?
• The more specific blessing, more fine is the consciousness of creation.

8.2. But without falling into perfectionism paralyzing

• The halacha recognizes the truth: mistakes happen.
• Therefore, introduces the principle of “output above” with Shehakol:
  • Although you lost the specificity, do not miss the basic link of gratitude; your general recognition that “everything was created through His word” continues to have religious value.

8.3. Balance between rigor and mercy

• From the pedagogical point of view:
  • The Mishnah it motivates them to study and refine (because there are real differences between haéts/haadamá and errors that invalidate).
  • But at the same time do not punish excessively that was wrong of good faith; the category of Shehakol acts as a “cushion” of mercy.

9. Summary

1. Fruit tree (apple, orange, olive, etc)
   • Lejatjilá: Boré warranty haéts.
   • If you said haadamá: met.
   • If you said Shehakol: metbut is not ideal.
2. Vegetables, tubers, fruits that grow directly from the ground (potatoes, carrots, lettuce, tomato, etc)
   • Lejatjilá: Boré warranty haadamá.
   • If you said haéts: not fulfilled; in principle should be repeated correctly.
   • If you said Shehakol: met.
3. Bread, cereal products, wine, meat, fish, eggs, milk, various drinks, etc
   • Each one has its berajá specific (Hamotzí, Mezonot, Hagafen, Shehakol as the case may be).
   • If by mistake said Shehakol about them: in general, fulfilled and does not repeataccording to the majority of the poskim.

10. What do you leave this Mishnah in practice

1. Learn the categories of food: this is the way we honor God with accuracy.
2. Know that there is a margin of safety (Shehakol): the system is not cruel with the error.
3. Understand that the halachah works with internal logic:
   • If the general category includes the specific → berajá serves.
   • If the specific category not covered the real case → the berajá not served.
4. Internalize the idea central:
   • It should not be to enjoy the world without acknowledging the Creator,
   • and that gratitude is expressed at different levels of detail according to the food that we have in front.