The Daily Halacha Moment - Wrong Berachah On Fruits & Vegetables 🍇🥒
״כל השונה הלכות בכל יום - מובטח לו שהוא בן העולם הבא״ (נידה עג ע״א, מגילה כח:)
“Anyone who studies Halachot every day is guaranteed that he is destined for the world-to-come” (Megilla 28b, Niddah 73a)
Question:
What does one do if one recited the Berachah of Boreh Peri Ha'adama Hadama on a fruit? Or vice versa?
Answer:
When reciting blessings (berachot) before eating, it is essential to say the correct berachah designated for that specific type of food. Fruits that grow on trees require the berachah of Borei Pri Ha’etz, while vegetables and plants that grow from the ground require the berachah of Borei Pri Ha’adama. However, what happens if one mistakenly recites the wrong berachah?
If One Recited Ha’adama Instead of Ha’etz:
If a person mistakenly recited Ha’adama on a food that actually requires Ha’etz—such as saying Borei Pri Ha’adama on an apple or an orange—they have still fulfilled their obligation. The reason for this is that all fruits that grow on trees ultimately originate from the ground. Since a tree itself is nourished by the soil, its fruit can technically be considered a product of the ground as well. Therefore, although Ha’etz is the more precise berachah, Ha’adama still covers the food b’dieved (after the fact), and a new blessing should not be recited. [1]
If One Recited Ha’etz Instead of Ha’adama:
On the other hand, if one mistakenly recited Ha’etz on a food that requires Ha’adama, such as a banana, eggplant, or watermelon, they have not fulfilled their obligation. This is because the berachah of Ha’etz specifically refers to fruits that grow from trees, which are defined in halacha as plants that have a permanent trunk that produces fruit year after year. If a plant does not meet this halachic definition—such as a banana plant, which regenerates its stalk annually—then its produce does not qualify as "tree fruits" for the purposes of berachot. Since Ha’etz does not accurately describe these foods, the incorrect blessing does not count, and one must recite the correct berachah of Ha’adama before eating. [2]
What to Do When in Doubt?
In cases of doubt, the best practice is to recite Borei Pri Ha’adama, since Ha’adama is a more inclusive berachah. As mentioned earlier, Ha’adama can apply to all produce, including fruits from trees, whereas Ha’etz is specific only to tree fruits. By saying Ha’adama, one ensures that they have at least fulfilled their obligation b’dieved, even if the food technically required Ha’etz. This approach follows the principle of Safek Berachot Lehakel—when in doubt about a berachah, we choose the option that avoids the risk of reciting a blessing in vain (berachah levatalah). [3]
Sources:
[1]. Gemara Berachot 40a, (See Mishnah)
Shulchan Aruch 206:1; Chazon Ovadia, Berachot p. 166; Yalkut Yosef 206:1, 202:3.
[2]. Gemara Berachot 40a (See Mishnah)
Shulchan Aruch_206:1; _Yalkut Yosef 206:1.
[3]. Shulchan Aruch 206:1; Yabia Omer 8:26 page 121; Yechaveh Da’at 6:13; Chazon Ovadia, Berachot pg 166; Yalkut Yosef 202:3,206:2.
See also Tosfot Berachot 39a “Chaviv Yoter”;
Sh”t Torat Refael, Halachot Birkat Perot end of Siman 17.
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