Q Someone made the beracha of "Shehakol" on a food which required a different beracha (e.g. "Mezonot"). I know he is yotzei b'dieved (fulfilled his obligation, after the fact). However, does that mistaken beracha work to exempt other foods, either those which require "Mezonot" like the food he is eating or those that require "Shehakol" like the beracha he made? A In order to answer your question, we
will have to investigate some of the concepts which you correctly assume
and see how they apply to your case. Another assumption you make is that "Shehakol"
works for foods that should have gotten a different beracha. This is true
and is part of a rule that more general berachot work b'dieved for ones
for which a more specific, and, therefore, preferable beracha should have
been said (Berachot 40a). Along similar lines, one who makes "Shehakol" on something which he later realized requires "Mezonot" had in mind (generally) not only for that food but also for everything else with that beracha, and all "Shehakol" foods are exempted (based on Mishna Berura 209:8). As we have seen, it is his intention that is crucial, not the fact that the new foods being brought out have a different beracha from the food he mistakenly made "Shehakol" on. On the other hand, foods that require "Mezonot" are not exempted, because he did not have them in mind when making "Shehakol," as, to the best of his knowledge, it was the wrong beracha, l'chatchila. The more interesting question is in regard to foods which share the beracha that he made, yet he presumably did not have them in mind. This can occur if the mistake was not in identifying the beracha of the food, but that he intended to correctly say "Mezonot" and "Shehakol" slipped out. In this case, the Har Tzvi (Orach Chayim 106-7) says that his intention for "Mezonot" foods excludes "Shehakol" foods from the beracha, and they would require a new beracha. He implies (and Piskei Teshuvot 206:6 states) that "Mezonot" foods are exempted with the "Shehakol," because he intended to make a "Mezonot." The situation may be different for foods that were not present when the mistaken beracha was made, but that discussion is beyond our present scope. Ask the Rabbi Q&A is part of Hemdat
Yamim, the weekly parsha sheet published by Eretz Hemdah. You can read
this section or the entire Hemdat Yamim at www.ou.org or
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Subscribe/English (for the English version) or Subscribe/Hebrew (for the
hebrew version). Please leave the subject blank. Ask the Vebbe Rebbe is
partially funded by the Jewish Agency for Israel R' Abush, who knew the chazan to be far
from virtuous in his religious observance, said, "You're absolutely right.
People like you indeed bring rain to the world. In fact they can even
bring about a flood." "Could you wait for just a few minutes?" asked the Rav. "I have a certain number of Tehillim to finish saying, my regular daily quota." "Please leave what you're doing and
come with me immediately," said R' Levi Yitzhak. "Hashem has tens of
thousands of angels which sing his praises even if you don't do so this
instant, while this poor man and his family are in immediate danger of
drowning in their troubles." The first era, which began with
B'reishit 1:1 B'REISHIT BARA ELOKIM ET H'SHAMAYIM V'ET HA'ARETZ: concludes
with B'reishit 9:14 U'VACHODESH HASHENI B'SHIVA V'ESRIM YOM LACHODESH
YAVSHA HA'ARETZ. These two p'sukim, the matched "book- ends" to the first
section of the Story of the World, have the exact same G'matriya (2701). Although Noah had advance warnings (120 years) and a precise forecast (7 days) of when the MABUL would strike, he leaves his home and enters the ark only after the floodwaters are lapping at his door. Perhaps Noah was one of those of "little faith" who doubted that the catastrophe would really occur (Rashi on Gen. 7:7). But it is quite understandable that people become so attached to their surroundings that they are reluctant to uproot themselves even in the face of credible threats. We have seen this happen many times in our history as a people. But if Noah's entrance to the ark is instructive, his exit is even more so. Once the rains cease and the waters recede, Noah tests to make sure the outside is safe yet he does not leave the ark! Only after G-d directly orders him to do so, does Noah go. Was this proper behavior? Rabbi Yudan said: "If I was in Noah's place I would have broken down the door and left!" (Yalkut Shimoni) Perhaps the ark can be seen as a metaphor for the lands of Exile where Jews have taken refuge. Once the stormy waters have receded and the road to home is open, do each of us really need a personal invitation from G-d to leave the "galut"? Surely over 50 years of vibrant Jewish statehood, with over 5 million Jews and Jerusalem the capital, is sign enough that Jews are being called home. Indeed there seems to be a tone of impatience in G-d's curt call to Noah: TZEI MIN HATEIVA! (Gen 8:16) as if to say "For heaven's sake, what are you waiting for!!" Rabbi Shubert Spero, Jerusalem B'reishit 11:26 tells us that when Terach had lived seventy years he begot Avram, Nahor, and Haran. Beyond possibly pondering the absence of daughters, we could almost overlook this sentence. We might then ask why the Torah so introduces us to the revolutionary genius who changed the face of history and reintroduced monotheism into the world. Perhaps this obscure initial rendez- vous with Avraham is precisely what shows up his essential greatness. Unlike the other prophets, he was not chosen; he emerged from simple roots. And now the text immediately reintroduces Terach and his family's journey that will change Avraham's life forever: Terach will depart from Ur Kasdim for the land of Canaan - only to die on the way in Haran. From this bare account we learn a most
profound lesson. The wicked idol worshipper Terach had set his eyes on
Eretz Yisrael but would never make it. Avram, however, would set off again
for the "Land which I shall show you" at G-d's bequest. Only then could
Avram merit to be called Avraham, "Father of all nations." And, who knows,
if is not in that merit that we now maintain our intrinsic connection to
the Land of Israel. [The Parshat No'ach Homepage]
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