What blessing does one make over fruits? On the fruits of the tree he says: "Who creates the fruit of the tree" — with the exception of wine [(because of whose distinctiveness, they assigned it a special blessing, as they did with bread)], over which he says: "Who creates the fruit of the vine." On the fruits of the earth he says: "Who creates the fruit of the earth" — with the exception of bread, over which he says: "Who brings forth bread from the earth." On vegetables he says: "Who creates the fruit of the earth." R. Yehudah says: "Who creates varieties of herbiage." [For there are among the fruits of the earth grasses and seeds, such as pulse, and R. Yehudah requires a distinctive blessing for each species. The halachah is not in accordance with R. Yehudah. As to our learning that one says "Who creates the fruit of the earth" for vegetables, this applies to vegetables that are generally eaten raw and are eaten raw, or that are generally cooked and are eaten cooked. But for those which are generally eaten raw and are eaten cooked, or which are generally eaten cooked and are eaten raw, he says only "shehakol." And for vegetables which are eaten either raw or cooked, one says "Who creates the fruit of the earth" whether he eats them raw or cooked.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
כיצד מברכין...חוץ מן היין – Since out of its importance (i.e., the wine), they (i.e., the Rabbis) established a blessing of its own.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Introduction According to halakhah it is forbidden to derive any benefit from the world without first acknowledging that the world belongs entirely to God, as it says in Psalms 24:1, “The word in its entirety is the Lord’s.” One acknowledges God’s ultimate ownership over the world by reciting a blessing before one derives benefit, mostly before one eats. Hence, the sixth chapter of Berakhot details what blessings one recites before eating various produce: fruits, vegetables, bread and wine. In my commentary I will give transliterations of the blessings, which might be familiar to many of you.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Berakhot
בורא מיני דשאים – Since there is the midst the “fruit of the ground,” herbs and seeds such as pulse and Rabbi Yehuda requires a recognized blessing for each species/kind. But the Halakha does not follow Rabbi Yehuda. But since it teaches in the Mishnah that on vegetables we recite [the blessing] “who creates the fruit of the ground,” these kinds of vegetables where is customary to eat them raw and he ate them raw, or where it was customary to eat them cooked and he ate them cooked. But those [vegetables] where it was customary to eat raw and he ate them cooked, or [conversely], where it was customary to eat them cooked and he ate them raw, , he only recites [upon them] the blessing “שהכל/for all things [created by (God’s) word].” And those vegetables that we eat either raw or cooked, we make the blessing, “who creates the fruit of the ground/בורא פרי האדמה” whether he [ate them] raw or cooked.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
How do they bless over produce? Over fruit of the tree one says, “Who creates the fruit of the tree,” except for wine, over which one says, “Who creates the fruit of the vine.” Over fruit one generally says, “Bore pri haetz.” However, since wine is the quintessential product made from fruit, it is singled out for a special blessing, “Bore pri hagefen.” Wine was pretty much the only beverage drunk in the ancient world and hence it was considered to be especially important.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Over produce from the ground one says: “Who creates the fruit of the ground,” except over bread, over which one says, “Who brings forth bread from the earth.” Over almost all foods that come from the ground one says, “Bore pri ha’adamah.” The exception is bread, again the quintessential food that comes from the ground. It is singled out for the special blessing of “Hamotzi lechem min haaretz.”
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Berakhot
Over vegetables one says, “Who creates the fruit of the ground.” Rabbi Judah says: “Who creates diverse species of herbs.” According to the first opinion vegetables get the same blessing as do everything else that comes from the ground. Rabbi Judah disagrees and distinguishes between foods like grains (not eaten as bread but as cereals or in cooked dishes), over which one would say “Bore pri ha’adamah” and vegetables over which one says, “Bore minei deshaim.” This blessing is no longer recited because the halakhah is according to the previous opinion.
