Tu Bishvat is Also an Opportunity to Enhance Our Brachos Kavanna and Knowledge

by Rabbi Yair Hoffman

There are so many dveikus-enhancing themes that can be explored tonight in regard to Tu B’Shvat. One such them is enhancing our dveikus by upgrading our recitation of Brachos. And it is not just the way we say them, but also our knowledge of them.  This can be enormously effective in our safety and protection too – something we all need now.  A case in point is how Dovid HaMeleche reacted to a pandemic.

ONE HUNDRED BLESSINGS A DAY

Dovid HaMelech was experiencing a terrible national calamity wherein one hundred people were dying of a plague each day. He discerned that there was lack of Yiras Shamayim, of fear of Heaven. In order to address this problem, he ordained that it was necessary to recite 100 blessings each day. After this was ordained, the plague had stopped. Who is obligated in reciting these 100 blessings? Rav Wolbe zt”l, author of the Alei Shor, writes that women are exempt. He writes that, generally speaking, women have a naturally high level of fear of Heaven.

The Gemorah (Menachos 43b) tells us that the obligation is alluded to in a pasuk in Dvarim (10:12), “V’atta Yisroel, mah Hashem Elokecha sho’el m’imcha” – do not read mah, but read it as me’ah – one hundred.

Rav ‘Bun said that in the future each person is going to have to give an account and reckoning on that which his eyes saw, but he did not eat of.

BRACHA LEVATALA

There is a prohibition to recite something called a Bracha Sh’aina tzricha. There is something that we can call “word evolution” – that is – words can take on different meanings and connotations over time. When the Gemorah discusses Bracha sh’aina tzricha it refers to something that we now call a bracha levatalah. A bracha levatalah is a bracha that is COMPLETELY in vain. In other words, it should not be said. Indeed, the Gemorah tells us that whomsoever recites it, it is as if he has violated taking the Name of Hashem in vain.

There seems to be a debate as to whether or not this statement is meant to be taken literally or not. Many Poskim (Mishna Brurah, Mogain Avrohom) understand the Rambam as being of the opinion that a bracha levatalah is actually a Torah prohibition. Tosfos, however, explain that it is a Rabbinic violation. Why was it couched in such a serious terms? In order to emphasize to us how serious we should take it.

Some Poskim (Chazon Ish) suggest that even the Rambam might hold that it is not a biblical prohibition, but rather Rabbinic. Why then does he write that it is biblical? They answer that it is for the same reason that the Gemorah did – to teach us how far we should stay away from it.

BRACHA SH’AINA TZRICHA

There is also, something that we now call a Bracha Sh’aina Tzricha and that is having caused an unnecessary bracha. There are a few examples of this:

1. If someone has fruits in front of him, all of the same blessing, and the person specifically excludes some of the fruits and recites another blessing on those that he excluded.
2. Reciting a bracha achrona, terminating the eating session, and thus having to recite another blessing again.
3. Changing one’s place in a manner that another blessing must be recited.
4. Eating foods of the meal before one has washed.

FIXING A BRACHA LEVATALA

1. When a bracha levatalah was recited, it is necessary to repair it by saying, “Borcuh Shaim Kvod Malchuso l’olam vo’aid.” (See Panim M’eiros Vol. III #9 that it actually repairs the bracha levatala.)
2. If one just said, Boruch Attah Hashem, then just say the pasuk in Tehillim (119:12) “Boruch atta Hashem lamdeini chukecha.” (SA 206:6)
3. If one said the first three syllables of Hashem’s Name “El-o-kai” then one says “Elokai yisroel min ha’olam v’ad ha’olam” (see Chayei Odom 8:1). One should still, however, say, the words, “Boruch shaim kvod” because this verse is still in the middle of a posuk and one did not say the words in the pasuk that preceded it.
4. This is true even if one merely says the shaim Hashem inappropriately. Indeed, Gedolim (Rav Shlomo Miller shlita) have ruled that it must still be said even if one said the shaim hashem in another language. “Oh Em” followed by the letter between f and h, is an example.
5. If one had just said the words, “Boruch atta hashem” he should append the words, “Lamdeini chukecha – which is a pasuk in Tehillim (119:10). Thus he ended up not having said a bracha levatalah.
6. If he had already pronounced the first three syllables of the next shaim hashem – “elokai” but did not pronounce the fourth syllable of “nu” he should complete it with the words, “Yisroel avinu m’olam v’ad olam.” This would make it a pasuk in Divrei HaYamim I (29:1). The problem is that, it is only the latter half of that pasuk. It begins with the words , “And Dovid haMelech blessed and said:” Therefore, although it may help to reduce the impact of the bracha levatalah, we still recite, “boruch shaim kevod malchuso l’olam vo’ed” afterward.

TOCH KEDAI DIBBUR – HOW LONG?

If one recited an incorrect blessing which would not be effective for that food, it can be corrected if one changes his wording in the time frame called, “toch kedai dibbur.” How long is “toch kedai dibbur?” It is the time that it takes to say (See MB 206:10), “Shalom Alecha Rebbe.” There is a bit of a contradiction in the Mishna Brurah, however. Elsewhere (267:9), he writes that it is the time it takes to say, “Shalom Alecha Rebbe umori.” Most Poskim go with the three word time frame, rather than the four word one. In this author’s experience and experiments, the three word time frame ranges from 1.11 to 1.49 seconds. The “umori” would add .4 of a second.

One of my Rebbeim, had posed the following question to Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l. Does use, of “uh, uh, uh” extend the time frame of “toch k’dai dibbur?” He responded, in fact, that it does. “This can go on, almost indefinitely,” responded Rav Shlomo Zalman.

THE TWO TYPES OF BRACHOS

1. Short brachos. When reciting a short bracha one may not interrupt to respond to an amain or boruch hu uVaruch sh’mo.
2. Long brachos – They are found in bentching and in Shmoneh Esreh. Only long brachos can share the first three elements.

WHAT TO BE CAREFUL WITH REGARDING BRACHOS

1. One should muster as much kavana – intent as possible. The more intent one has, the greater connection to Hashem one develops and the greater the effects the bracha has upon the individual.
2. One should not be doing something else simultaneously
3. One should try to recite it aloud to must up more kavana
4. One’s mouth should be empty when reciting a blessing – so that it could be filled with praise to Hashem.

IMPROPER BRACHOS

1. When a bracha is recited for no purpose it is called a bracha levatala.
2. When a bracha is recited in a manner that it would have been covered by another bracha anyway, this is called a bracha she’aina tzricha.

DOUBTS IN BRACHOS

1. If a person is unsure whether he or she recited the bracha then one does not recite it again. This is because of the principle of Safaik Brachos l’hakail – when there is a doubt in blessings we are lenient. The principle does not necessarily apply to
   1. Benching – when satiated
   2. Al HaMichya – when satiated
   3. Birchas HaTorah
2. The reason is that doubts on these three brachos above may be a biblical issue, in which a blessing is recited again.
3. It is best to get someone else to recite the bracha for you, when you have a doubt as to whether a bracha is recited.
4. Another option, when you do not have a choice is to think Hashem’s Names in the bracha.

AMAIN AND BORUCH HU UVARUCH SHMO

1. When hearing someone else say Hashem’s Name in a bracha, and the bracha is not being recited for you to be yotzeh – recite Boruch hu uvaruch sh’mo (SA 124:5).
2. After the other person has recited the bracha one must always answer Amain. Amain means “It is true.” At times, it could mean, “may it be true soon” – such as in Kaddish or in some of the blessings of Shmoneh Esreh.
3. One does not recite Amain to one’s own blessing.
4. The Talmud tells us (Shabbos 119b) that “whomsoever recites amain with all his concentration – the gates of heaven are opened to him.”

DEFECTIVE AMAINS

1. One should know what blessing that one is answering amain. If one doesn’t know, it is called an amain yesoma – an orphaned amain.
2. One should answer with an amain immediately – that is within toch k’dai dibbur (3 seconds). This is called an amain yesoma – an orphaned amain.
3. One must pronounce the amain properly – the first syllable should be noticeable and not be “main.” It should also not be pronounced with a shva under the first syllable. One should also not say Amai.” This is called an Amain chatufa – a stolen or snatched amain.
4. One should also not say the amain prematurely – before the person reciting the bracha had finished his bracha. This too is called a stolen or snatched amain.

WHICH ORDER DO WE MAKE THE BRACHA ON?

1. The question is, when one has a group of the seven fruits of Eretz Yisroel in front of him – which of them do we recite the blessing upon first?
2. There is a pasuk in parshas Aikev (Dvarim 8:8) that praises Eretz Yisroel for its seven species. “A land of wheat and barley, grapes, figs and pomegranates; a land of olives that produce oil and honey [of dates].”
3. These are the seven products of which the land of Eretz Yisroel is praised, and because of that – these seven products have a special and elevated status. They are also enumerated in a special, yet somewhat complicated, order.

THE COMPLICATED ORDER

4. The Gemorah tells us that the word “land” or Eretz, resets the order – so to speak, in terms of which one of the seven we recite the blessing upon first. So let’s look at this pasuk as having part A and part B.
   1. Part A would be: “A land of wheat and barley, grapes, figs and pomegranates;”
   2. Part B would be: “a land of olives that produce oil and honey [of dates].”
5. Now let’s number them:
   1. “A land of wheat and barley (A1a, A1b), grapes (A3), figs (A4) and pomegranates (A5);”
   2. “a land of olives (B1) that produce oil and honey [of dates] (B2).”
6. Based upon the idea that the word “Eretz” resets the count, but that Part A has precedence over Part B of the pasuk – the order of the brachos of the 7 products of Eretz Yisroel would be: A1a, A1b, B1, B2, A3, A4, A5

A1a and A1b – wheat and barley, are, according to most Poskim, both part of A1 and wheat has precedence to barley because it is more important.  As far as the other grains are concerned, Spelt is like wheat only spelt differently, and oats and rye are like barley.

7. The order of the seven products of Eretz Yisroel would thus be as follows: Wheat, barley, olives, dates, grapes, figs, and pomegranates.
8. The underlying factor here is the concept of giving a blessing its due honor. On account of this idea, it should also be noted that if there is an array of any fruits, the brachos are recited in the following order:  1] We recite the bracha upon the seven minim first. 2] We recite the bracha on one which is whole. 3] The next factor in grains is Naki – whichever bread is deemed cleaner. 4] The next factor is the size of the slices.  It is more kavod to the bracha to recite it on a larger slice, all of the other factors considered.  5] The next factor is Chaviv – if you like one of the non-seven fruits better, then that one gets precedence too. 

IDEAL METHOD OF RECITING BRACHOS

1. Ideally, a bracha should be recited aloud so that your ears hear it – since it awakens one’s intent (MB 185:3).
2. Ideally, when the bracha is recited one’s mouth should be empty of all food, as the pasuk in Tehillim (78:8) states, “yimaleh pi tehilasecha – My mouth should be filled with your praise.” (MB 172:7).
3. It should also be empty even of excess spit.
4. If one needs to yawn, one should wait until after the yawn to recite the bracha.One must know the bracha that one is about to recite.
5. When reciting a bracha, one’s hands must be clean.
6. A packaged food must be open before the blessing is recited.
7. If the peel of a fruit is inedible, the fruit should be peeled before the blessing is recited.
8. If the fruit is very large, such as a watermelon and such, and it takes time to slice it, then it should be sliced before the blessing is recited.
9. One should hold all food items with the right hand.
10. One may not perform any other task while reciting a bracha.

The author can be reached at [email protected].

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