Seder Bircas Hanehenin - Chapter 3 Primary and Secondary Foods
3:1 - Basic Principle
When two types of food with different blessings mixed together:
- If one Primary, the other Secondary (i.e. Secondary comes only to improve/prepare Primary) -> Blessings over Primary cover Secondary
- If both Primary but combined completely through cooking or mixing -> Majority Primary -> Blessings over Primary/Majority cover Secondary/Minority
3:2 - Primary Dagan
Dagan is Primary, even in small quantities as long as it adds flavor & substance present, therefore
If Dagan in mixture - even if small quantity - even if intent on other, as long as actual substance, not just flavor present -> Dagan Primary -> Mezonos/Al Hamichyah
Al Hamichyah on mixture with small quantity Dagan
- Opinion 1 Al Hamichyah regardless of quantity
- Opinion 2 Al Hamichyah only if mixture contains enough Dagan for Kezayis Bik’dei Achilas P’ras
- Practice Opinion 2 -> Only with Kezayis of definite Al Hamichyah & Kezayis of definite Borei Nefashos
3:3 - Secondary Dagan
If Dagan included to add flavor -> Dagan Primary -> Mezonos/Al Hamichyah on mixture
If Dagan included to color/bind food -> Main ingredient Primary -> Blessings over Primary cover Dagan
3:4 - Intention Secondary Dagan
Dagan is Primary, even in small quantities, even if it doesn’t add flavor, as long as there is some desire for it, therefore
If no intent at all on Secondary Dagan in mixture, ex. only to color/bind -> Blessings over Primary cover Dagan
If also intent on Secondary Dagan in mixture -> Mezonos/Al Hamichyah on mixture
3:5 - Dagan Sweets
If small quantity of Dagan flour, sugar and large quantity of almound flour baked in oven -> Mezonos/Al Hamichyah, unless basis of meal then Hamotzi/Bircas Hamazon
3:6 - Kitniyos Bread
Bread made with Kitniyos is still bread, therefore
If bread baked from Dagan flour and Kitniyos flour -> Dagan Primary -> Hamotzi, because Dagan Primary, no lower quantity for Before-Blessing & basis of meal
3:7 - Pastry Filling
Filling in Pastry is Secondary unless one eats it by itself, therefore
If Pas Haba Bekisanin filled with meat, fish, cheese, fruit -> Crust Primary - even if one eats filling separately after - even if intent on filling (because intent also on crust) -> Dagan Primary -> Mezonos/Al Hamichyah or Hamotzi/Bircas Hamazon, see 2:5-8
If Pastry filled with meat, fish, cheese, fruit & one eats only filling -> Shehakol, Haadamah or Haetz of filling
3:8 - Not mixed
Blessings over Primary cover Secondary even if foods not mixed together, but Secondary eaten only because of Primary (ex. bread after salty fish)
Bread is Secondary
- Only if no intent on bread at all-> “Salty fish” Primary -> Shehakol, Haadamah or Haetz of Primary
- If also intent on bread -> Bread Primary -> Hamotzi/Bircas Hamazon on both
3:9 - Bread Soaked in Alcoholic Beverage
If bread soaked in alcholic beverage to offset sharp taste
- (Before Meal ->) Also intent on bread -> Bread Primary -> Hamotzi/Bircas Hamazon
- (After Meal ->) No intent on bread -> Drink Primary -> Shehakol/Borei Nefashos
If Pas Haba Bekisanin dipped in honey -> Also intent on Pas Haba Bekisanin -> Mezonos/Al Hamichyah unless Amount constitutes Meal or Hamotzi/Bircas Hamazon, see 2:5-8
3:10 - Bread Soaked to be Drunk
If bread soaked to be drunk (ex. bread crumbled and place into hot beer for flavor) -> Bread has no substance, not significant entity -> Shehakol/Borei Nefashos
3:11 - Eating Secondary Food Afterwards by Itself, Eating after Drinking
Secondary food not covered in and of itself by Primary, only when eaten in connection with it, therefore
If bread or other foods eaten as Secondary, subsequently eaten by themselves
- If eaten because of Primary -> Covered by Primary
- If not eaten because of Primary -> Not covered by Primary
3:12 - Misc. Implications
Whenever bread is Secondary with regard to blessing -> Secondary with regard to washing hands -> No need to wash
Egg-sized portion of bread is always significant -> Don’t eat egg-sized portion of bread as Secondary
Preferable to refrain from eating bread as Secondary, because who knows if he has “Also intent”?
3:13 - Eating for the Sake of Drinking, Eating before Drinking
When eating for the sake of drinking, a person still has benefit from the food itself, even though food is Secondary to drink, therefore
If one eats for the sake of drinking (i.e. not to drink alcohol on any empty stomach) -> Not covered by Primary
3:14 - Midas Chassidus
Midas Chassidus to increase in necessary blessings, therefore
If Primary and Secondary have different blessings, proper to eat a little of the Secondary before the Primary in order to increase in specific blessings
3:15 - Limitation of Midas Chassidus
Above only applies if Primary food not desired more, therefore
If Primary is more desired - even if Secondary has more specific/prominent blessing -> Cover Secondary with blessing on Primary
If Secondary more desired only when eaten with Principal
- Opinion 1 No specific blessing for Secondary
- Opinion 2 Specific blessing for Secondary first
- Practice During week Opinion 1, On Shabbos Opinion 2 in order to reach 100 blessings
3:16 - Presence and Intent
Secondary never covered by Primary unless at time of blessing both present or intent to eat Secondary, therefore
If Secondary brought to him afterwards & didn’t intend to eat Secondary at time of blessing -> Not covered by Primary
No presence or intent -> Specific blessing on Secondary, applies to
- Before-blessing - Even if same blessing
- After-blessing: If different blessings & not fixed setting, on Primary, which serves as basis of meal (ex. bread, wine, beer, mead)
- Before-blessing & After-blesisng: If not common practice of person to eat Secondary after Primary
Examples
- If a person makes a blessing on beer with intent on secondary grapes, then drinks beer, then grapes are brought to him -> Grapes covered by beer before and after
- If a person makes a blessing on beer without intent on secondary grapes, then drinks beer, then grapes are brought to him -> Grapes not covered by beer before, Grapes covered by beer after (fixed setting)
- If a person makes a blessing on sweet grapes without intent on secondary bread, then eats grapes, then bread is brought to him -> Bread not covered by grapes before and after (no fixed setting)
- If a person makes a blessing on sweet lekach without intent on secondary deep-fried soup mandels, then eats lekach, then deep-fried soup mandels are brought to him -> Soup mandel not covered by lekach before, Soup mandel covered by lekach after (same blessing)
- If a person makes a blessing on beer without intent on secondary grapes, then drinks beer, then grapes are brought to him & he is accustomed to do so -> Grapes covered by beer before and after
3:17 - Changing Places
Secondary covered by Primary only when eaten in same place
Exceptions
- Primary is food requiring after-blessing in same place
- Primary food in fixed setting