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HALACHA INSTITUTE Q&A
By Rabbi Yehuda Kraft
Q: This week Zev Amster asked me if he makes a shehakol on water will it cover everything with that bracha or does he need to have in mind specifically for other things?
A: The dynamic of brachos is such that one bracha will cover any item with that bracha as long as he had intention for all those items. Additionally, as long as those foods were on the table at the time of the bracha and he was at least partially aware of them then he is covered. For example, if you recite haetiz on a grape, the bracha will cover all the other fruits on the table automatically. This is provided that the second fruit is not more Chashuv. For example, if Haeitz was recited on an apple it will not cover the grapes as they are from the “7 species.”
Another scenario which is tantamount to having specific intention on all things of similar bracha is when you are a guest at someone's house. The guest is assumed to have the intention that his bracha should cover anything the host brings. This concept also applies to a husband being served by his wife, or yeshiva students that rely on the kitchen staff.
There are a few other scenarios that a bracha will cover more food than you had originally intended.
1) More of the same type - if you ate one apple and subsequently decided to eat another one no bracha is required.
2) Not finished with your food - if you started eating an apple and before you finish, they bring you a pear, or you realized during the apple eating, that you will have a pear after the apple, then no new bracha is required.
3) Same bracha- according to the minhag of the Sefardim, any time the bracha of the second item is the same as the first item you are covered with the original bracha even if you finished the first food item and it is a different species. For example, if you ate an apple and then they brought you a pear, no new bracha is required.
4) A meal - some poskim suggest that if you are partaking of one of your daily meals, then the general intention is to eat anything that comes your way. This will cover a new item even if it is a new type and even if the first item is finished. Others say that this heter is not lechatchila, and it is recommended to have specific intention for anything that will come at the meal.
5) Regularly eaten together- for example, if most times that you eat chicken poppers it is together with a drink of soda, then no additional bracha is needed for the soda.
However, all of these “Stam Daas“ scenarios apply under the following conditions -
- The second item isn't more Chashuv.
- The new food item came from a place that was somewhat expected.
- The second item isn't in a different class of food.
1) Chashuv - for example, if the second item is more Chaviv or it is one of the “7 species,” then a new bracha is required.
2) Not expected – for example, if it came from a next-door neighbor and you had no idea about the food a new bracha is required.
3) Different class - for example fish and beer or chicken and chocolate a new bracha is required.
In conclusion, when making a bracha on water during the day “stam” and some food randomly shows up, a new bracha is definitely required. In fact, the Rema in siman 206, seif 5 recommends that the proper practice is to accustom oneself to always have clear intention when reciting any bracha, that it should include anything that will come his way.
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