INSIGHTS TO THE DAF
Fruit Juice and Cooking
The Gemora says that one says She-hakol on date honey, as this juice is considered only an excretion.
The Rosh (12) cites the Behag who limits this statement to date honey mixed with water, but pure date honey is still Ha’eitz.
All other Rishonim disagree, and the Shulchan Aruch (202:8) therefore rules that only the juice of grapes and olives are considered the fruit itself, and all others are She-hakol.
The Gemora rules that cooked vegetables, which are normally eaten cooked, and their broth are Ha’adamah.
The Rosh (18) asks why this broth retains the brachah of vegetable, while the juice squeezed from a fruit is She-hakol.
The Rosh suggests that what is extracted from a fruit by cooking is more a part of the fruit than its juice. Therefore, it is possible that one would say Ha’eitz on water in which a fruit was soaked, as that is tantamount to cooking.
The Rashba disagrees, and explains that cooking vegetables is the normal way of preparing them, and therefore the product retains the brachah. However, fruit is not normally squeezed for its juice, and therefore the juice is She-hakol.
The Rosh (Responsa 4:15) says that the broth of cooked vegetables is Ha’adamah only when the cooking is normally done in order to eat the vegetables.
The Chazon Ish (OH 33:5) says that juice of oranges grown for juicing would be Ha’eitz, since this is the normal way of eating it.
In the case of fruit soaked or cooked in water, the Shulchan Aruch (202:10) cites both the Rosh (on the Gemora) and Rashba’s position, while in the case of fruit juice, the Shulchan Aruch (205:2) rules like the Rosh.
See Ve’sen Brachah (Rabbi Bodner) page 438, note 29.1 for a discussion about the brachah on clear borscht.
Mashed Fruits
The Gemora rules that terima – mashed fruit retains its original brachah.
The Rishonim differ in their definition of a mashed fruit.
Rashi implies that terima is only partially mashed.
The Terumas Hadeshen (29) says that it still retains some of its original form, and is recognizable.
The Rambam (Brachos 8:4) says that one says Ha’eitz even if one made a cake out of figs.
The Mishnah Berurah (202:42) rules that as long as the fruit is recognizable, one should say Ha’eitz, but otherwise She-hakol.
The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Pe’alim 2:28) and Rav Ben Tzion Abba Shaul maintain that this is what the Rambam and Shulchan Aruch say as well, while Rav Ovadia Yosef (Chazon Ovadia brachos p. 132) says that they say that one would say Ha’eitz even if the fruit isn’t recognizable.
See Yabia Omer (7:29 and addendums, p. 427) for a discussion of falafel balls.
Eating One Fruit
The Gemora asks how Rabbi Yochanan could have said a brachah acharonah on one olive, as it was less than a k’zayis, once he removed the pit. The Gemora answers that it was a large olive, leaving a k’zayis without the pit.
Tosfos (39a batzar) cites the Yerushalmi which answers the question by saying that one says a brachah acharonah on a berya – full unit, even if it is less than k’zayis.
The Rishonim differ on whether we accept the Yerushalmi, and what exactly the definition of a berya is.
The Rambam and Rif do not cite the Yerushalmi, indicating that they felt that the Yerushalmi is disputing the Bavli, and we therefore do not accept it.
The Rosh and Rabbenu Yonah suggest that the Yerushalmi was commenting on a different story, and we may therefore also rule like the Yerushalmi.
The Shulchan Aruch (210:1) cites these Rishonim, and therefore advises that one should not eat a full berya if not eating a full k’zayis measure.