Halacha for Sunday 14 Cheshvan 5784 October 29 2023

The Blessing on Wine During a Meal

ההלכה מוקדשת לעלוי נשמת
כל הנרצחים בפרעות שביצעו צוררי נפשינו
ארץ אל תכסה דמם, וכן לרפואת הפצועים, ולזכות השבויים האומללים, ולהצלחת חיילי ישראל בכל מקום שהם, ה' יתברך יעמוד לימין צדקם, וימגר את כל אויבינו, לא יותיר בהם נשמה, המה יאבדו ואנו נעמוד לעד לעולם עד ביאת משיח צדקינו במהרה בימינו אמן.

Question: Must one recite the “Boreh Peri Ha’Gefen” blessing on wine served in the middle of a meal?

The Shehakol Blessing on Beverages Served During a Meal
Answer: It is well-known that one does not recite a blessing on beverages served during a bread meal, for beverages serve to assist in the digestion of the food one eats. Thus, the beverages are considered secondary with regards to any other foods eaten during the meal and the Shehakol blessing is not recited before drinking them, as they have already been exempted with the Hamotzi blessing recited on the bread at the beginning of the meal.

Reciting the “Boreh Peri Ha’Gefen” blessing on Wine Served During a Meal
The law for wine, however, is somewhat different. Our Sages tell us in Masechet Berachot (41b) that one must recite the Ha’Gefen blessing on wine served during a bread meal and the wine is not exempted with the Hamotzi blessing recited at the beginning of the meal. The Poskim, as well as Maran Ha’Shulchan Aruch (Chapter 174), rule accordingly.

One who Recites a Blessing on Wine before the Meal Does Not Recite Another Blessing During the Meal
Clearly, if one recites Kiddush on wine before the meal and recites the “Boreh Peri Ha’Gefen” blessing on the wine during the Kiddush, as we do every Shabbat, one will not recite another blessing on wine served during the meal since one has already exempted the wine’s blessing with the Ha’Gefen blessing recited during Kiddush before the meal.

Summary: If one drinks any kind of beverage during a bread meal, one does not recite a “Shehakol Nihya Bidvaro” blessing on it. On the other hand, if one is served wine in the middle of a bread meal, one must recite a “Boreh Peri Ha’Gefen” blessing before drinking it.

Nevertheless, if one recites a Ha’Gefen blessing on wine before the meal, such as during Kiddush on Shabbat night or day, one will not recite another blessing on wine served to him during the meal.

We shall discuss more details related to these laws in following Halachot, G-d-willing.

As a side note, we have already discussed the law that one who recites Ha’Gefen on wine does not recite a blessing on other beverages one drinks in a previous Halacha.

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