Hilchos B'rachos part XX

         The B’racha for Wine

Shulchan Aruch writes [1] that the b’racha recited over wine incorporates all beverages. The poskim explain that wine is the prime beverage and all other beverages are considered of lesser importance.

So if I recited a áåøà ôøé äâôï over wine, I do not recite shehakol for coffee?

That is correct. If for example you made kiddush on Shabbos day and drank grape juice or wine, and you would like to follow that up with coffee and cake, you would recite a mezonos on the cake and no b’racha on the coffee.

Is it the wine that is important or the b’racha?

It appears from most poskim that wine is an important beverage, which causes other beverages to be considered subservient thereto. However, from the Levush one can understand that it is not the beverage that is important rather the fact that wine has a unique b’racha and wine is used at important functions. Another explanation is [2] that the praise stemming from the b’racha covers other beverages as well, because it is common to drink other beverages with wine.

Does the coffee need to be on the table when you recite áåøà ôøé äâôï?

Several opinions [3] hold that the coffee must be in front of you when you recite the áåøà ôøé äâôï, while others [4] hold that it suffices to have in mind that you want to drink coffee. It is therefore correct to have the coffee and other beverages on the table when reciting áåøà ôøé äâôï.

Must a specific quantity be imbibed to include other beverages?

This is indeed problematic. The Chayei Adam holds that wine can only include other beverages if one ‘sits down’ to drink wine, but not if one merely drinks one or two glasses. Many others [5] however disagree and hold that imbibing any quantity of wine will negate the need to recite a b’racha for other beverages.

Consequently, the Bi’ur Halacha  [6] suggests that it is correct to drink a substantial quantity of wine, which is equivalent to a cheek-full of wine (îìà ìåâîéå), [7] and thus include other beverages in the b’racha.

But what do I do if I don’t drink enough?

Based on the above, imbibing less than îìà ìåâîéå of wine or grape juice creates a problem of whether one must recite a shehakol on Coke or coffee imbibed after the wine or grape juice. Many have the custom, when being ‘yoitze kiddush’ from someone else, to drink a small amount of ‘kiddush wine’, but as mentioned this creates a problem.  Accordingly it would seem that the best discourse is to either not drink wine at all [8] (as it is totally accepted to be yoitze kiddush without drinking any wine at all) or to make sure that one drinks ëîìà ìåâîéå.

Another option is to recite a shehakol on something else, for example on a piece of herring or candy, which will cover the necessary shehakol for the beverage.

What is the halacha with regards to b’racha acharona?

Just as áåøà ôøé äâôï includes all beverages in the b’racha rishona, so does òì äâôï, which is recited after imbibing wine, include all beverages in the b’racha acharona. [9]

Practically, this means that one who imbibed the required quantity of wine or grape juice (which is a øáéòéú äìåâ) [10] and also had a soft drink, water or any other beverage, will not recite a áåøà ðôùåú, as the òì äâôï includes it.

Birkas Hatov V’hameitiv – äèåá åäîèéá 

            Chazal instituted a special b’racha to be recited over additional wine, to praise Hashem for His benevolence of affording one this special treat. [11]

Several conditions must be met to facilitate this b’racha.

1.      The first bottle of wine was not depleted. If the first wine is depleted one will not recite äèåá åäîèéá on the additional wine. The idea is that one still has wine and is lavishing oneself with more wine. [12]

2.      At least two people are sharing both wines, because äèåá åäîèéá means good for me and for another. [13]

3.      The drinking parties must have equal rights to the wine, i.e. both parties may drink without asking permission from the other party. This practically means that the host should say to the guest that he may drink freely from the wine. One’s wife and children are considered partners in the wine. [14]

The second wine must not be inferior to the first wine. One need not know that the second wine is superior wine, it suffices to know that it is not inferior. [15]