Prayer and Blessings
Regarding the blessing Shehakol
Question
Is the blessing Shehakol over a liquid such as water, when I intend with that blessing to exempt a solid food such as an egg, sufficient to exempt the blessing on the solid food? Or am I required to recite another blessing on the solid food, such as an egg?
Thank you very much.
Answer
Greetings,
The blessing Shehakol over a drink also exempts food. Therefore, if, for example, you recited Shehakol over water and intended to exempt the egg, you do not recite the blessing over the egg a second time.
Sources: This is clearly proven from what the Magen Avraham wrote (siman 206, seif katan 7), that if one drank beer and they brought him fish and his intention included them, he does not need to recite a blessing over the fish. See also Responsa Ganat Veradim (part 1, siman 4), where he ruled likewise. There, in siman 5, he cited the view of Rabbi Moshe Vital, who held that it does not exempt. Then he wrote again in siman 6 to answer his words, and ruled that this is a clear and lucid halacha, like a garment, that the blessing Shehakol over drinks exempts foods whose blessing is Shehakol. See also Responsa Peulat Tzaddik, part 1 (siman 145), which cites the words of Ganat Veradim as halacha. Also see Responsa Mahari Prag'i (siman 74), which cites the words of a certain teacher who argued that the blessing Shehakol over drinking does not exempt the blessing Shehakol over eating, and he rejected his words. This was also ruled by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef of blessed memory in Kol Sinai (issue 72, page 20). Likewise in Yalkut Yosef, Hilchot Mo'adim (page 253, seif 6).
With blessings, Hillel Meirs
