TORAT MIZRACHI

Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon

What is the Beracha on Cheesecake?

here is a custom to eat dairy if it is less important (unless we really do The following diagram summarizes: foods on Shavuot (Rema not enjoy its taste or cannot taste it). The 494:3). Some believe that reason for this is that the five kinds of grain The beracha on a food which consists of both shehakol and mezonot ingredients: dairy serves as a parable to are of special importance, since bread is Torah (Mishan Berura se’if usually made from them, so even if they Tkatan 11), since the Torah is likened are in a relatively small (but noticeable) to milk, as it says “honey and milk amount, they are considered the main If you do Baked Baked under your tongue” (Shir HaShirim ingredient. In the language of the Gemara: not enjoy together separately the mezonot 4:11), metaphorically referring to the “Anything which contains one of the ingredient sweetness of Torah in one’s mouth. five kinds of grain – its beracha is borei Some believe that since the people of minei mezonot.” Israel received the laws of kashrut for Therefore, the beracha on baked For For example: For example: the first time at Matan Torah, they cheesecake is only mezonot. Although example: krembo, you do not cheesecake, ice cream enjoy the could not immediately eat meat and the cheese is most important to us, the in a cone, crust or the kasher their utensils, so they ate milk. bottom of the cake, which is mezonot, chocolate bars cone with grains or Many eat cheesecake on Shavuot; but is considered primary. So too with flour what beracha should one say? In baked chocolate bars which include mezonot cheesecake, there is pastry (mezonot) ingredients (like the Israeli kif-kef, pesek and cheese (shehakol). Similar mixtures zman, etc.): although the chocolate is Beracha: Beracha: Beracha: of different distinct ingredients in one more important to us, the mezonot part mezonot mezonot & shehakol dish exist in many foods today, for is primary, since we taste that part and shehakol example, the Israeli krembo. Let’s think enjoy it as well. about the different possibilities for the However, one of our most important On Shavuot, we try to raise ourselves beracha: poskim, the Mishna Berura (168, sei’f up a level, to be filled with the desire to Maybe we say a shehakol, because katan 45), clarified that only when the fulfill G-d’s will in the world, to be ready the cheese or cream is shehakol, and two ingredients are baked together to receive the Torah. it seems this is the ikkar, the most should one say mezonot alone. However, We hope that we will prepare properly important part of the cake. when the two things are separate, and not only hear the ba’al koreh reading Maybe two blessings are recited: and only laid together, like ice cream Aseret HaDibrot, but hear G-d’s very mezonot on the pastry or cake section in a cone, such that a person enjoys voice emanating from within the words. and shehakol on the cheese or whipped both the ice cream and the cone, he As the Kedushat Levi writes: cream. should say two berachot: mezonot (on “Thus a person merits that on every Could it be that we recite only mezonot? the cone) and shehakol (on the ice Shavuot he hears the voice announcing The Mishnah (Berachot 44a) states: cream). Therefore, on a krembo, one Anochi Hashem Elokecha. We find that “This is the rule: whenever there is should say two berachot, because it a person must greatly prepare himself to an essential food and a secondary food includes two separate ingredients not merit hearing the words of G-d.” [within a mixture], we say a beracha on baked together. the essential and exempt the secondary.” If someone does not like the mezonot Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon is Rosh Yeshiva of The Gemara (Berachot 36b) teaches in the cake at all (or ice cream cone), JCT–Machon Lev and Head of Mizrachi’s us another rule: when there is a mixture and the foods are used only as a Educational Advisory Board. of foods which include shehakol ‘container’ to hold the cake or ice ingredients and mezonot ingredients, cream, one should not say mezonot at A member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau the flour is considered primary, even all, only shehakol. mizrachi.org/speakers

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Rabbanit Sharon Rimon

Shir HaMaalot: Marveling at Yerushalayim

pon the 15 steps leading up the people. Peace with external enemies the inspiration of the Divine within the to the beit HaMikdash was depends on inner peace. The foundation Jewish people. The spiritual dimension of were they Leviim stood and of unity is within Yerushalayim. Indeed, the city of Yerushalayim gives it a unique sang the15 Shir HaMaalot David HaMelech succeeded in conquering facet, which does not exist in other capital in Tehillim. Chapter 122 Yerushalayim only after uniting all the cities: the deep connection between which we people under his kingdom, and as in the Yerushalayim shel mata, “Yerushalayim ,שׁ ִ יר ַה ַּמ ֲעלוֹ ת ְל ָדִוד ,Uof Tehillim customarily read on Yom Yerushalayim, days of David so too today; the conquest of below” and Yerushalayim shel maalah, speaks of the Holy City, expressing the of Yerushalayim and the unification of “Yerushalayim of above.” The fact that joy, wonder, and excitement of those the two halves of the city was successful Yerushalayim is the sanctified city is the only in the Six Day War, when there was a deep reason why the Jewish people unite ָשׂ ַמ ְח ִּתי ְּב ְאֹמִרים ִלי :going up to Yerushalayim special unity among the nation. around it: from the belief in one G-d, who ֵּבית ה’ ֵנ ֵל ְך The chapter is written from the point unites all forces, comes the foundation of of view of a Jew going up to Yerushalayim the unity of all reality, and the unity of the who is filled with wonder at the sight tribes of Israel. Yerushalayim After the Jew admired the unity and ְעֹמדוֹ ת ָה ּיו ַר ְג ֵל ּינו :of the city before him He marvels at holiness expressed in Yerushalayim, he . ִ ּ ב שׁ ְ ָ ע ַ ר ִ י ְ ך … ְי ר ּו שׁ ָ ַ ִ ל ם ַה ְ ּ ב נ ּו ָ י ה the beautiful buildings which glorify is the city the continues to observe and admire another ִּכי :Yerushalayim and the vastly different represents element expressed in this special city David HaMelech . שׁ ָ ּ ָ מ ה ָי שׁ ְ ב ּו ִכ ְ ס א ֹ ו ת ְל ִ מ שׁ ְ ּ ָ פ ט .neighborhoods within one great city He does not only admire the physical connection to G-d, made Yerushalayim the eternal city, aspect of the city, but marvels at the within which his holy kingdom is building of the Jewish people and their justice and unity united. One of the important roles of ,the king is to do justice, and therefore ְ ּ כ ִ ע י ר שׁ ֶ ֻ ח ְ ּ ב ָ ר ה :unity around Yerushalayim ,Although the Yerushalayim, as the city of the kingdom .ָּלּה ַיְחָּדו; שֶָּׁׁשם ָע ּלו שְׁ ָבִטים people of Israel are made up of different is supposed to be the city of justice. tribes and ethnic groups, all have a part The Jew blesses Yerushalayim that G-d’s expectation from the people of in Yerushalayim. Yerushalayim is on the its inner essence will be expressed, that Israel is not only expressed on the ritual and spiritual level. G-d also expects and ,שֶׁ ֻחְּבָרה ָּלּה ַיְחָּדו border between the tribe of Yehudah the city will indeed be and the tribe of Binyamin, thus uniting “connected together,” uniting all of Israel. demands a high level of moral norms. all the parts of the nation. A Jew sees all The Jew continues to look at his Yerushalayim is the city that represents parts of the nation gathering together brethren coming to Yerushalayim, which all of these values: the connection to G-d, in Yerushalayim, is overcome with deepens his view of the purpose of the justice and unity. gathering in Yerushalayim: Yerushalayim Standing at the gates of Yerushalayim שׁ ַ ֲ א ל ּו :wonder, and blesses Yerushalayim is the spiritual center for all Jews, (and and seeing at the glory and greatness שׁ ְ לוֹ ם ְי ּרושׁ ָ ָלם… ְי ִהי שׁ ָ לוֹ ם ְּב ֵח ֵיל ְך שׁ ַ ְלָוה… ֲא ַד ְּבָרה ,Shalom and shalva repeat in the future will be a spiritual center of all its aspects – physical, intellectual .ָּנא שָׁלוֹם ָּבְך themselves numerous times in these for all nations). David’s choice of social and national – the Jew would sing verses, and their sound is similar to the Yerushalayim was not accidental, but and bless the city that its inner essence word “Yerushalayim,” so much so it is because Yerushalayim has an intrinsic will grow and be a blessing for the people understood that Yerushalayim is thus Divine foundation: the even hashetiya of Israel and the world: ְ ְ ֲא ַד ְּבָרה ָּנא שׁ ָ לוֹ ם ָּבך… ֲא ַב ְקשׁ ָ ה טוֹ ב ָלך! named because it is the city of peace and from which the whole world was founded wholeness. The Jew wishes Yerushalayim is in Yerushalayim and the binding of peace with its external enemies, and inner Yitzchak took place here. That is why Rabbanit Sharon Rimon teaches Tanach and peace, between the different parts of Yerushalayim is the most suitable city for is Content Editor for the HaTanakh website.

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