Weekly-Halacha, Parshas Beha'aloscha, 5757

SELECTED HALACHOS RELATING TO PARSHAS BEHA'ALOSCHA

By Rabbi Doniel Neustadt

The following is a discussion of Halachic topics related to the Parsha of the week. For final rulings, consult your Rav.

"And it (the manna) tasted like the taste of dough kneaded with oil" (11:8)

BLESSINGS OVER BREAKFAST CEREALS: AN UPDATE

What blessing is recited over "dough kneaded with oil?" Was the manna bread or cake? Vegetable or oil? Did it require a blessing--perhaps a Heavenly substance does not? All of these questions and possibilities are raised by the commentators and the actual blessing for manna remains unresolved (1). Indeed, the nature of manna was never understood, for upon seeing the manna for the first time in the Wilderness the Israelites queried: 'What is it?' (Shemos 16:15). The Reisha Rav, Harav A. Levin, interprets their comment to mean: What blessing is recited over this food, whose composition we do not know?

In a similar vein, today's breakfast cereal market is loaded with many a product about which we may ask: "What is it"--what is its exact composition and what blessing does it require? As with the manna, each cereal needs to be researched thoroughly so that its blessing can be determined. We offer here an updated r eview of a previous issue that was published last year.

Before listing some of the popular breakfast cereals and their correct blessings, we must first make an attempt to learn the basic principles governing blessings over cereals. Obviously, it is next to impossible to list all of the cereals on the market today, nor is it possible to predict what combinations cereal makers will come up with in the future. Upon mastering the basic rules, however, the educated reader can present his findings to a rav for a final decision.

BASIC RULES

RULE #1:: Cereals whose basic ingredients include one or more of the five species of grain--wheat, barley, spelt, rye and oats--require a mezonos. If, however only the bran (outer shell) of the grain is used, the blessing is shehakol (2).
RULE #2:: Cereals whose basic ingredient is corn flour, also known as "corn meal", are shehakol (3).
RULE #3:: Cereals which are made out of pieces of whole corn are ho'adamah (4). This form of corn is called "milled corn" by the cereal companies.
RULE #4:: Cereals whose basic ingredient is rice (which was either baked or cooked) are mezonos (5).
RULE #5:: When the basic ingredient of a cereal is corn flour, but a small amount of oat or wheat flour (or both) is added to it, the blessing depends upon the purpose for which the oat or wheat flour is added. If it was added in order to enhance the taste of the corn, then the entire mixture turns into a mezonos, even though the oat or wheat flour is the minority ingredient. If, however, the main purpose of the oat or wheat flour is to add texture and/or to "bind" the mixture, as is frequently the case when wheat st arch is added, then the blessing remains shehakol (6).
RULE #6:: Milk mixed with cereal does not require its own shehakol, since most people add milk to their cereal to make it more palatable and easier to eat (7). [The small amount of milk that may remain in the bowl after the cereal has been eaten does not require a shehakol (8).] In the atypical case where the milk is not secondary to the cereal but is consumed for its own value, it would require a shehakol (9).
RULE #7:: Raisins or bananas added to cereal do not require their own blessing since they are secondary to the cereal (10). When the main intent, however, is for the fruit, a separate blessing should be made over them (11).
RULE #8:: When various cereals are eaten together in one bowl and one of the cereals requires a Mezonos, then a Mezonos is said over the entire mixture. No further blessings are required (12). The exception to this rule is when mezonos is made over rice (13). In that case, since the mezonos is not made over one of the five species of grain, everything else in the bowl does not automatically become secondary to it. Unless rice is the majority ingredient, a blessing needs to be made over each item. [For this reason, mezonos made on Crispix will not cover the corn part of that cereal.]

PARTIAL LISTING

NOTE: Cereal manufacturers may, and according to experts often do, change their ingredients and/or manufacturing processes. One should be aware of the possibility of changes that may affect the kashrus or blessing of any product listed below. Several of the cereals listed below may be dairy--non cholov yisroel.

MEZONOS:

Apple Jacks: made from corn, wheat and oat flour.
Alpha Bits: made from a combination of whole grain oat and corn flour.
Cheerios: made from oat flour (14). Includes all varieties.
Cocoa Pebbles: made from rice by a process called oven puffing.
Fruit Loops: made from corn, wheat and oat flour.
Fruity Pebbles: made from rice by a process called oven puffing.
Grape Nuts: baked as heavy, dense barley bread which is pulverized into cereal (15).
Farina: cooked wheat.
Honey Combs: made from a combination of corn and whole grain oat flour (16).
Life: made from whole oat, whole wheat, corn and rice flour.
Oatmeal: cooked oats.
Oatmeal Crisp: made out of oats and wheat.
Raisin Bran: produced from wheat bran plus other par ts of the wheat kernel (17). See Rule #7.
Raisin Clusters: made from bran and other parts of the wheat kernel. See Rule #7.
Raisin Nut Bran: wheat bran with other parts of the wheat kernel. See rule #7.
Rice Chex: made from rice by a process called oven puffing.
Rice Krispies: made from rice by a process called oven puffing.
Wheat Chex: wheat based cereal.
Wheaties: wheat based cereal.

SHEHAKOL:

All Bran: made from the outer shell of the grain (wheat bran) which is not considered as part of the grain (18). May also contain some corn flour. There is, however, a product called All Bran Extra Fiber. This product is made from wheat bran and wheat flour. Its blessing is mezonos.
Captain Crunch: made mainly from corn flour with a small amount of oat flo ur for consistency (19).
Cocoa Puffs: made from corn meal. Some companies (20) add no wheat starch at all, while others (21) add a small amount (22).
Fiber One: made from the outer shell of the grain (wheat bran) which is not considered as part of the grain (23). May also contain some corn flour.
French Toast Crunch: a corn meal cereal.
Kix (all varieties): made from corn flour with a small amount of oat flour added for consistency (24).
Resse's Puffs: made from corn meal with no oat flour added. A small amount of wheat starch is added as a binder.
Trix: made from corn meal with no oat flour added. A small amount of wheat starch is added as a binder.

HO'ADAMAH:

Corn Chex: Recent research (25) indi cates that it is made out of whole pieces (milled corn). If so, its brachah is ho'adamah (26).
Corn Flakes: When processed by pressing pieces of cooked corn kernels into flakes, its blessing is ho'adamah (27). When produced from corn flour, its blessing is shehakol, borei nefashos (28).
Frosted Flakes: See Corn Flakes.
Corn Pops: Present research (29) indicates that it is made while the corn kernel is still intact--it is merely formed into a new shape. If so, its blessing is ho'adamah (30).
Kashi: Puffed wheat which remains whole throughout the puffing process (31).
Wheat Germ: The "embryo" of the kernel. Usually it is only steamed momentarily; it is not cooked (32).

BRACHA ACHRONAH:

All cereals listed in the ho'adamah and shehakol sections require a borei nefashos afterwards.

All cereals listed in the mezonos sections which are made out of rice, require a borei nefashos afterwards.

All cereals listed in the mezonos section which are made mostly from the five species of grain require an al hamichyah afterwards. These include:

Cheerios,
Grape Nuts,
Farina,
Life,
Oatmeal,
Oatmeal Crisp,
Raisin Bran,
Wheat Chex,
Wheaties.

All cereals listed in the mezonos section which are made from a combination of corn and oats, require a borei nefashos afterwards. This is because al hamichyah is said only if one eats at least a kzayis (1.1 fl. oz.) of grain within a time span of 3-4 minutes. Many cereals listed in that section contain only a small amount of oat flour, which makes it unlikely that a kzayis of grain will be consumed in that brief period of time. Al hamichyah should not be said over those cereals, since the other ingredients (sugar, cocoa, etc.) are not included as part of the required kzayis of grain (33). For less than a k'zayis of grain, a borei nefashos is said (34). Such cereals include:

Alpha Bits,
Fruit Loops,
Honey Combs.

QUESTIONABLE BRACHAH RISHONAH OR BRACHA ACHRONAH:

The following list contains cereals whose blessings remain in doubt. Different opinions among the poskim, and incomplete, inaccurate or constantly changing information all contribute to uncertainity in determining the correct blessing. (It is recommended that the cereals listed below be eaten only during a meal, or with other mezonos cereals [of the five species of grain (35)] whose blessing is not subject to debate, see rule #8 above.)

Corn Bran: contains mostly corn and corn bran flour with a small amount of oat flour. It is difficult to assess the exact amount and purpose of the oat flour and therefore it is recommended to eat it with other cereals only. If not possible, a shehakol should be said.
Crispix: made from equal amounts of rice and milled corn. The correct brachah is problematic since neither ingredient is the majority of one of the five species of grain (36). Some poskim rule that both mezonos and ho'adamah should be recited (37).
Granola: made from rolled oats. Some companies (38) just steam the oats briefly . The blessing on such granola is ho'adamah. Other companies (39) cut and bake the oats and the granola flakes adhere one to another - such granola is mezonos (40). The brachah achronah on both types is borei nefashos, although preferably (41), steamed grain should be eaten only d uring a meal to avoid making a brachah which does not satisfy all opinions.
Sugar Crisp (Golden Crisp, Sugar Smacks): made from puffed wheat (42). Many poskim (43) rule that hoadamah is said, while others (44) hold that the proper blessing is mezonos. Harav M. Feinstein rules that either blessing may be said (45). The brachah achronah is borei nefashos (46), although preferably (47) it should be eaten only during a meal to avoid making a blessing which does not satisfy all opinions.

FOOTNOTES

1 Yechaveh Daas 6:12 quotes 4 views: Mezonos; Hamotzi lechem min haaretz; Hamotzi lechem min hashomayim; No blessing at all.

2 Igros Moshe EH 1:114; Teharas Mayim pg. 330.

3 Rama OC 208:8.

4 Mishnah Berurah 208:37.

5 OC 208:7 and Shaar Hatzion 31.

6 Mishnah Berurah 208:49 and Biur Halachah; Mishnah Berurah 212:1. See Hebrew Notes for an elaboration.

7 Igros Moshe OC 4:43.

8 Mishnah Berurah 168:46.

9 Igros Moshe, OC 4:43. If the cereal serves as an inducement to get a child to drink milk, then the milk requires its own brachah (oral ruling by Harav M. Feinstein quoted in Brachos Study Guide pg. 43).

10 Aishel Avrohom 208:2; Biur Halachah 212:1; Mekor Habrachah pg. 65; V'zos Habrachah, 4th edition, pg. 92; Kashruth Kurrents (Star K) Winter, 1997.

11 See Igros Moshe OC 4:43 (concerning bananas which are found in cereal) and explanation offered by Pischei Halachah pg. 96. (See also Guide to Practical Halachah vol. 2 pg. 210, oral ruling from Debricener Rov). See Hebrew Notes for clarification of this issue.

12 OC 212:1, Mishnah Berurah and Biur Halachah.

13 Mishnah Berurah 207:30.

14 K vius Seudah over Cheerios would require Hamotzi and Bircas Hamazon--Harav S.Z. Auerbach (V'sain Brachah by Harav P. Bodner pg. 527).

15 Research and ruling of The Laws of Brachos (pg. 386).

16 The Laws of Brachos (pg. 371); Kashruth Kurrents (Star K), Winter, 1997

17 According to research done by the Star K, even companies (like Kellogg's) who list only 'wheat bran' in the ingredient list, include endosperm in this cereal. Unlike All-Bran, the brachah for Raisin Bran is definetly Mezonos.

18 V'sain Brachah (pg. 531).

19 Research done by Star K Certification. Although this cereal is marketed as a corn and oat cereal, it is only a marketing ploy to downplay the amount of sugar which is in the cereal.

20 Quaker.

21 General Mills.

22 The Laws of Brachos (pg. 364); V'sain Brachah (pg. 528).

23 The Laws of Brachos (pg. 359;367)

24 Based on research done by the Orthodox Union and Star-K, who have determined that the oat flour serves only as a binder. In the past, some had ruled that the proper brachah was Mezonos, see The Laws of Brachos (pg. 371) and Harav Forst's responsum in the Hebrew Notes, but it now seems that their ruling was based on erroneous information.

25 By Kashruth Kurrents (Star K), Winter 1997 (Ralston).

26 Previously, it has been reported that thi s cereal is made of corn flour.

27 Kellogg's and Post currently use this process. According to experts in the field, this could change at any time and without warning.

28 General Mills (Country, Total) and Kemach currently use this process. If accurate information is not available, Hoadama should be said (Harav S.Y. Elyashiv quoted in V'zos Habrachah, 4th edition, pg. 287).

29 Of Kellogg's (U.S.A.) by Kashruth Kurrents (Star K), Winter 1997. It is certainly possible, however, that other companies produce this kind of cereal from a batter of corn flour.

30 L'torah V'horaah (vol. 2 ) quotes Harav M. Feinstein as ruling that this type of cereal is like pop corn and the proper brachah is Hoadamah. See also The Laws of Brachos pg. 365.

31 Kashruth Kurrents (Star K), winter 1997.

32 Igros Moshe OC 4:46. Research done by V'zos Habrachah, 4th edition, pg. 282 # 50; Kashrus Kurrents (Star K), Winter 1997.

33 Harav Y.Z. Soloveitchik (quoted in Teshuvos V'hanhagos 132); Igros Moshe OC 1:71; EH 1:114; Divrei Yoel 13; Harav S.Z. Auerbach (quoted in V'sain Brachah pg. 230); Harav S.Y. Elyashiv and Harav C.P. Scheinberg (quoted in V'zos Habrachah, 4th edition, pg. 46); Yalkut Yosef 3:491. See Hebrew Notes for an explanation as to why the custom (quoted in Mishnah Berurah 208:48 concerning cakes) does not apply here.

34 OC 208:9.

35 A Mezonos said over rice cereal, however, will not exempt the questionable cereals [see rule #8], unless the rice cereal is the majority cereal.

36 See Rule 8 above. See also the The Laws of Brachos, pg. 386.

37 Kashruth Kurrents (Star K), Winter, 1997.

38 Kellogg's.

39 Quaker.

40 V'zos Habrachah (4th edition, pg. 103) quoting Harav S.Z. Auerbach and Harav S.Y. Elyashiv. See also V'sain Brachah pg. 505-506 an d The Laws of Brachos pg. 369. In reality, there are many ways to produce granola and each company does it differently. Methods are constantly changing.

41 Interpretation of Harav S.Z. Auerbach (quoted in Birchas Hanehenin pg. 147) of OC 208:4 and Mishnah Berurah 18.

42 Recent research shows that the bran and part of the endosperm is removed during the puffing process. Based on Mishnah Berurah 208:15 who says that cooked pearled wheat is Mezonos, the proper brachah should be Mezonos. Nevertheless, many poskim rule that Hoadamah is said for the following reasons:

Puffing is not cooking, since no water is used.
Some Rishonim hold that Mezonos can only be recited if the kernels adhere to one another. See The Laws of Brachos (pg. 272).

43 Igros Moshe OC 4:44; Harav S.Z. Auerbach (V'sain Brachah pg. 527), Harav S. Y. Elyashiv and Harav C.P. Scheinberg (V'zos Habrachah, 4th edition, pg. 101); Ohr Ltzion 14:21.

44 Mekor Habrachah (54); Kashruth Kurrents (Star K), Winter 1997.

45 Igros Moshe OC 4:45.

46 Igros Moshe OC 4:45 - even if a Mezonos was said as the brachah rishonah.

47 Mishnah Berurah 208:18 - according to the interpretation of Harav S.Z. Auerbach (quoted in Birchas Ha'nehenin pg. 147 and V'zos Habrachah pg. 101).