For donations Click Here

Orange Juice Today

Going over siman 202 in Shulchan Aruch the poskim discuss that a bracha for a fruit or vegetable may depend sometimes on the intention of the one planting the fruit. Today, there are species of oranges that are specifically grown for their juice and not to eat. Does this impact the bracha?

Answer:

Shehakol should be made on all forms of orange juice.

Sources: Or Le'Zion (14:6) discusses the basic berachah on orange juice, and concludes, after quoting a discussion of the Chazon Ish (33:5; the Chazon Ish compares squeezing an orange to pressing a plum), that the correct berachah is shehakol.

This is confirmed by Rav Shmuel Wosner (Shevet Halevi 4:19), who discusses the dispute between the Rashba and the Rosh (mentioned in Shulchan Aruch 202:10), and writes that the principle halachah follows the opinion of the Rashba, according to whom even if an entire fruit is pressed into juice, the berachah would be shehakol (see also Taz 205:8 concerning the Rosh's opinion, and Chemed Moshe; see also Ginas Veradim 1:26). The same conclusion is reached by Yalkut Yosef (Vol. 3, p. 402) concerning orange and carrot juice.

The question of oranges grown for the purpose of juice is raised by Rav Moshe Sternbuch (Teshuvos Vehanhagos 2:150), who writes that the berachah would depend on whether we follow the purpose of the planting (most oranges are planted for juice) or the majority's use (most people use oranges for eating), which is a dispute in Orach Chaim 202 (see Magen Avraham 12).

Rav Binyamin Silver (Az Nidberu Vol. 7, no. 57) write that the prinicple halachah is that the majority of planting determines the blessing, and because most oranges are planted for export, which is mainly for eating (and not for juice), it follows that the blessing would be shehakol. Even if the Rosh would disagree (based on Taz, as mentioned), out of doubt the correct berachah is shehakol.

Therefore, the correct berachah is shehakol, even if small pieces of orange are present in the juice.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *