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1) One who smelled water or oil which was used to soak a good smelling grass, fruit or tree, and thus absorbed their scent and became fragrant, is required to recite a Bracha. (See Mishna Berura 216:19 and Sha’ar HaTzion S"K 17)
The Bracha recited is the Bracha that would have been recited on the grass, fruit or tree that was soaking in the water or oil.
If a variety of different grasses, fruits and trees [which require different Brachos, Atzei Besamim , Isvei Besamim, HaNosen Rayach Tov] were soaking in the water or if other items which do not grow from the ground were in the mixture, the proper Bracha to recite on the water or oil would then be "Borei Minei Besamim" (See Mishna Berura 216:26-28)
2) The above Halacha is only as long as some residue of the grass or tree remained in the water.
If, however, no residue remained at all, or the water was strained, the Poskim debate which Bracha to recite if any, and thus say to either recite "Borei Minei Besamim" or according to some Poskim it’s best to recite the Bracha on something else and exempt this water or oil, and if nothing else is available, to refrain from smelling it in the first place. (Some say that it receives its own Bracha of "Borei Shemen Arev- Creator of sweet smelling oils". See Shulchan Aruch 216:6 and Mishna Berura S"K 32)
Similarly, if one squeezed a spice or flower and it produced a liquid, the Bracha required when smelling that liquid would be the Bracha of that particular spice or liquid. (e.g. rose extract would require "Borei Atzei Besamim) (Mishna Berura 216:19)
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Reader Submitted Questions of interest on topics related to Halachos we covered, as well as other interesting topic and Answers. Taken from the Q & A pages on the Halacha For Todaywebsite.
Although the answers I give to questions are taken directly from the Sifrei HaPoskim, and aren’t my own, they are still for study purposes only, NOT for Psak Halacha.
IQ: Is a non Jewish maid or housekeeper allowed to use the microwave in their Jewish Employers house A) for their personal use (obviously not treife food) B) to warm up something for the Jew -already cooked C) to cook something raw like corn
Answer:
This is a debate amongst the Poskim if "cooking" in a microwave is considered halachic cooking, as there is no fire and also the food that is usually prepared in a microwave is not fit to serve for a king.
Rav Moshe Feinstein Zatzal (Igros Moshe Orach Chaim Vol. 3 Siman 52) ruled that microwave cooking on Shabbos is a prohibition of Bishul.
Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach Zatzal (Minchas Shlomo Siman 12 footnote 4) maintained that only cooking with fire is the biblical prohibition of cooking and thus microwave cooking is not biblically prohibited in regard to Shabbos.
A Rav must be consulted for Halacha L’Ma’aseh to determine a) if microwave cooking is considered cooking and
b) if the fact that it may be considered cooking for Shabbos automatically means it’s considered cooking for the purposes of Bishul Akum and other areas of Halacha, and thus your questions will be answered.
Our holy sages, the Chazal tell us
תנא דבי אליהו כל השונה הלכות בכל יום מובטח לו שהוא בן עולם הבא, שנאמר הליכות עולם לו, אל תקרי הליכות אלא הלכות - one who studies [at least two] Halachos daily is assured a portion in Olam Haba - the world to come. (:מגילה כ"ח )
Important Numbers
