Cases in Which the Din of Precedence Does Not Apply

1. The Halachos of precedence in Brachos apply only when two foods are placed before a person and he intends to eat both at that time. However, if only one of the foods is before him - even if he intends to eat the second one later - the Halachos of precedence do not apply. He may therefore recite the Bracha over the food currently before him, even if the second food [that should take precedence according to these Halachos] will shortly be brought before him.

Similarly, when foods are usually eaten in a specific order - such as a meal that begins with fish and continues with rice and potatoes, or when one eats cooked vegetables and afterwards compote - in such cases, even if the later foods would ordinarily take precedence if they were to be eaten now, one need not give them precedence  (הל' ברכות לריטב"א פ"ג ס"ט, וכ"ה בדע"ת ובכה"ח סק"ה בשם שו"ת הלק"ט, וכ"ה בשועה"ר סי' רמ"ט סק"ד, ועי' בה"ל ס"ג).

Likewise, if one wishes to first eat a certain food for health reasons, the Halachos of precedence do not apply (דע"ת וכה"ח שם בשם שו"ת הלק"ט, ועי' ראשון לציון לבעל האוה"ח הקדוש, ברכות מ"א).

Similarly, if one precedes eating a certain food due to a Halachic doubt - such as a Ben Sepharad who drinks water before a bread meal - the Halachos of precedence do not apply (עי' סי' קע"ד ס"ז).

Precedence Between Food and Fragrance

• The Brachos over eating and drinking precede the Bracha over fragrance (Magen Avraham, end of §211).

Precedence Between Food and Drink with the Same Bracha

• The Halachos of precedence discussed below apply even when one item is food and the other is drink (פמ"ג במשב"ז סק"ו, ומשנ"ב ס"ק ט"ז, ועי' בריטב"א ברכות מ"א. ד"ה ולענין שנראה שחולק). However, when there is no requirement to precede one over the other - such as when one has before him an egg and milk, both equally "Chaviv" (preferred) to him, and with no precedence based on זשג"ח (to be explained below) - he may precede whichever he wishes (ריטב"א ופמ"ג הנ"ל, ובפמ"ג פתיחה להל' ברכות סוף אות ח', ועי' ערוה"ש סי"ז).

The Order of Precedence

• Precedence in reciting Brachos is determined by the relative importance of the foods. There are five levels of Brachos:
•  A more specific Bracha [according to the order מג"ע א"ש - for example, the Bracha “Borei Pri HaEtz” which applies only to fruits of the tree, is more specific than the Bracha “Shehakol” which applies to all items].
• A food belonging to the Seven Species [ז' מינים].
•  A whole food [שלם].
•  A favored (preferred) food [חביב].
•  A larger food [גדול].

It will be explained below what should be done when one level of precedence stands in opposition to another - for example, if one has fruits before him and one is of the Seven Species whereas the other is Chaviv (favored), or when one food requires the Bracha “Mezonos” and the other is whole.

Definition of “Chaviv” (Preferred)

• The Rishonim disagree whether “preferred” refers to what he generally prefers or to what he prefers at that moment. Practically, we follow the opinion that one goes after the food that he generally prefers (שו"ע ס"א) . [If generally both are equally preferred, but one is preferred now, that one precedes.]

Foods with Different Brachos – מג"ע א"ש

• When several foods are before a person and their Brachos differ, the order of precedence is: Mezonos → HaGefen → HaEtz → HaAdamah → Shehakol. The ראשי תיבות מג"ע א"ש  can serve as a reminder of the order, which is based on the specificity of the Nusach of the Bracha - the more specific the Bracha, the greater its precedence.

This Order Overrides All Other Qualities

• The specificity of the Bracha overrides all other considerations. Therefore, if one has half a spelt cookie (Mezonos, though not from the Seven Species) and a date that possesses all other qualities -Seven Species, whole, Chaviv (preferred), and larger - one still precedes Mezonos.

Rice: The precedence of Mezonos applies not only to the Five Grains but also to rice, since its Bracha is Mezonos (רשב"ץ ברכות מ"א, לבוש סי' ר"ח ס"א בהג"ה, אבן העוזר סי' רי"א, חסד לאלפים שם. אולם בהגהות ערך לחם למהריק"ש שם ובחמד משה שם סק"ד כתבו שאין דין קדימה לאורז כיון שאינו מה' מיני דגן, ועי' פמ"ג א"א ס"ק ז, ובס"ק י"ג, ובסוף סי' רי"א סדר המעלות אות ב', ובכה"ח ס"ק כ"ז).

Exception: Preferred HaAdamah vs. HaEtz

• If one of the foods requires HaEtz and the other HaAdamah, and the HaAdamah item is Chaviv (preferred), it has precedence (עי' כה"ח סקי"ד) . Nevertheless, in such a case the HaAdamah food must be one that is Chaviv to him, both generally and at the present time. However, if the HaAdamah item is generally Chaviv but at present the HaEtz is more Chaviv, or conversely, if the HaEtz item is generally more Chaviv but at this moment the HaAdamah is more Chaviv to him - he should give precedence to reciting the Bracha over the HaEtz fruit.
• If one has before him a food whose Bracha is “HaEtz” and a food whose Bracha is “HaAdamah”, and each possesses a different advantage, there is room for doubt as to the order of precedence—whether it should be: Chaviv, Seven Species, Shalem (whole); or Shalem, Chaviv, and Seven Species. There are those who say that only the criterion of Chaviv is determinative, and if both are equally Chaviv, he may give precedence to whichever he wishes (שעה"צ סק"ה) .

Pastry vs. Cooked Dish (Same Bracha)

1. A baked item precedes a cooked dish (רשב"א ברכות מ"א, שו"ע הרב סדר ברכות הנהנין פ"ט ס"ז, וצ"ע במשנ"ב שלא הזכיר דין זה). Therefore, if one has cake and Lokshen Kugel, he recites the Bracha over the cake. Likewise, cake precedes bissli or croutons (which are deep-fried and Halachically considered cooked dishes). It appears that a baked item takes precedence over a cooked dish even in a case where the cooked dish is superior to the order of precedence זשח"ג (to be explained below). For example, if one has before him a slice of cake and bissli, he should recite the Bracha over the cake, even though the bissli is whole.

Five Grains vs. Rice

1. The five species of grain take precedence over rice. Therefore, if one has before him a baked item or a cooked dish made from the five species of grain [such as noodles] and cooked rice, he should first recite the Bracha over the item made from the five species of grain.

Foods with the Same Brachos – זשח"ג

1. When several types of foods are placed before a person, each of which has the same Bracha: If there is a food from the Seven Species – one should recite the Bracha over that food. If there is no food from the Seven Species – one should recite the Bracha over the whole (complete) food [Shalem]. If there is no whole food – one should recite the Bracha over the food that is most Chaviv. If there is no beloved Chaviv – one should recite the Bracha over the largest food [Gadol].

Remember the order by the acronym: זשח"ג – Seven Species, Shalem (whole), Chaviv, Gadol (greatest).

Examples:

The Seven Species [ז' מינים]

A food belonging to the Seven Species takes precedence over other foods. Therefore, if one has before him half a biscuit made from wheat flour and a cake made from spelt flour, he should recite the Bracha over the biscuit, since it is from one of the Seven Species, even if the cake is whole, larger, and more Chaviv.
Likewise, if one has before him half an olive and a complete peach, he should recite the Bracha over the olive, because it is from one of the Seven Species.

Whole [שלם]

A whole item (Shalem) takes precedence over an item that is not whole. Therefore, if one has before him a whole cucumber and slices of pepper, he should recite the Bracha over the whole cucumber.
Similarly, if one has before him a whole cookie and a slice of cake, he should recite the Bracha over the whole cookie.
Likewise, if one has before him half a walnut and a whole pistachio, he should recite the Bracha over the pistachio.

This rule - that a whole item takes precedence over one that is not whole - applies even when the item that is not whole is more Chaviv and larger. Therefore, in the above case he recites the Bracha over the whole cucumber even if the pepper is more Chaviv to him. Likewise, he recites the Bracha over the cookie even if the cake is more Chaviv. Similarly, he recites the Bracha over the pistachio even if the walnut is more Chaviv.

Chaviv (favored) [חביב]

When all the foods are of the same species, and all are whole or all are cut, one should give precedence to the food that is generally more Chaviv to him. Therefore, if one has before him an apple and a peach, and he generally prefers peaches, he should give precedence to reciting the Bracha over the peach.

Larger[גדול]

When all the foods are of the same species, all are whole or all are cut, and they are equally Chaviv, one should give precedence to the larger item. Therefore, if one has before him a large roll and a small roll, he should give precedence to the larger roll.

Likewise, if one has before him an apple and a nut, he should give precedence to the apple, since it is larger than the nut [unless the nut is more Chaviv to him].

A Full Cup and a Cup That Is Not Full

If one has before him two cups of drink, one full and one not full – no source is found in Chazal or the Poskim indicating that the full cup takes precedence for the Bracha. The reason for this could be that a liquid does not constitute a "Chibbur" (connection) therefore the fuller cup is not considered Gadol, (עי' תהל"ד סי' קס"ז סק"א, ויל"ע מהמבואר לעיל בענין קדימות מאכל ומשקה).

 Din of Precedence Among the Seven Species

1. If one has before him several kinds of fruits from the Seven Species, he should give precedence to the species that is closer to the word “Eretz” in the Passuk “Eretz Chittah Use’orah…” (“A land of wheat and barley…”). The order of the species is: olive, date, grape, fig, pomegranate.

If one has before him fruits of the Seven Species and Shalva (puffed wheat), and the Shalva is more Chaviv to him, he should give it precedence in the Bracha.

Precedence Applies to the Bracha, Not to the Eating

1. The Din of precedence applies only to the order of reciting the Bracha; it does not determine the order of eating. For example, if one has before him three foods requiring the same Bracha - one from the Seven Species, one whole, and one cut - he should give precedence and recite the Bracha over the Seven Species, as explained above. However, after he has recited the Bracha and tasted from that fruit, he is not required to then eat the Shalem (whole) item next, rather if he so desires he may choose to then eat the cut item first.

Likewise, if one has before him various fruits, including fruits of the Seven Species [as is common at the Tu BiShvat meal], the Din of precedence requires him to recite the Bracha over the olive. Once he has recited the Bracha over it and tasted from it, he may eat the remaining fruits in whatever order he wishes, and he is not required to give precedence to the remaining fruits of the Seven Species according to the order stated in the Passuk.

If One Erred in the Order [and The Ruling of the Rashba]

1. All Halachos of precedence apply Lechatchila. However, if one erred and recited the Bracha on a food that he was not supposed to give it precedence, he has apparently fulfilled his obligation.

Nevertheless, the Rashba(ברכות מ"א, הובא בב"י סי' ר"ו,  וסי' רי"א, ונפסק ברמ"א ס"ה, ובבא"ח שנה א' פ' בלק, אמנם עי' כה"ח סי' ר"ו ס"ק ל"ט וסי' רי"א ס"ק כ"ד) rules that a Bracha over a less important food does not exempt a more important food (e.g., Seven Species or generally Chaviv), even if it was present at the time of the Bracha. Examples:

• If one recited a Bracha over an apple and afterward wants to eat a date, the Bracha over the apple does not exempt the date. Since the date is from the Seven Species, it is considered more significant and is not covered by the previous Bracha.
•  If a person has an olive and a grape before him, and he recites the Bracha over the grape and he then wants to eat the olive, the olive is not exempt by the Bracha over the grape. Since the olive comes first in the Passuk, it is considered more significant, and he must recite a separate Bracha over it.
• If he recited a Bracha over an apple and afterward wants to eat a mango - if the mango is generally more Chaviv to him, he must recite another Bracha over it. [However, if it is favored only at that moment, he does not recite another Bracha.]

[Note: According to the rulings of the Rashba, this Din is not limited to cases where the decision to eat the more important food arose only after reciting the Bracha on the less important food, as in the examples above, it also applies when at the time of reciting the Bracha he intended to eat both, but mistakenly recited the Bracha first over the less important food. In such a case, the more important food is not exempt by the Bracha over the less important food (עי' רשב"א שכתב דינו על האופן הנ"ל) .]

Further Details of the Din:

• Even if the more important food is on the table before him at the time of reciting the Bracha, it is not exempt by the Bracha. However, if it was on the plate before him, and he is accustomed to tasting everything on the plate, the food is exempt, as will be explained below in [d].
•  If he intended to exempt the more important food, it is exempt.
• If he did not intend to exempt the important food, it is not covered by the Bracha, even if he generally intends to eat it later (רשב"א שם, משנ"ב ס"ק לג, גר"ז סי' ר"ו ס"י, פמ"ג סי' ח' א"א ס"ק ט"ו). [However, if at the time of the Bracha he intended to eat it, see the next paragraph.] If he is only accustomed to eat the important foods afterward, it is certainly not exempt.
•  If, at the time of reciting the Bracha, he explicitly intended to eat the more important species afterward, it is exempt (עמק ברכה [לאבי השל"ה] הל' ברכות כלל ד' ס"ו בפירוש דברי רבו הרמ"א הנ"ל סי' ר"ו ס"ה, וכ"ה בהגהות הסמ"ע [מהדורת פרידמן] סי' רי"א, ובגינת ורדים או"ח כלל א' סי' ז' ד"ה והא) . However, it is not sufficient to rely on a condition that all Brachos recited on that day will exempt all the important food.

Therefore, when reciting the Bracha, it is preferable to always have in mind that it should exempt all other foods that will be eaten.

Guests: This Din does not apply to guests [or in any situation where household members bring food to him]. Therefore, a guest who recites a Bracha over a less important food, and afterward is served a more important food, he does not recite a new Bracha over the more important food, since it is considered that he intended to exempt it when reciting the Bracha.

One Species: This Din applies only when there are two different species. If there is only one type of food (for example, he recited a Bracha over black grapes and there are also green grapes before him and the green ones are generally more Chaviv to him), even if he did not explicitly intend to exempt them, he does not recite a second Bracha, because they are considered the same species (א"ר, הובא במשנ"ב סי' ר"ו ס"ק כ', ובבה"ל סי' רי"א ס"ה). A single species is considered such even if it differs in taste or name. Therefore, water and types of soft drinks are considered a single species, and so too different types of cakes or cookies are considered a single species.

Whole or Large Food: This Din applies only when the second food’s importance is because it is generally Chaviv or is from the Seven Species. However, if the importance of the second food is because it is Shalem (whole) or Gadol (large), it is exempt by the Bracha recited on the first food, even though Lechatchila the Bracha should have been recited first over the other food.

Less Favored Seven Species: If the first food is more Chaviv - for example, he prefers the apple over the date - even though Lechatchila he should have recited the Bracha over the date (because a species from the Seven Species takes precedence over Chaviv), he does not recite a second Bracha afterward. This is due to consideration with the Rambam’s ruling that Chaviv takes precedence over the Seven Species (ועי' מש"כ המשנ"ב ס"ק ל"ג).

Cooked Dish and Baked Item: If he recited a Bracha over a cooked dish (e.g., noodles, bissli, croutons, etc.) and afterward eats cake, he must recite Mezonos again (רשב"א שם, ועיין גר"ז שם).

Rice and the Five Species of Grain: If he recited a Bracha over rice and afterward eats a food made from the five species of grain, he must recite Mezonos again.

Additional Priorities

1. The priorities mentioned above are prescribed by the Halacha of the Gemara and the Rishonim. However, we also find additional considerations regarding precedence for a Bracha. Therefore, in a case where the earlier priorities do not apply (i.e., the two foods before him are equally Chaviv, both are Shalem of equal size, etc.), some authorities note additional factors, such as:
2. More nourishing food (עי' ברכות ל"ט, וצ"ע שלא הוזכר בפוסקים, ויל"ע לפי"ז במבואר לעיל בענין קדימות אכילה ושתייה) .
3. Food requiring Shehecheyanu (רשב"ץ ברכות מ"א.).
4. Food through which a Mitzvah was performed, for example, jam made from an Esrog, or bread used for an Eiruv Chatzeiros or Eiruv Tavshilin (עי' ברכות ל"ט, או"ח סי' רצ"ו).
5. Fruits to which Klal Yisrael were compared allegorically (כה"ח סי' רי"א סק"ז).
6. Fruits grown in Eretz Yisrael.
7. Remnants from a Seudas Mitzvah.