1. The products that receive the blessing of Haeitz versus Ha’adama:

The general rule is as follows: All products that grow on the ground are Ha’adama. [This applies whether they are sweet like a watermelon, or savory like a tomato.] All products that grow on a tree are Haeitz. [This applies whether they are sweet like a plum, or sour like a green apple, or savory like an avocado or olive. In this regard, we pay no attention to the culinary or even botanical title given to the product but simply as to whether it grows from a tree. Thus, a product that does not grow on a tree receives the blessing of Ha’adama even if it is botanically defined as a fruit, such as watermelon or pineapple.[1]] The blessing of Haeitz is considered an upgrade to the blessing of Ha’adama, and only those fruits which are considered superior to the regular products of the ground deserve to be upgraded to the blessing of Haeitz. One of the main question that needs to be resolved in order to determine the proper blessing of a product that grows on a stem or tree is the proper Halachic definition of a tree. Products that grow on a Halachically defined tree are Haeitz, while products that grow on anything else, are Ha’adama. This will be discussed in length in Halacha 7-9. Nonetheless, there are other factors which also play a role as to whether the blessing of a product of a tree is Haeitz, such as its status of edibility and whether it is a primary versus secondary part of the fruit. This will be further discussed in Halacha 10-13. The same applies regarding products of the earth which are generally Ha’adama that this is also dependent on other factors such as its status of edibility, and as to whether it is the secondary or primary part of the product. Likewise, if the product goes through a change, such as if it is ground, then it’s blessing may be demoted as will be explained in chapter 14.

[1] Outside of Halacha and the laws of blessings, what’s the difference between a fruit and a vegetable and, for example, is watermelon considered a fruit because it’s sweet and is avocado considered a vegetable because it’s not sweet? The difference between fruits and vegetables comes down to their botanical definitions. Fruits develop from the ovary of a flower and usually contain seeds. Vegetables, on the other hand, are other plant parts like roots, stems, and leaves. So, watermelon is a fruit because it comes from the flowering part of the plant and has seeds. And despite its savory taste, avocado is also a fruit—specifically a berry—since it fits the botanical criteria. Likewise, a pineapple is a fruit! Specifically, it’s a multiple fruit because it develops from the fusion of multiple flowers on the same stalk. Each “eye” on the pineapple is actually the fruit of an individual flower. Furthermore, tomatoes are technically a fruit. They develop from the ovary of a flower and contain seeds, which fits the botanical definition of a fruit. However, in the culinary world, they’re treated as a vegetable because of their savory flavor. So, botanically a fruit, but culinarily often considered a vegetable. Avocados and olives grow on trees, but they are fruits by definition, even if their culinary use is more savory. Nature doesn’t always align with our culinary expectations!