1. Question: [Friday 18^th Tamuz 5780]

שלום וברכה

What is the brocho on Ezekiel bread

My thoughts on that is that its brocho is shehakol like sprouts themselves.or at most hoadomo because עילויא בפת .

Botanically speaking, sprouts are plants , not grains.

Also in the ספר ברכה כהלכה (אליהו קליקשטיין חלק א׳ הערה 30 states clearly that its brocho is shehakol also using a proof from the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch & Siddur. He also disputes what’s written in Igros Moshe.

Thank you

הצלחה רבה

Answer:

There is a dispute in Poskim as to whether flour made from ground wheat sprout become Mezoznos/Hamotzi when baked. Regarding the proofs of the Sefer Bracha Lehalacha from Admur, indeed it would seem that the sprouts would be Hadama and their flour Shehakol as majority of the world does not plant the seed for this purpose. However, this is only relevant to actual sprout flour. However, Ezekiel bread flour, from what I have seen many times, is made also with some of the kernel, and hence it contains an element of 100% real flour, and therefore without doubt its blessing is Hamotzi. The question would be regarding the after blessing, and since its not possible to know how much kernel flour is actually inside, I would say that one is to recite a Borei Nefashos on another food, or eat it within a meal of bread [which would defeat the purpose for the healthy minders]. If indeed it were to be determined that one’s Ezekiel bread was made from sprouts without any grain at all, then its blessing would be Shehakol and Borei Nefashos.

Sources: See Michaber 202:18, Admur 202:21 and Seder 6:21 that the rightful blessing is only said on the main fruit; Igros Moshe O.C. 4:46 [says is Mezonos/Hamotzi]; Bercha Kehalacha [says is Shehakol]; Vezos Haberacha Luach Habrachos Nevet Chita footnote 50;

https://shulchanaruchharav.com/halacha/the-blessing-over-legume-breads-and-crackers/