What blessing is to be recited over heart of palm

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Blessing over heart of palm:[1]

The heart of palm, known in Hebrew as Kura, is the center of a palm tree’s main stem.[2] The blessing that is to be recited on the heart of the palm is Shehakol.[3] [However, this only applies towards the heart of a wild palm tree, or the heart of a palm tree that was planted for the purpose of harvesting its dates.[4] However, palms that are planted for the sake of harvesting their hearts, receive the blessing of Hadama.[5] In today’s time, most production of palm heart is cultivated from palms that are planted and grown specifically for this purpose and their blessing is therefore Hadama.]

 

Summary:

If the palm trees were planted for the purpose of harvesting hearts of palm, then its blessing is Hadama, while if it was planted for its dates, its blessing is Shehakol.  In today’s market, heart of palm is generally Hadama.

 

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[1] Admur 202:2; Michaber 204:1; Brachos 36a; Eiruvin 28b; Omitted from Admur 204

[2] See Admur ibid “The Kur is the head of the palm tree which grows each year. It is soft and fit to be eaten.”; Rama ibid; Rashi Brachos ibid

[3] Admur ibid; Michaber ibid; Shmuel in Brachos ibid; Luach of Rav Prus; Luach of Rav Elyashvili; Rav Mordechai Eliyahu

The reason: As people do not plant the palm tree with intent to eat its heart, as one who eats it diminishes the branches of the tree. [Admur ibid; M”A 204:5; Taz 204:4; Shmuel in Brachos ibid] It is rather planted for it to mature and produce dates. [Taz ibid]

Other opinions: Some opinions in the Gemara ibid rule the blessing over heart of palm is Hadama. [Rav Yehuda in Brachos ibid]

[4] See Admur ibid; M”A ibid; Taz ibid; Shmuel in Brachos ibid

[5] Halacha Berura 10:283; Vezos Habracha in Birur Halacha 36; Luach of Rav Elyashvili; Luach of OU; Rav Heinman of the Star K feels the blessing should be Haeitz.

The reason: The blessing is not Shehakol, being it grows from the ground and is grown for this purpose. Its blessing is therefore elevated from Sheakol, to Hadama. The reason its blessing is not Haeitz is because it is not a fruit of the tree but a bark of the tree. [See Admur ibid; Rashba Eiruvin 28b; Meiri Brachos 30; M”B 202:38 and Shaar Hatziyon 202:42; Biur Halacha 202:15 in name of Bahag regarding sugar]

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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