Fall 2025

When Covid-19 turned the world upside down not so long ago, many people sickened with the virus reported a most unusual symptom: they had lost their sense of smell. Suddenly, the world became dull and flat. Food was tasteless. They could not enjoy the aroma of a just-baked challah or the scent of a bouquet of flowers. Upon recovering, survivors gained a newfound appreciation for the blessing of smell and rejoiced in its restoration.

As with all the myriad brachos bequeathed to us by Hakadosh Baruch Hu, the Torah provides us with guidance as to how to properly express our appreciation for each. I thought it would be interesting to investigate the topic of birchas harei’ach, the blessing on scents.

The source of these brachos is a Gemara (Brachos 43b) that asks: what is something that only the neshama derives pleasure from and not the body? The Gemara answers: The sense of smell. The Chazal derive this from the very last verse in Tehillim, “kol haneshama tehalel Kah” – every soul should praise Hashem. We are mandated to make a blessing whenever the soul derives a benefit – in this case, from a pleasant aroma.

Borei Minei Besamim: The All-Encompassing Bracha

We are all familiar with the Borei Minei Besamim blessing recited each week during Havdalah on a sachet of cloves or perhaps cinnamon sticks

Borei Minei Besamim is the appropriate bracha if an aroma emanates from something that does not grow from the ground. The classic example from the Shulchan Aruch (216:2) is musk. The poskim provide varying definitions for musk. The Oxford dictionary defines it as a “strong-smelling reddish-brown substance … secreted by the male musk deer for scent-marking and … an important ingredient in perfumery.”Synthetic musk is used now almost exclusively in the perfume industry. No bracha is made on synthetic aromas. More on this later.

Birchas harei’ach includes more than the Borei Minei Besamim we make during Havdalah. That bracha is akin to the Shehakol bracha – an “all-purpose blessing” – which in certain circumstances covers all foods. So, too, Borei Minei Besamim is an “all-encompassing blessing” in that it includes all scents that require a bracha. However, just as we recite specific brachos for various food items, we should do the same for various fragrances.

A Blessing for Every Fragrance

One of the general rules of Birchas Harei’ach is that the item being sniffed be something whose key purpose is to provide a pleasant aroma. According to the Gemara (Brachos 43a), the bracha recited on a fragrance depends on its source. The various brachos include:

• Borei Atzei Besamim – scent from a tree or type of wood; examples are hadasim, roses on a bush, jasmine and rosemary.[1]
• Borei Isvei Besamim – scent from grasses; for example, mint leaves.
• Hanosen Rei’ach Tov B’Peiros –  scent from fruits, but since the primary purpose of fruits (though they may be enticingly fragrant) is to eat them, this bracha is only required if you have the specific intention to smell the fruit.[2]
• Borei Shemen Arev – said on shemen afarsemon (balsam oil). The Gemara says this oil gets a special bracha because it grows in Israel around the city of Yericho and other parts of that region. Yericho’s name derives from the word rei’ach (smell) because of the fragrant balsam trees that grew there. Because of its connection to the Land of Israel, Chazal instituted a special bracha for this oil.[3]

Wake Up and Smell (the Coffee and a Bunch of Other Things)

Let us imagine a typical day, keeping our noses primed for birchas harei’ach opportunities. Most of us begin our day by taking care of our hygiene. We may encounter several scent situations right in our bedroom and bathroom.

► Soaps. Do deodorant soaps and shampoos require a bracha? The short answer is no. This is because a bracha is only required for things whose purpose is to impart a good aroma and is meant to be smelled. These products are made to remove or mask unpleasant odors. This applies to air fresheners as well. Another reason for not making a bracha is that most of the smells in these products are synthetic (as discussed below).

► Synthetic Scents. Most modern perfumes that are synthetically produced do not get a bracha. In Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l’s opinion, no bracha is said on synthetic scents because the scent was created artificially from substances that may not be aromatic themselves –or may even have a foul scent.[4] In the opinion of Rav Moshe Heinemann shlit”a, brachos on aromas include the word borei – referring to the Creator of All. Synthetic scents do not fall under this category.

► Lulav and Esrog. Assume today is Chol HaMoed Sukkos. As you take your arba minim before Hallel, it occurs to you that perhaps you should make a bracha on the pleasant fragrance of your esrog and hadasim in addition to the regular bracha. This is discussed in the poskim.

The Shulchan Aruch (216:14) brings the opinion of the Tur who states that someone who intentionally picks up his esrog to fulfill the mitzvah and to smell it makes a bracha of Hanosen Rei’ach Tov B’Peiros in addition to the regular bracha on the mitzvah.

Then he brings the opinion of Rabbeinu Simcha who holds that since the esrog and hadasim are set aside during Yom Tov to be used for the mitzvah, they are not considered to be objects intended mainly for smelling and so no bracha is recited. The Shulchan Aruch therefore paskens that it’s best to avoid intentionally smelling the esrog during Yom Tov to avoid putting yourself in a safeik bracha situation.

The Mishna Berurah brings the opinion of the Magen Avrahom that if you pick up the esrog to smell it during Yom Tov when you are not holding it to fulfill the mitzvah, then you indeed should make a separate bracha on the scent.[5] In the Biur Halacha, after arguing in favor of the Magen Avrahom, Mishna Berurah paskens that since there are opinions that disagree, it is better to avoid smelling the esrog intentionally during the entire Yom Tov, echoing the Shulchan Aruch.

If one picks up an esrog during the rest of the year to smell it, then the bracha of Hanosen Rei’ach Tov B’Peiros is certainly warranted. The Mishnah Berurah (653:1) explains that when not set aside for the mitzvah, an esrog could be used for its primary purpose of eating. The only issue with smelling the esrog and making a bracha on it is the safeik bracha situation during Sukkos explained above.

The primary use of hadasim, however,is for their fragrant aroma. During Sukkos, they are dedicated to be used for the mitzvah, which precludes them from being enjoyed purely for their scent. Therefore, regarding the hadasim, the Shulchan Aruch paskens that one should not purposely inhale their fragrance during all of Sukkos. The Mishnah Berurah (653:1) stresses that although the hadasim are not used on Shabbos, smelling them remains forbidden the whole week, including on Shabbos; the esrog, on the other hand, may be sniffed on Shabbos since it’s not being used for the mitzvah.

► Coffee and Fresh Bread. In our scenario, you need to go to work on Chol Hamoed. On your way, you stop at the local café and order your usual – a latte and a freshly baked chocolate croissant (being a STAR-K certified establishment, the café is required to build a kosher sukkah for their sit-down customers). The food smells glorious and your mouth is watering. Aside from the Mezonos and Shehakol brachos, do you need to make a Birchas Harei’ach on the coffee and croissant? (Note that these brachos questions apply on a regular weekday as well.)

The coffee is derived from a fruit (coffee cherry) and the croissant is made from grain (wheat). Maybe you should make a bracha of Hanosen Rei’ach Tov B’Peiros? The Beis Yosef, while discussing the bracha on besamim for Havdalah, brings from earlier authorities that some would make a bracha on fresh-baked bread (croissants fall under this category) when they had nothing else to use for this bracha.[6] He brings a subsequent discussion on the appropriateness of making a Borei Minei Besamim on bread that is not a type of besamim. Some poskim say the correct bracha is Hanosen Rei’ach Tov B’Pas.  

In the end, the Beis Yosef says that no bracha is made on fresh bread, even though it smells great, because we don’t find it mentioned anywhere in Shas.[7] That leaves us with our coffee – bracha or not? The Mishna Berurah (216:16) says that one who intentionally smells very strong smelling, hot coffee made from freshly ground beans should recite Hanosen Rei’ach Tov B’Peiros.

 It’s important to note that with all “scent” brachos made on foods or items that are not primarily used for their scents, you must have the specific kavana (intention) to smell the item for its aroma. If you smell the food just in the course of eating it, no “scent” bracha is required.

► A Bouquet of Roses. On your way home, you stop by the florist’s to buy flowers for Yom Tov. As you step inside, you are immediately greeted by the overpowering scent of blooms filling the shop. As you inhale the perfumed air, you wonder if you should make a bracha on these scents.

Here, since you’re smelling flowers in a shop, the need for a bracha depends on a question discussed in the Gemara (Brachos 53) and paskened in Shulchan Aruch (217:1) that asks if one who walks into a spice shop should recite a bracha. The Mishna Berurah writes here that normally a bracha is made only on aromas that are meant to be smelled.

Spices in a spice shop are mainly meant as wares to be sold, so it’s questionable if they deserve a Birchas Harei’ach. In the end, we determine that the spices are meant to be both smelled and sold, and thus a bracha is required. In the flower shop, the same thing applies. Even though the main purpose of the flowers on display is to spur sales, the shop owners also want their customers to be enticed by their fragrance,[8] and thus a bracha is appropriate.

Note, that in this setting, since you are smelling a blend of fragrances –  some from flowers that may require Borei Atzei Besamim (e.g., roses [9]) and some that may require Borei Isvei Besamim (e.g., daffodils) – the appropriate bracha is Borei Minei Besamim.

► Havdalah. If Yom Tov was immediately followed by Shabbos, at its close you need to recite Havdalah. Now is the perfect opportunity to make the bracha on besamim. You’re about to begin, then stop and think, I have cloves in my besamim box and I always say Borei Minei Besamim, but aren’t cloves from a tree? Shouldn’t the bracha be Hanosen Tov B’Peiros, or maybe Borei Atzei Besamim?

As stated earlier regarding Birchas Harei’ach, the bracha on cloves is not straightforward. Cloves are dried flower buds from clove trees that are native to the Far East and Africa. The Shulchan Aruch (216:2) writes that the bracha on cloves and cinnamon is Hanosen Rei’ach Tov B’Peiros, because they are used mainly as food. This may seem strange to us who consider these items to be spices and enhancements to food, and not actually a food. And cinnamon is ground tree bark!

But the Mishna Berurah here (216:16) and the Shar Hatzion conclude that the bracha should be Borei Minei Besamim on these spices. This fits nicely with the Ashkenazi minhag of making a Borei Minei Besamim on all spices used during Havdalah in order to avoid mistakes by those who may not be expert regarding the appropriate brachos.

The minhag for Sephardim is to make the bracha of Borei Atzei Besamim on either cinnamon or cloves, and not Borei Minei Besamim.[10]

End of the Road

We have now reached the end of a fragrant journey through the wonderful world of Birchas Harei’ach. I will conclude with a fascinating Gemara in Sanhedrin (93b) that discusses a unique characteristic that the Melech Hamashiach will have.

The verses in Sefer Yeshayahu (11:2-4) referenced in the above Gemara describe Mashiach as being vested with various superior spiritual gifts and powers. Among these will be his sense of smell: he will “not judge with his sight or hearing, but with his ability to smell fear of Heaven.” As the Melech, he will judge the people, as all Jewish kings have done, but instead of relying on witnesses, he will be able to discern the truth with his sense of smell. Mashiach will literally be able to smell who is lying and who is telling the truth.

There are various explanations in the commentaries as to what this Gemara means. Among the human senses, the sense of smell is the one most associated with and connected to our souls and our ruchniyus, as the Maharsha says in an explanation of this Gemara: “The sense of smell is spiritual and a portion of the soul.”[11]

May we merit soon to see Mashiach Tzidkeinu leading us in justice, as described in the words of Chazal.

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[1] V’zos Habracha, perek 19.

[2] Shulchan Aruch 216:2.

[3] See Rashi by Brachos 43. There is a fascinating debate in both the Torah and secular sources about the exact identity of the afarsemon tree. Tzari is mentioned in the Torah (Shemos 30) as one of the components of the Ketores, the incense offered in the Temple. It is often identified as C. opobalsamum, a type of myrrh that grows wild in the vicinity of Yericho and is often identified as the afarsemon. See here for a full discussion of this topic.

[4] V’zos Habracha, perek 19. See also the Birur 43:3 at the end of the sefer.

[5] 216:51; also see the Biur Halacha.

[6] Orach Chaim 297.

[7] See Rema 216:14 who writes that one should not purposely smell fresh-baked bread to avoid putting oneself in a doubtful bracha situation. He writes further that if one smells it, no bracha is recited.

[8] A study conducted by the American Floral Endowment and researchers from the University of Florida on consumers’ preferences found that fragrance is of top importance when purchasing flowers. See greenhousegrower.com.

[9] Determining if the bracha on a flower or plant is Atzei Besamim or Isvei Besamim depends on what definition of tree you use. The Tosfos Rid in Piskei Rid (Brachos 43b) is unsure of the definition and writes that unless the plant is mentioned specifically in the Gemara as requiring an Atzei Besamim, you should make aBorei Minei Besamim. Some poskim use the definition of tree that is used regarding the eating bracha of Borei Pri Ha’eitz. The Shita Mekuvetzes, Brachos 43b brings in the name of the Ra’ah that a plant is considered an eitz, a tree, regarding birchas harei’ach if it has woody stems, as opposed to an ilan, a broader term for trees, and more applicable in the Borei Pri Ha’eitz discussion whose definition encompasses additional characteristics, such as growing seasons, and if it’s a perennial or not. According to this opinion, the bracha on hard-stemmed roses should be Atzei Besamim. This is the accepted halacha.  

[10] Kaf HaChaim 297:4, seif koton 4.

[11] Chiddushei Agados, perek 11, d.h. D‘morach.