5785/2025
Cloves for Havdala – Ashkenazim vs. Sepharadim
Ashkenazim customarily use cloves for Besamim on Motzaei Shabbat. This Minhag is recorded by the Magen Avraham (introduction to O.C. 297) and the Mishnah Berurah (297:1) from the Shelah. The first written mention of this practice being the Shelah (1555-1630) indicates its relatively recent introduction.
Berachot on Fragrant Smells
To understand the reason for this custom, we must first review the basics of the Brachot on smells. Borei Atzei Besamim is recited on fragrant-smelling tree-like plants such as Hadassim and roses. Borei Isbei Besamim is recited on good-smelling shrub-like plants such as mint. Hanotein Rei’ach Tov BaPeirot is said on pleasant smelling fruits such as a lemon. Borei Minei Besamim is said on fragrant smells that do not fit into the three other Brachot. In addition, Borei Minei Besamim is effective, b’di’avad, on any fragrant smell.
The Berachah on Cloves
The next step in grasping our topic is understanding why Ashkenazic Jews say Borei Minei Besamim on cloves. The Chayei Adam (61:4) writes that the Berachah on cloves is “Borei Minei Besamim.” He explains that although cloves are the fruit of a tree and rightfully the Berachah should be “Hanotein rei’ach tov ba’peirot,” since cloves are completely inedible, it is inappropriate to refer to them as a fruit. Since cloves do not fit into the other categories, its Berachah is “Borei Minei Besamim.” The Mishnah Berurah (216:16) cites many poskim who support this view (it is similar to the common practice of reciting Shehakol on chocolate despite its origin from beans that grow on trees).
However, the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (58:7) writes that one should say “borei atzei b’samim” on cloves. Sephardic practice follows this view (Birkat Hashem 3:12:17).
Havdalah – Sepharadim vs. Ashkenazim
Ashkenazim customarily use cloves since its Berachah is Borei Minei Besamim. They choose a good-smelling item upon which Borei Minei Besamim is recited since many are unfamiliar with what Berachot said about various pleasant aromas. If cloves are unavailable, Ashkenazim take any other fragrant item, such as a rose or mint, but recite Borei Minei Besamim to avoid mistakes.
However, Sepharadim (as noted by the Kaf HaChaim 297:31) do not maintain this practice. For example, at Teaneck’s Congregation Shaarei Orah, when using mint for Besamim, we recite Borei Isbei Besamim and Borei Atzei Besamim on Haddasim (Sephardic prefer to use Hadassim for Besamim, based on mystical reasons, Shulchan Aruch O.C. 297:4).
It is reasonable to assume that Ashkenazim were not proficient in the laws of fragrant smells since they predominantly resided in cold-weather climates such as Poland and Russia, where fragrant plants were uncommon. Hence, the opportunity to recite the various Brachot did not often arise. Sephardic Jews who lived mostly in much warmer climates were familiar with these Brachot.
Conclusion
A downside of the Ashkenazic custom is that many otherwise knowledgeable Ashkenazic Jews have not even heard of the Brachot on smells other than Borei Minei Besamim. Although Ashkenazic Jews should retain their custom, they should devote time to master the blessings of Besamim. Moreover, reliable websites such as Halachapedia list fragrances and their appropriate Brachot.
In addition, Sephardic Jews make various fragrances available in the Beit Knesset on Shabbat and Yom Tov to help achieve the required daily recitation of one hundred Brachot. The shorter Amida of these holy days makes it more challenging to reach one hundred Berachot. Therefore, the Gemara (Menachot 43b) already encourages reciting the various Brachot on sundry smells. With the current availability of multiple spices, Ashkenazim should adopt this practice as well.
Postscript – Jachter family Confirming a Rav Ovadia Yosef Story
In his Halachah Yomit, Rav Yaakov Sasson (grandson of Rav Ovadia Yosef) tells the following story:
It was indeed Maran’s (Rav Ovadia Yosef’s) custom to recite many blessings to complete the daily quota of one hundred blessings. On his porch, he grew several kinds of fragrant plants and trees to be able to smell them and recite blessings. When Maran’s wife, Rabbanit Margalit, was still among the living, she would tend the garden for her husband every day. Towards the end of her life when she became ill though, she hired a gardener to come and tend to the plants by pruning them, watering them, and the like.
After the Rabbanit passed away in 5754 (1994), the gardener was unaware of this sad news and he no longer arrived to tend to the plants since the Rabbanit would not invite him and request his services. All of the plants and trees shriveled up and died.
Several weeks later, the gardener knocked on the door of the house and recounted to Maran zt”l how the Rabbanit had appeared to him in a dream the night before and asked him why he had stopped tending to the plants for the rabbi like he used to. She told him that the rabbi now had no plants to recite blessings on every Shabbat and this caused him much angst. The gardener therefore awoke early to find out if there was any truth to the dream. From then on, the gardener had returned to tend to the garden faithfully as he had when the Rabbanit was still alive.
In August 2012, the Jachter family rented an apartment where Rav Ovadia and Rabbanit Margalit Yosef lived (Jerusalem’s 36 Jabotinsky Street). When first entering the building, we were struck by the unusually rich aromas emanating from the building’s lush garden. Rabbanit Malca Jachter reports seeing the gardener visiting and tending the garden. Although Rav Ovadia no longer lived in that building or neighborhood, we presume it was the same gardener!