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Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 297
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Read the full text in the readerOrach Chayim Siman 297
Orach Chayim Siman 297 is a source-text unit from the Shulchan Arukh with 5 seifim. Its reading map separates the practical rule, its conditions and the points that need comparison with the surrounding text.
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Original text
<b>דיני בשמים להבדלה. ובו ה סעיפים:</b><br>מברך על הבשמים אם יש לו ואם אין לו אינו צריך לחזור אחריהם:
1. The Laws of Spices for Havdalah, 5 Seifim: We bless over spices if one has them. If not, one does not have to go after them.
אין מברכין על בשמים של בית הכסא ולא על של מתים (ודוקא) הנתונים למעלה ממטתו של מת ולא על בשמים שבמסיבת ע"א דסתם מסיבתן לעכו"ם. הגה ואם בירך על בשמים אלו לא יצא וצריך לחזור ולברך על אחרים [ב"י בשם א"ח]:
2. We do not make a blessing over spices for a bathroom, nor over those for used for the deceased (and specifically) those which are placed on top of the bed of the deceased, and not over spices used at a gathering for the deceased, because this is simply like a party for a gentile. RAMA: And if one does make the blessing over these spices he has not fulfilled his obligation and he must go back and make a blessing on other spices [Beis Yosef in the name of the Orach Chayim]
שקים מלאים בשמים שמשימים עכו"ם תוך קנקני היין אע"פ שמותר להריח בהם אין מבדילין עליהם:
3. Sacks full of spices that a gentile uses beneath pitchers of wine, even though it is permitted to smell them, we do not make Havdalah over them.
נהגו לברך על ההדס כל היכא דאפשר: הגה וי"א דאין לברך על הדס היבש דאינו מריח רק על שאר בשמים (טור בשם הר"ר אפרים והר"א מפראג) וכן נהגו במדינות אלו ונ"ל דיש להניח גם הדס עם הבשמים דאז עושין ככולי עלמא:
4. It is customary to make a blessing over the myrtle whenever possible. RAMA: And there are those who say that we do not make a blessing over a dry myrtle who's fragrance has mostly faded, but rather we use other spices and this is the custom in our countries. And it seems to me that one should use a myrtle with spices for this is what the rest of the world does.
מי שאינו מריח אינו מברך על הבשמים אלא א"כ מתכוין להוציא בני ביתו הקטנים שהגיעו לחינוך או להוציא מי שאינו יודע:
5. One who cannot smell does not make the blessing over the spices unless his intent is to fulfill the obligation on behalf of the members of his household who will smell [the scents] and are minors, but who have reached the age when they are to be trained [in the observance of the mitzvos], or to do fulfill the obligation for one who does not know (how to bless).
English translation: Sefaria Community Translation · CC0