The bracha of שהחיינו is said on events that occur from time to time that bring one joy. The classic examples are a new suit of clothes and new fruits. The problem with שהחיינו on new clothes is that I hate shopping and getting little to no joy out of wearing new clothes (much to my family's chagrin). The problem with שהחיינו on a new fruit is.... well, that's a story.
I had heard that R' Moshe says that now a days we don't say שהחיינו on new fruits because you can get basically any fruit any time. I had heard that, but I don't like to relinquish my halachic decisions to hearsay. I resolved to call R' Fuerst, but wanted to do my homework first. I reviewed what the Mishna Brura has to say. Pretty much what you'd expect: the general rule of ספק ברכות להקל applies, but one really, really does not want to give up the the opportunity to make a שהחיינו. Basically, proceed with caution, but don't use ספק ברכות להקל as an excuse to be lazy. (Dirshu didn't add anything to that.)
Next step... find the article in Igros Moshe. I don't have a Yad Moshe (index into Igros Moshe), so I had a great idea: The articles are basically in the order of the Shulchan Aruch, so I just need to look for topics that bracket siman on שהחיינו and I am good to go. Right? So, so wrong...
I started at the fourth Orach Chaim section (fourth of four, btw) and found there was a partial index and it had an entry for שהחיינו on new fruits; shazam! We're cookin' with gas now! Then I saw that article was mainly about why we don't make a שהחיינו at Chanuka; many, many simanim after the siman on שהחיינו. Ah well... as long as I was there... In that article, R' Moshe brings that if one found a fruit that ripened two, three, four, or more times a year, then one could, in fact, make a שהחיינו on each new ripening. His point being that שהחיינו is on things that happen from time to time, not specifically annually. Unfortunately, this doesn't help for the question that prompted this discussion, because our question is not that it ripens several times a year, but that it is continually available.
...but it does bring us to Shabbos... So Why Don't We Say שהחיינו At Kiddush Friday Night? After all, we make kiddush and every other kiddush on a new holiday is accompanied by a שהחיינו. The seeming exception kiddush on for the last days of Pesach. However the reason for that is that the last day(s) of Pesach does not herald a new holiday, but a continuation of Pesach itself. We see from the example about fruit that just because something happens many times a year does not exclude it from a שהחיינו. In fact, R' Moshe gives a beautiful answer -- what do you mean Shabbos happens from time to time? A Jew is always either celebrating Shabbos or preparing for it. Even the days of our week have no name except how far we are along in our preparations for Shabbos -- Day One (of preparation for Shabbos), Day Two (of preparation for Shabbos), ... Shabbos!
As to the original question... I finally called R' Fuerst. First I got mussar: I don't hear from you very often... where have you been? Oh, so you listen to the shiurim... you don't have any questions? Then I got homework: first read the article in the third section of Orach Chaim (it's article 34), then you can call me back and ask your question.
I had heard that R' Moshe says that now a days we don't say שהחיינו on new fruits because you can get basically any fruit any time. I had heard that, but I don't like to relinquish my halachic decisions to hearsay. I resolved to call R' Fuerst, but wanted to do my homework first. I reviewed what the Mishna Brura has to say. Pretty much what you'd expect: the general rule of ספק ברכות להקל applies, but one really, really does not want to give up the the opportunity to make a שהחיינו. Basically, proceed with caution, but don't use ספק ברכות להקל as an excuse to be lazy. (Dirshu didn't add anything to that.)
Next step... find the article in Igros Moshe. I don't have a Yad Moshe (index into Igros Moshe), so I had a great idea: The articles are basically in the order of the Shulchan Aruch, so I just need to look for topics that bracket siman on שהחיינו and I am good to go. Right? So, so wrong...
I started at the fourth Orach Chaim section (fourth of four, btw) and found there was a partial index and it had an entry for שהחיינו on new fruits; shazam! We're cookin' with gas now! Then I saw that article was mainly about why we don't make a שהחיינו at Chanuka; many, many simanim after the siman on שהחיינו. Ah well... as long as I was there... In that article, R' Moshe brings that if one found a fruit that ripened two, three, four, or more times a year, then one could, in fact, make a שהחיינו on each new ripening. His point being that שהחיינו is on things that happen from time to time, not specifically annually. Unfortunately, this doesn't help for the question that prompted this discussion, because our question is not that it ripens several times a year, but that it is continually available.
...but it does bring us to Shabbos... So Why Don't We Say שהחיינו At Kiddush Friday Night? After all, we make kiddush and every other kiddush on a new holiday is accompanied by a שהחיינו. The seeming exception kiddush on for the last days of Pesach. However the reason for that is that the last day(s) of Pesach does not herald a new holiday, but a continuation of Pesach itself. We see from the example about fruit that just because something happens many times a year does not exclude it from a שהחיינו. In fact, R' Moshe gives a beautiful answer -- what do you mean Shabbos happens from time to time? A Jew is always either celebrating Shabbos or preparing for it. Even the days of our week have no name except how far we are along in our preparations for Shabbos -- Day One (of preparation for Shabbos), Day Two (of preparation for Shabbos), ... Shabbos!
As to the original question... I finally called R' Fuerst. First I got mussar: I don't hear from you very often... where have you been? Oh, so you listen to the shiurim... you don't have any questions? Then I got homework: first read the article in the third section of Orach Chaim (it's article 34), then you can call me back and ask your question.
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