New things? Enjoy the brachah of shehecheyanu
I recently bought a fresh pineapple — something that’s hard to get in our city. My family hasn’t had fresh pineapple in over a year. Do I make the brachah of shehecheyanu over it?
It depends on why you haven’t had fresh pineapple in over a year. If the reason for your abstention is because there was absolutely no fresh pineapple to be had in your city not even in specialty stores which carry all types of fruit year-round then you may recite a shehecheyanu over the pineapple. If however fresh pineapple was available in your city but you just did not have an opportunity to have any then you don’t recite shehecheyanu when eating it for the first time even if you haven’t eaten fresh pineapple in many years.
Does this mean that if I live in a city with an expensive specialty store that carries all fruit at all times I never make shehecheyanu on fruit even at the clear start of the season (e.g. peaches in May)?
In response to this question Rav Elyashiv ztz”l answered that even if the particular fruit is only minimally available and at an expensive price nevertheless it is not considered a new fruit.
If there was no fresh pineapple in my city at all but I did eat canned pineapple throughout the last year may I still recite shehecheyanu over the fresh pineapple?
Even though fresh pineapple and canned pineapple are the same fruit they taste completely different. If indeed you are happy with the arrival of the fresh pineapple you may recite shehecheyanu over the fresh pineapple when eating it for the first time.
Do we only make a shehecheyanu on fruit whose brachah is haeitz? What about a fruit whose brachah is ha’adamah (e.g. watermelon)? And what about an interesting vegetable that just came into season?
Shehecheyanu is recited over both haeitz and ha’adamah fruits and vegetables. But again only on those fruits or vegetables that have not been available in your city at all.
