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We are continuing in siman 4. In the beginning of the siman, we learned the opinion of the Chayei Adam that when one has foods of two different brachos in front of them, they only follow the seder brachos above all other considerations, in order to make the brachos in their order of specificity. No other considerations apply. Only when both items are of the same bracha do the considerations of chaviv and chashuv apply. (The Chayei Adam also held that there is no difference in specificity between haeitz and haadama.)
However, the Chayei Adam brings down the opinion of the Rambam, who holds that even when one is making two brachos, one follows chaviv. As the Chayei Adam holds there is no preference, one loses nothing by following the Rambam, and can gain that opinion.
We learned previously that although the Chayei Adam holds there is no precedence between haeitz and haadama, there is one opinion (the Behag) which holds haeitz precedes haadama. The Mishnah Berurah points out that if one has a haeitz and haadama food, and one is chaviv over the other, one should say the bracha on the chaviv.
If one does not have any chavivus to one over the other, they should make the bracha on the haeitz first. However, if one of them is of the shivas haminim, the shivas haminim should go first. Thus, if the haadama is of the shivas haminim (e.g., wheat kernels, see shiur 1119), one would make the bracha on the haadama before the haeitz. However, if neither are chaviv nor shivas haminim, one should follow the Behag which holds the haetz precedes the haadama.
(The Behag was written by one of the Geonim over 200 years earlier than the rishonim. The Geonim still had a mesorah from the times of the Gemara, and therefore their seforim carry weight. That being said, the Shulchan Aruch does not pasken like Behag, so the MIshnah Berurah writes to follow him when we do not have other considerations.)
The Chayei Adam reminds us that the above rules apply when one bracha is not more specific than another. If they are, we follow the order of seder brachos. The Chayei Adam adds that there is one rule that will override the seder brachos: the order of the shivas haminim in the pasuk. For example, hagefen, which is more specific, will not precede mezonos, which is more general. However, this point is a matter of debate, and we will learn more about it later.
Summary
Seder brachos takes precedence over all other considerations.
When two items are of the same bracha, chashuv and chaviv are employed to determine upon which item the bracha should be recited.
There is no difference in specificity between haeitz and haadama, but one should make haeitz before haadama if there are no other considerations (i.e., no chashuv or chaviv).
