We are continuing in siman 12. We left off with an apparent contradiction within the Mishnah Berurah. In one place, the Mishnah Berurah writes that the hagafen one recites on their first wine will cover any other wines in their house, and in another place he writes that if one is unsure which of two wines is of superior quality, they can simply remove one of them from the table in order to make hagafen, and then bring it back and recite hatov vehametiv.
Rav Scheinberg, ztl (quoted in the Dirshu Mishnah Berurah notes), explains that there are two reasons for reciting hatov vehametiv. The first is due to the simcha over the large variety or quantity of wines available to a person. The second is due to the superior quality of the second wine. The first Mishnah Berurah discusses wines of similar quality, but of which there are many options. In such a case, since one is in possession of all the varieties at the time of the first bracha, and intends to serve them, the feeling of simcha is not as strong when it comes time to select a second wine, so hatov vehametiv cannot be recited. Only when the second wine is brought from outside the house is the simcha great enough to elicit a Hatov U’meitiv.In the second case, since the second wine is superior to the first, the element of simcha still exists when it comes time to drink the second wine, so one can recite hatov vehametiv (even if it was on the table at the time, and certainly if it was off the table at the time of the bracha)
Rav Bodner disagrees with this answer, and writes that the only way that a bracha of hatov umeitiv is possible according to the opinion of the Lechem Chamudos( the source of the first Mishnah berurah) is when a guest brings the second bottle of wine, and leaves it outside of the house until hagafen has been recited on the first bottle. Since it is outside the house, albeit he is aware of it and it is included in the bracha of borei pri hagefen, the bracha of hatov umeitiv is acceptable even according to the opinion brought in the first Mishnah Berurah above.
If a person unexpectedly receives a gift of wine during a meal from an outside source, they may need to make a new hagafen on it, since they did not have it in mind at the time of their original hagafen. We will discuss this question further in an upcoming shiur, be’ezras Hashem.
If a person begins a meal with grape juice and later drinks wine, Reb Elyashiv ztl says that one does not make hatov vehametiv on the wine. In order to be eligible to recite hatov vehametiv on the second wine, both wines must have alcoholic content. Even though others disagree, misafek, one should not say a bracha of hatov umeitiv.
Summary
- According to Rav Sheinberg, one does not recite hatov vehametiv on wines of similar quality which were in the same house at the time that they recited hagafen. However, if the second wine is of superior quality, one will recite hatov vehametiv, provided it was not on the table at the time of the hagafen.
- According to Rav Bodner, one should only recite hatov vehametiv if the second wine was brought by someone else and left outside the house until after hagafen was recited.
- My recommendation is to follow Rav Bodner’s opinion.
- Both wines must have alcoholic content in order for hatov vehametiv to be recited on the second wine.
