Breakfast is a very important meal which fuels the body after it awakes from a full night’s sleep. Although many people do not take the time to eat breakfast in the morning, skipping breakfast can diminish mental performance throughout the day. Breakfast helps a person concentrate, and one who eats breakfast will learn better because of it. One who does not eat breakfast is more likely to be tired during the day. Some people think that by skipping breakfast they will lose weight; however, this was proven false. In this issue we will learn the proper berochos to make on many kinds of cereals.

 

Pas Schachris

Chazal knew the importance of breakfast long before any study was undertaken.

 

Before going to a Bais Medrash to learn, it is good to have pas shacharis.[1] The Gemorah in Bava Metziah[2] says pas shacharis prevents eighty-three different sicknesses from afflicting a person. The Tur[3] that says the reason for pas shacharis is to strengthen oneself to serve Hashem properly.

 

According to the basic reading of the Shulchan Aruch it seems that one should wash for bread every morning in order to have pas shacharis.[4] However, many say one is not required to eat actual bread, and anyfood one eats in the morning is sufficient, as long as it is filling.[5] Some say one should be careful to have a food that is mezonos.[6] Breakfast cereals which are made from the five grains may be used as pas shacharis (i.e. Cheerios, Oatmeal, and Farina).[7] Others say having a coffee in the morning is sufficient.[8] Theshiur for one who eats pas shachris is a k’beitzah.[9] One who has nothing to eat can drink water.[10] Even one who is traveling should still try to have pas shacharis.[11]

 

During Aseres Yemi Teshuva

There is a well known concept that during aseres yemi teshuva one should pick something that he does all year and be careful to refrain from doing it during aseres yemi teshuva. This is in order to realize that these days are different than all year and one has to doteshuva.[12] This only refers to things which are not prohibited to do according to the letter of the law.[13] One of these items is refraining from eating pas akum (bread made by a non-Jewish baker).[14] One who does not eat pas akum all year anyways should pick something else to be stringent with during these days. One who is traveling and can only buy pas Yisroel, if he goes more than 72 minutes away from where he is now may eat pas akum even during aseres yemi teshuva.[15] The question regarding this halacha is does cereal fall into this category and if so should one refrain from eating it during the aseres yemi teshuva?

 

Some say refraining from something during these days is an obligation[16] and others say it is a nice practice.[17] L’maseh, one who does not have this practice does not have to be condemned.[18]

 

Some poskim are of the opinion that since Cheerios look like bread[19] one should not eat these products during the aseres yemi teshuva. However, others say that these items do not have an appearance of bread[20] and accordingly one would not have to refrain from eating them during aseres yemi teshuva.

 

L’maseh, there is an uncertainty if Cheerios has the appearance of bread and therefore, one should refrain from eating them during the aseres yemi teshuva.[21]

 

Rules

1. Any cereal whose basic ingredient is grain, wheat, oats, rice,[22] spelt or rye is a mezonos.[23] However, if it is made from the outer shell (know as bran) it is a shehakol (as will be discussed later on in this issue).

 

2. Any cereal which is made from corn flour is a shehakol.[24]

 

3. Any cereal which is made from real corn is a hadama. The cereal companies call this type of corn “milled corn.[25]”

 

4. There is a rule in hilchos berochos that any food which contains a mezonos grain requires a mezonos.[26] This is only if the grain is put in to give the food taste, however, if it is only put in to keep the food intact (known as a binder) then the beracha would be ashehakol, etc.[27]

 

Bishul Akum

There are two ways for a food to be exempt from a bishul akum status. 1. If it is a food which can be eaten raw so the cooking of the non-Jew does not do anything to the food.[28] 2. If it is a food which is not fit to be served on a king’s table,[29] which in our days is food which is not served at the smorgasbord at a wedding.[30]

 

Breakfast cereal is not considered a food which is served on a king’s table, and therefore does not require bishul Yisroel.[31]

 

 

Milk

Milk which is placed in cereal does not require its own beracha since most people add milk to their cereal to make it easier to eat.[32] The small amount of milk which is leftover after one finishes eating the cereal also does not require its own beracha.[33] One who specifically added milk into the bowl after one finished eating the cereal would recite a separate beracha on the milk.[34]

 

Raisins-Bananas

Raisins and bananas which are added to cereal do not require their own beracha since they are as a tofel to the cereal.[35] If one wants to eat the raisins or bananas because he likes them then he would recite a beracha on them in addition to the beracha on cereal.[36]

 

Oven Puffed Crisp Rice

Crisp rice cereals are made by a process called oven puffing. The beracha on such cereal is mezonos and the beracha achrona is a boreh nefoshos.[37]

 

How to tell if grain is a Binder

As mentioned before mezonos grain added to a food as a binder plays no role in determining the beracha. However, how is it possible for one to tell if the mezonos grain was added for taste or as a binder? One can tell by looking at the ingredient panel. If themezonos grain is placed in the first three or four ingredients then it is placed there for taste. If it is placed beyond that in the ingredient list then it is generally there to act as a binder.[38] The following cereals have mezonos grain added for taste: Alpha Bits, Froot Loops, and Apple Jacks.[39] An example of a cereal which adds the mezonos grain ingredients as a binder is Captain Crunch,[40] and Honey Combs.[41]

 

Corn Flakes

The beracha on corn flakes would depend on what type of corn is used.[42] If corn flour is used it would be a shehakol,[43] and if milled corn is used it would be a hadama.[44]

 

Bran

Bran is the outer shell of grain, and its beracha is shehakol,[45] even if it is cooked.[46] Therefore, the beracha on All Bran is shehakol.[47] However, the beracha on Bran Flakes is a mezonos because the bran is mixed with mezonos grain.[48]

 

Puffed Wheat

There is a dispute in the poskim on what beracha to make on puffed wheat,[49] which is wheat that is not cooked but is popped with heat. Some say that one should only eat this food during a meal of bread.[50] The consensus of the majority of the poskim is that theberacha is a mezonos. This has ramifications regarding the beracha on Sugar Crisps[51] and Honey Smacks. Horav Moshe Feinstein zt”l[52] said one can either make a mezonos or hadama, and the beracha achrona is a boreh nefoshos.

 

Beracha Achrona

In order for one to recite al hamichya on cereal a k’zayis of mezonos grain has to be eaten bekedei achilas peras. Since this is usually difficult to accomplish, one should recite a boreh nefoshos even after eating mezonos grain.[53]

 

Grape Nuts

This cereal is made with bread ingredients but since one is not koveah seuda on it the beracha is a mezonos.[54]

 

Corn Pops

In the United States the corn used to produce Corn Pops are real pieces of corn, and therefore, the beracha is a hadama.[55]

 

Crispix

Crispix is made with corn on one side and rice on the other. Although some say to make two berochos on it (hadama and mezonos),[56] the custom is to recite a shehakol only.[57]

 

Cooked Cereals

The beracha on cooked cereal is a mezonos if it is made with wheat or oatmeal. If the consistency is so loose that one can drink it then the beracha is a shehakol.[58]

 

The “K” on Kellogg’s

A “K” exists on Kellogg’s cereals. Normally a “K” placed on foods means that the company says there is supervision. Since the supervising agency is not specified, the generic “K” can not be relied upon.[59] However, in the case of Kellogg’s the “K” is actually the Vaad Harabanim of New England which can be relied upon.[60]

 

Dairy Equipment

Many cereals have an OU-D on them either because they contain dairy ingredients or because they are manufactured on dairy equipment.[61] It is difficult to specify which OU-D’s are due to actual dairy ingredients and which are due to dairy equipment since cereals are constantly being reformulated.[62] One who has any questions regarding a specific cereal should contact the OU. Some say one who is careful not to eat cholov stam can still eat something which is made on dairy equipment.[63] The Star-K reports that currently Honeycomb and Golden Crisp are made on dairy equipment.[64]

List of Common Mezonos Cereals:

Alpha Bits[65]

Apple Jacks[66]

Cinnamon Toast Crunch[67]

Cheerios[68]

Clusters[69]

Cocoa Krispies[70]

Cocoa Pebbles[71]

Crunchy Corn Bran[72]

Double Chex[73]

Fiber One[74]

French Toast Crunch[75]

Froot Loops[76]

Fruity Pebbles[77]

Golden Grahams[78]

Honey Bunches of Oats[79]

Honey Combs[80]

Life[81]

Raisin Bran[82]

Raisin Nut Bran[83]

Rice Chex[84]

Rice Crispies[85]

Shredded Wheat[86]

Special K[87]

Wheat Chex[88]

Wheaties[89]

List of Common Shehakol Cereals:

All Bran[90]

Bran Chex[91]

Captain Crunch[92]

Cocoa Puffs[93]

Cookie Crisp[94]

Corn Chex[95]

Corn Flakes (corn flour)

Corn Total[96]

Kix[97]

Reese’s Peanut Butter Puffs[98]

Trix[99]

 

List of Common Hadama Cereals:

Corn Flakes (milled corn)[100]

Corn Pops[101]

Frosted Flakes[102]

Kemach Brand Cereals[103]

Bran Flakes– Mezonos

Bunch O’Krunch- Shehakol

Chocho Chippers- Shehakol

Corn Flakes- Shehakol

Crisp Rice- Mezonos

Fruit Whirls- Mezonos

Honey Nut Toasted Oats- Mezonos

Raisin Bran- Mezonos

Sugar Frosted Flakes- Shehakol

Toasted Oats- Mezonos

Whole Wheat Flakes- Mezonos