אורח חיים רצ״זOrach Chayim 297

Siman 297 of 697 in Orach Chayim — 5 se'ifim

Se’if 1א׳

מְבָרֵךְ עַל הַבְּשָׂמִים אִם יֵשׁ לוֹ, וְאִם אֵין לוֹ אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לַחֲזֹר אַחֲרֵיהֶם.

1. The Laws of Spices for Havdalah, 5 Seifim: We bless over spices if one has them. If not, one does not have to go after them.

Se’if 2ב׳

אֵין מְבָרְכִין עַל בְּשָׂמִים שֶׁל בֵּית הַכִּסֵא וְלֹא עַל שֶׁל מֵתִים וְדַוְקָא הַנְּתוּנִים לְמַעֲלָה מִמִּטָּתוֹ שֶׁל מֵת, וְלֹא עַל בְּשָׂמִים שֶׁבִּמְסִבָּת ע"א, דִּסְתָם מְסִבָּתָן לַעֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים. הַגָּה: וְאִם בֵּרַךְ עַל בְּשָׂמִים אֵלּוּ לֹא יָצָא וְצָרִיךְ לַחֲזֹר וּלְבָרֵךְ עַל אֲחֵרִים (בֵּית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם א"ח).

2. We do not make a blessing over spices for a bathroom, nor over those for used for the deceased (and specifically) those which are placed on top of the bed of the deceased, and not over spices used at a gathering for the deceased, because this is simply like a party for a gentile. RAMA: And if one does make the blessing over these spices he has not fulfilled his obligation and he must go back and make a blessing on other spices [Beis Yosef in the name of the Orach Chayim]

Se’if 3ג׳

שַׂקִּים מְלֵאִים בְּשָׂמִים שֶׁמְּשִׂימִים הָעוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים תּוֹךְ קַנְקַנֵּי הַיַּיִן, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמֻּתָּר לְהָרִיחַ בָּהֶם אֵין מַבְדִּילִין עֲלֵיהֶם.

3. Sacks full of spices that a gentile uses beneath pitchers of wine, even though it is permitted to smell them, we do not make Havdalah over them.

Se’if 4ד׳

נָהֲגוּ לְבָרֵךְ עַל הַהֲדַס כָּל הֵיכָא דְּאֶפְשָׁר. הַגָּה: וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּאֵין לְבָרֵךְ עַל הֲדַס הַיָּבֵשׁ דְּאֵינוֹ מֵרִיחַ, רַק עַל שְׁאָר בְּשָׂמִים (טוּר בְּשֵׁם הר"ר אֶפְרַיִם וְהר"א מִפְּרַג), וְכֵן נָהֲגוּ בִּמְדִינוֹת אֵלּוּ. וְנ"ל דְּיֵשׁ לְהַנִּיחַ גַּם הֲדַס עִם הַבְּשָׂמִים, דְּאָז עוֹשִׂין ככ"ע.

4. It is customary to make a blessing over the myrtle whenever possible. RAMA: And there are those who say that we do not make a blessing over a dry myrtle who's fragrance has mostly faded, but rather we use other spices and this is the custom in our countries. And it seems to me that one should use a myrtle with spices for this is what the rest of the world does.

Se’if 5ה׳

מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מֵרִיחַ אֵינוֹ מְבָרֵךְ עַל הַבְּשָׂמִים אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן נִתְכַּוֵּן לְהוֹצִיא בְּנֵי בֵּיתוֹ הַקְּטַנִּים שֶׁהִגִּיעוּ לְחִנּוּךְ אוֹ לְהוֹצִיא מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ.

5. One who cannot smell does not make the blessing over the spices unless his intent is to fulfill the obligation on behalf of the members of his household who will smell [the scents] and are minors, but who have reached the age when they are to be trained [in the observance of the mitzvos], or to do fulfill the obligation for one who does not know (how to bless).

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Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim — Torat Emet 363 edition, via Sefaria — public domain

English: Sefaria Community Translation — CC0