Blessing on a smell

Blessings on smells

Question

I have an aromatic substance, and I’m not sure if I can recite a blessing over it. Can I say a blessing over spearmint leaves, and have other substances included in this blessing?

Answer

Dear …!

There are three main blessings over smells: on smells whose source is derived from a tree, one has to recite “Who created fragrant trees” [בּוֹרֵא עֲצֵי בְשָׂמִם]; over grass-based substances one recites “Who created fragrant grasses” [בּוֹרֵא עִשׂבֵי בְשָׂמִם]; over other smells one recites “Who created species of fragrances” [בּוֹרֵא מִינֵי בְשָׂמִם]. It’s forbidden to say a blessing that doesn’t correspond to the type of substance one is blessing on. Therefore, if the right blessing over the ambiguous substance is “Who created fragrant trees”, and you recite “Who created fragrant grasses” over the spearmint leaves, you haven’t fulfilled your obligation.

Source

Shulchan Oruch, section Orach Chaim, ch. 216

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