Do I make shehecheyanu on my new car if the bank really “owns” it and other questions

Prepared for print by Faigy Peritzman

On the second day of Rosh Hashanah, when I’m ready to light candles, must the shehecheyanu fruit be on the table already then or may I make shehecheyanu without it?

L’chatchilah, the new fruit should be on the table and visible to you before lighting candles. Alternatively, you may wear a significant or expensive brand-new garment or sheitel that brings you joy. But if for some reason you don’t have a new fruit or new clothes, you may still recite the brachah.

It’s important to explain that the primary reason for reciting shehecheyanu on Rosh Hashanah night isn’t because of the new fruit or clothing. The fundamental purpose is to recite it over the second day of the Yom Tov of Rosh Hashanah, as we do on every Yom Tov Sheini outside of Eretz Yisrael. The fruit or clothes is just there as a backup, in order to satisfy a minority opinion that holds that shehecheyanu isn’t recited on the second day of Rosh Hashanah at all since, to a certain extent, both days of Yom Tov are halachically considered as one long day (yoma arichta), and you already recited shehecheyanu on the first day.

My husband blows shofar for a large group of women every Rosh Hashanah, and I say the brachos. On the second day of Rosh Hashanah, do I need to wear a new garment in order to be able to say shehecheyanu for the women?

If you can, this is preferable, but certainly not required, since regarding the mitzvah of tekias shofar, we consider each day to be a separate day, which means that the shehecheyanu recited over tekias shofar on the first day didn‘t cover the tekias shofar of the second day. If so, shehecheyanu may be repeated on the second day according to all views.

It seems like in today’s world of plenty, there’s a dearth of fruits we’ve actually not eaten. My community’s supermarket brings in quince for Rosh Hashanah, but I think the taste is terrible. Can I recite shehechaynu on a new fruit that I really don’t like?

Shehecheyanu over a new fruit may only be said on a new fruit that tastes good and that brings you joy, inspiring you to thank Hashem for allowing you this opportunity, so a fruit that tastes terrible might not be a good choice. But as explained earlier, the primary purpose and intent of the shehecheyanu on Rosh Hashanah is over the Yom Tov, so if all you have is a fruit that you will not enjoy, or even detest, shehecheyanu is still recited over the Yom Tov.

On the second night of Yom Tov, I light candles right when my husband comes home from shul for the seudah. Should I say shehecheyanu when lighting if my husband is about to say it over Kiddush?

Although there are various views and customs, the more widespread custom is for a woman to recite shehecheyanu over the candlelighting even if she is lighting them right before her husband is ready to make Kiddush and will repeat the shehecheyanu. And according to most poskim, she may answer Amen to her husband’s shehecheyanu, as it wouldn‘t be considered a hefsek for her during Kiddush.

When saying shehechaynu on a new fruit, I often find that although I hadn’t had that fresh fruit yet, I‘ve eaten the canned version. May I say shehecheyanu still on the fresh fruit? What about if I already ate an orange, can I make shehecheyanu on a tangerine or a clementine?

Your question is based on a misconception that many people have about shehecheyanu over new fruit. People think that one may recite the brachah on any fruit they haven’t eaten this year or this season. In reality, the brachah is only recited on a fruit (or a vegetable) that until now has not been available at all (out of season) and has now become available due to the new season that has made this item accessible. The brachah is being recited over the new season (l’zman hazeh), not over the new fruit. It follows, therefore, that in the US and many other countries, shehecheyanu is almost never said over new fruit (or vegetables), since almost all fruits are available year-round and they’re never out of season. Even if the particular fruit (or vegetable) is only available all year at specialty stores and at a high price, it’s still not considered a new fruit and shehecheyanu isn‘t said.

I didn’t manage to shake the arba minim on the first day of Yom Tov, and only picked them up the second day. May I still make a shehecheyanu since it’s my first time shaking that year?

Yes, you may. Shehecheyanu is said the first time the mitzvah is fulfilled in the yearly cycle, even if it wasn’t done on the first day that it could have been fulfilled.

We’re expecting, b’shaah tovah, and know it is a girl. May both my husband and I recite a separate shehecheyanu on the birth, b‘ezras Hashem?

No brachah at all is recited over the birth of a girl (as opposed to after the birth of a boy when hatov v’hameitiv is recited). Still, in the opinion of some poskim, it’s permitted for you and your husband to recite shehecheyanu the very first time you see your new baby daughter (as it’s no different from a friend who you haven’t seen for a long time, which in itself is a reason to make a shehecheyanu). But other poskim reject this comparison and don’t permit reciting shehecheyanu when seeing a baby daughter for the first time. In practice, this brachah remains optional.

I’m a single girl living alone who just bought an expensive car via a large bank loan. Is the car considered mine that I can make shehecheyanu on it or does the fact that I bought it using a loan make it belong to the bank?

The car is considered yours since you bought it and it’s registered in your name; the fact that you owe monthly payments to the bank doesn’t negate or diminish your ownership over it. But if you merely leased the car, then you don’t recite shehecheyanu, since technically the car isn’t yours and the true owner is the leasing company (even though the monthly payments are no different than if you had bought the car).

I live on a tight budget and rarely buy new outfits. Recently, though, I bought several weekday outfits that were inexpensive but still enjoyable for me as someone who usually doesn’t spend the money. May I say shehecheyanu on one of these? On each of them?

In general, shehecheyanu on clothes is only made on a significant (or expensive) purchase, like when you buy a new Shabbos or wedding outfit, sheitel, coat, or a fur garment. But if indeed it’s true that you rarely, if ever, get an opportunity to buy even an inexpensive weekday outfit, and when you do get the opportunity, it gives you lots of joy and contentment, then you’re permitted to recite shehecheyanu over it.

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 961)