Shailoh of the Week by Rabbi Zvi Nussbaum

Rabbinic Coordinator, Kosher Hotline Administrator for the Orthodox Union

Ikar v’tafel (Hebrew: עיקר וטפל‎, lit. ‘primary and secondary’) is a principle in Jewish law that governs the proper blessing that is assigned to any particular food prior to consumption. The general guidelines of Ikar and Tafel are the bracha that one makes on the ikar (primary food) covers the bracha on the Tafel (secondary food). This rule applies to Bracha Rishona and Bracha Achrona. Situations exhibiting an ikar ve’ tafel relationship include both when; two entities are intermixed and eaten together and when two entities are eaten one after another deliberately so that one entity will completely serve the other. When it comes to eating applesauce with latkes, there is no bracha on the applesauce since it is tafel (secondary) to the latkes. Other examples of this are; bread and cream cheese, cereal and milk, pancakes and maple syrup, and crackers and peanut butter. Enjoy your latkes!