[Avodah] Aromatherapy

[T613K at aol.com]

From: Micha Berger _micha at aishdas.org_ (mailto:micha at aishdas.org) 

>>Well, there  is a whole industry today of scents one can buy for the sole
sake of their  lingering effect. The intent is, for examples, to bring
a calm or an  alertness that lasts beyond the length of the candle /
scented oil.  ...
Given this, why shouldn't a person smelling these aromas for  this
purpose be chayav to make a berakhah achronah? And if so, what  would
it be? <<
 
 
>>>>>
You know when you have finished eating.  You put your fork down, take  your 
last swallow, you are done.  How do you know when you are done  smelling?  
 
Suppose you have a scented candle burning and it keeps burning for twelve  
hours -- and you walk in and out of the room -- and the scent wafts through the  
whole house -- and even after the candle burns out, the scent lingers -- how  
would you determine that you had reached a point where you could say, "That's 
 it, I'm done smelling, time for the bracha acharona."
 
Since the purpose of aromatherapy is to make people feel peaceful, the  
bracha would be "oseh shalom bimromav" 
 
But since you might have the candle burning while you enjoy a long,  
leisurely bath, well, you can't make a bracha in the bathroom!  So on the  whole, it 
is rather convenient that we don't have to make that bracha  acharona.  (And I 
frankly doubt that you have to make a bracha  rishona, either.  Did you ever 
walk into a house where there's a  scented air freshener plugged into the wall 
and the smell of cinnamon  or lavender fills the house -- do you know anyone 
who makes a bracha over the  plug-in?)
 

--Toby  Katz
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