Halacha: What Do We Bless on a Pear?

The blessing for a pear is the blessing of the tree (first blessing).

At the end of eating, the blessing is Borei Nefashot (last blessing).

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The amount of eating required to obligate a last blessing (from "Daily Halacha" from the rulings of the late Maran Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, of blessed memory):

For anything a person eats, they must bless a "first blessing," such as the blessing of "Shehakol" or "Ha'etz." Even if one eats only a small amount of the food, a blessing is required, as long as they consume it for the sake of eating. (However, if the purpose is merely to taste the food to adjust seasoning, etc., no blessing is made over this tasting). Therefore, one who chews flavored chewing gum, even though they swallow very little of it, still must bless for the enjoyment of its taste. Similarly, anyone who drinks something must bless over it even if they drink only a single drop of the beverage.

However, this pertains only to the first blessing. A last blessing is only recited when one consumes a significant amount, which is a quantity of "kezayit," meaning twenty-seven grams, and for drinking, the amount is a "revi'it," which is eighty-one grams.

Additionally, the eating or drinking must occur within a time frame where the consumption combines into one. For instance, if a person eats the equivalent of a "kezayit" of bread over the entire day, crumb by crumb, they certainly cannot recite the Birkat Hamazon afterwards. Instead, the consumption of the "kezayit" must be entirely within the time of "akilat pras." There is a dispute among the poskim regarding this duration, with some saying it is five minutes, while others claim it is approximately seven and a half minutes (and there are other opinions on this). Therefore, it is correct to always be careful to eat a "kezayit" (especially at Shabbat meals) within four and a half minutes to satisfy all opinions.

Regarding the last blessing on a drink, one must consume a revi'it of the beverage (which is eighty-one grams) in one go. If one drinks, and there is a pause between sips, no last blessing is recited at all. Therefore, someone who consumes soup with a spoon does not recite a last blessing for that soup, as they did not drink a revi'it in one go, and similarly, someone drinking hot coffee or tea does not recite a last blessing, as they cannot drink it all at once.​