halacha - Which comes first, borei nefashot, or me'en shalosh?

Which berachah acharonah should one say first: borei nefashot, or me'en shalosh?

(Please cite your sources.)

Answer

Despite all the discussion about the proper order of brachot before food, there is very little discussion about the order of brachot after food. One piece (the only one I can find), is in a gloss of Rabbeinu Peretz to the Semak (151:21) which is also quoted in the Agudah (Brachot 149) which recommends saying Borei Nefashot before Al haMichya in the case where you ate a non-seven-species fruit and had a mezonot food.

The Magen Avraham (OC 202:26) quotes this Agudah, but suggests that perhaps that order was specific to that case where one would be in doubt if the Al haMichya exempts the apple or not. (The doubt would relate to a different nusach of the blessing than what we use.) The Magen Avraham leaves unresolved (צ"ע) whether the Agudah's rule is meant to be general or not.

The Peri Megadim (EA 202:25-6) suggests two reasons why Me'ein Shalosh should precede Borei Nefashot:

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  It is a more specific bracha, and in the laws of brachot before food, specific brachot generally get precedence.

  
  


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  A minority opinion (quoted in Magen Avraham OC 172:3) holds that Me'ein Shalosh is a biblical requirement and should precede Borei Nefashot which is rabbinic.

  
  

The Aruch haShulchan (OC 202:40) rules that the Agudah's rule is not meant to be a general one (IMHO a very reasonable read of the Agudah), and accordingly rules that in general one may say a Me'ein Shalosh and Borei Nefashot in whatever order one pleases.