Brachot on Sights

From Halachipedia

General laws of Brachot on Sights

  1. If one saw a friend one a television or heard them on the phone or radio, one doesn’t make any Bracha for seeing or hearing them. [1]
  2. All the below Brachot for certain sights are made if one hasn’t seen them in thirty days. [2]
  3. Seeing from a distance or airplane is still considered good enough vision in order to make the bracha as long as one can see the sight clearly and the sight is recognizable. [3]
  4. Seeing a sight at night warrants a Bracha as long as one the sight is distinguishable even at night. [4]
  5. Some say one can still make the Bracha upon seeing a wonder of nature even after one has left as long as the sight still impresses or inspires oneself. [5] Some say that one may make the Bracha only while one is still in the area where one can still see the sight or if it’s within the Toch Kedi Dibbur of leaving that area. [6]

Bracha for seeing a house of Avoda Zara

  1. Nowadays we do not make the Bracha for seeing a house of Avoda Zara (which was Baruch Atta…SheNatan Erech Apayim LeOvri Retzono). [7]

Bracha for seeing a scholar

  1. For seeing a great Jewish Chacham (wise scholar) the Bracha is Baruch Atta…SheChalak MeChachmato LeYire’av ברוך אתה ה' אלקינו מלך העולם שחלק מחכמתו . ליראיו [8] However, this Bracha is made rarely because it should only be made for a wise scholar, G-d fearing person, and man of Middot. [9]
  2. For seeing a brilliant non-Jewish secular scholar the Bracha is Baruch Atta…SheNatan MeChachmato LeBasar VeDam. [10] Some say that there’s a minhag not to make this Bracha nowadays. [11]

Bracha for seeing a king or queen

  1. Upon seeing a king or queen who is Jewish one should recite "baruch... shechalak mikvodo liyireav". ברוך אתה ה' אלוקינו מלך העולם שחלק מכבודו ליראיו. If he is not jewish one should recite "baruch... shenatan mikvodo libriyotav". ברוך אתה ה' אלוקינו מלך העולם שחלק מכבודו לבשר ודם . [12]
  2. It is questionable if nowadays one should still make this beracha, and therefore one shouldn’t make the Bracha upon seeing a king, queen, president, or prime minister, however, one may make this Bracha without Shem UMalchut. [13]
  3. Seeing the monarch on television would not obligate you in the beracha. [14]

Bracha for seeing a cemetery

  1. For seeing a Jewish cemetery the Bracha is Baruch Atta…Asher Yatzer Etchem…Mechaye Maytim. ברוך אתה ה' אלוקינו מלך העולם, אשר יצר אתכם בדין ודן אתכם בדין וכלכל אתכם בדין והחיה אתכם בדין, ואסף אתכם בדין, ויודע מספר כולכם, ועתיד להחיותכם ולהקימכם בדין לחיי העולם הבא, ברוך אתה ה' מחיה המתים [15] This Bracha can be made for seeing it through glass and so if one see a cemetery from a car while driving one can make this Bracha. [16] Some say that one may make the Bracha even after leaving the sight as long as one is still effected and impacted by it. [17]

Bracha for seeing a friend

  1. Nowadays, the Ashkenazic minhag is not to make a bracha upon seeing a friend after 30 days or after 12 months. [18]
  2. However, some say Sephardic minhag is to make the Bracha of Shechiyanu even if one was in contact as long as one hasn’t seen them for 30 days, while some disagree. [19]

Bracha for seeing 600,000 people

  1. Upon seeing 600,000 Jews there’s a Bracha of Baruch Atta…Chacham HaRazim, however, this is a extremely rare occurrence. [20]
  2. Upon seeing 600,000 non-Jews one should say the פסוק “Boshu Imachem Meod…” and some say that one can say this for any gathering of non-Jews. [21]

Other specific Brachot on Sights

References

  1. ↑ Yalkut Yosef (vol 3 pg 406)
  2. ↑ 224:13
  3. ↑ Vezot HaBracha (pg 154-5), Piskei Teshuvot 228:1
  4. ↑ Vezot HaBracha (pg 154), Piskei Teshuvot 228:1
  5. ↑ Halichot Shlomo 23:26 writes that if one didn't make the bracha immediately upon seeing the ocean, one may make the bracha as long as the sight effects oneself (one is still inspired or in awe).
  6. ↑ Piskei Teshuvot 228:1
  7. ↑ S”A 224:1 writes that for seeing an Avoda Zara the Bracha is Baruch Atta…SheNatan Erech Apayim LeOvri Retzono. The Mishna Brurah 224:2 adds that this Bracha also applies if one only sees the house of the Avoda Zara. However, the Rama 224:1 writes clearly that our minhag is not to make this Bracha nowadays since we see these houses of Avoda Zara often. Mishna Brurah 224:3 extends the case to even if one didn’t see the house of Avoda Zara in thirty days one still doesn’t make the Bracha.
  8. ↑ S”A 224:6
  9. ↑ Piskei Teshuvot 224:4, Yalkut Yosef (vol 3 pg 602)
  10. ↑ S”A 224:7
  11. ↑ Piskei Teshuvot 224:5 writes that the minhag is not to make this Bracha since some say that one should make the Bracha on non-Jews that don’t keep the 7 מצות of Bnei Noach
  12. ↑ Berachot 58a, S"A 224:8
  13. ↑ Rav Ovadia Yosef Yechave Daat 2:28 cites the Radvaz 1:296 as well as the Orchot Chaim Berachot 49 that say that this beracha is recited on any monarch with enough power to execute or pardon from execution. This would apply to the president of the US. Rav Ovadia says that this is halacha but quotes several poskim who say that it doesn't apply if they are in normal clothing, and therefore says to say it without shem umalchut. See Piskei Teshuvot 224:6,7. Rav Moshe Shternbuch in Tshuvot vihanhagot 2:139 rules that since the obligation is based on the honor given to that monarch, that one should in fact recite the beracha upon seeing the monarch of modern day England, even a female despite the fact that we don't allow for a Jewish monarch to be a women.
  14. ↑ Yechave Daat 2:28 compares it to saying birkat halevana upon seeing the moon in the mirror, which we do not do based on the gemara in rosh hashana 24b and birkei yosef Choshen Mishpat 35:11
  15. ↑ S”A 224:12, Mishna Brurah 224:17, Piskei Teshuvot 224:10, Yalkut Yosef (vol 3 pg 604)
  16. ↑ Piskei Teshuvot 224:10, Yalkut Yosef (vol 3 pg 605)
  17. ↑ Halichot Shlomo 23:26 (in the footnote) writes that if one didn't make the bracha immediately upon seeing the Jewish cemetery, one may make the bracha as long as the sight effects oneself.
  18. ↑ Halichot Shlomo 23:12, Piskei Teshuvot 225:2
  19. ↑ Yalkut Yosef (vol 3 pg 605) writes that the minhag is to make both these Brachot under the conditions of S”A. However, Vezot HaBracha (pg 171) quotes Rav Mordechai Eliyahu who says that the minhag is not to make these Brachot nowadays.
  20. ↑ S”A 224:5
  21. ↑ S”A 224:5, Piskei Teshuvot 225:3 quoting the Sh”t Divrei Yetsiv 1:91 and Brachat HaBayit Shaar 29:3
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