Chapter 60 : Laws Concerning the Berachos over Phenomenal Sights

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§1

Upon seeing a fruit tree in bloom, you should say: Baruch ata Adonoy, Elokeinu melech ha'olam shelo chiseir be'olamo kelum uvara vo beriyos tovos ve'ilonos tovim leihanos bahem benei adam, [Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, Who caused nothing to be lacking in His universe, and He created in it goodly creatures and goodly trees, to give mankind pleasure therewith. You recite this berachah only once a year. But if you delayed saying the berachah until the fruit grew, then you should no longer say it. Some authorities hold that if you neglected to say the berachah when you saw the blossoms for the first time, you should no longer say it.

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§2

When you see a meteoric shower, that is shooting stars flashing across the sky from one place to another in a brilliant streak, or when seeing a comet that has a bright tail streaming behind it, or on witnessing an earthquake, or a hurricane, or lightning, on each of these, you say the berachah Baruch ata Adonoy, Elokeinu melech ha'olam osei ma'asei vereishis, [Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, Who makes the work of Creation.] (The berachah over a meteor, should be said no more than once during the night, even if you saw another meteoric shower. Once you said the berachah over a comet, you should not repeat it when you see it again within thirty days.) On hearing thunder after the lightning has flashed, you say: Baruch ata Adonoy, Elokeinu melech ha'olam shekocho ugevuraso malei olam, [Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, for His strength and His power fill the universe]. If you see lightning and hear thunder at the same time, you say only the berachah, Osei ma'asei vereishis. If on seeing lightning, you said the berachah Osei ma'asei vereishis and immediately after the lighting, you hear thunder, you must not say the berachah over [the thunder] for the berachah over the lightning exempts it. The berachah over lightning and thunder should be said the moment they occur, but if there is a brief interruption, the berachah should not he said any more.

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§3

As long as the clouds have not scattered, one berachah exempts [all lightning and thunder that may occur]. But if the clouds dispersed and the skies became clear between thunder claps and lightning flashes, you must repeat the berachah. A flash of lightning unaccompanied by thunder, [i.e., lightning] that is caused by the heat, is not considered real lightning and requires no herachah.

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§4

When you see a rainbow you say: Baruch ata Adonoy Elokeinu melech ha'olam zocheir haberis vene'eman biveriso vekayam bema'amaro, [Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, Who remembers the covenant, is trustworthy in His covenant and fulfills His word]. It is forbidden to gaze too much at a rainbow.

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§5

When you see great seas or tall mountains which are famous for their great height, you say: Osei ma'asei vereishis.

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§6

When you see the sun at the end of its cycle, that is, after a period of twenty-eight years, when the vernal equinox of the month of Nisan occurs at the beginning of Tuesday night, then you should say on Wednesday morning, when the sun is shining [and visible], Baruch ata Adonoy Elokeinu melech ha'olam osei ma'asei vereishis. Before saying this berachah, you should recite Psalm 148 "Halleluyah! Praise Hashem from the heavens...," and then say the berachah. After that say the prayer Keil Adon [God the Master] up to vechayos hakodesh [and the holy Chayos], followed by Psalm 19 "The heavens declare the glory of God..." You conclude with Aleinu leshabei'ach [It is our duty to praise], and Kaddish.

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§7

It is best to say this berachah [early] in the morning, immediately after sunrise, because "The diligent perform all mitzvos promptly." It is best, if possible, to say it in an assembly of people for it is written: "In the multitude of people is the king's glory." (An announcement should be made on the day before to inform the public of the gathering). But if it is impossible to call an assembly for early in the morning, the berachah should not be postponed because of that. Rather, each person should say it immediately when he sees the rising sun. The rule that "The diligent do mitzvos promptly" takes precedence [over the rule that] "In the multitude..." If you have not said the berachah in the morning, you may still say it until the third hour of the day and in case of an emergency [you may say it] until noon. Therefore, if [the sky] is cloudy in the morning, and [the sun] is obscured, you should wait until it is near noon, perhaps the sun will by then appear, and you will be able to say the berachah mentioning God's Name and Kingship. But if the sun did not appear by then, you should say the berachah omitting the Name and Kingship. (The most recent kiddush hachamah occurred in the year 5769/2009. May we merit to live and see the light of the seven days of Creation.)

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§8

If, on your behalf, the Holy One, blessed is He, performed a miracle [by saving your life] in a supernatural way and you see the place where this miracle took place, you say Baruch ata Adonoy Elokeinu melech ha'olam she'asa li neis bamakom hazeh, [Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, Who performed a miracle for me at this place]. Even a son or a grandson, even those who were born before the miracle occurred should also say the berachah. What is the wording of this berachah? A son says: She'asa neis le'avi bamakom hazeh. [Who performed a miracle for my father at this place]. If there is more than one son, they say le'avinu (for our father) [instead of le'avi]. A grandson says la'avosai (for my ancestors), and if there is more than one grandson, they say la'avoseinu (for our ancestors). A person who experienced many miracles, and he arrives at one of the places, where a miracle occurred to him, should mention all the other places and include them all in one berachah as follows: She'asa li neis bamakom hazeh uvemakom peloni. [Who performed a miracle for me at this place and at such and such place]. His son and grandson should also mention all the other places.

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§9

When you see an outstanding Torah scholar in Israel, you should say: Baruch ata Adonoy Elokeinu melech ha'olam shechalak meichochmaso lirei'av, [Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe Who has apportioned of His knowledge to those who fear him]. (Because Israel is God's portion and clings to Him, the term "apportioned" is used.) When you see an outstanding scholar, renowned for secular knowledge, who is a gentile, you say: Baruch ata Adonoy Elokeinu melech ha'olam shenasan meichochmaso levasar vadam, [Who has given of his wisdom to human beings].

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§10

When you see a king of any of the nations of the world, you say: Baruch ata Adonoy Elokeinu melech ha'olam shenasan mikevodo levasar vadam, [Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, Who has given of His glory to human beings]. Even if you do not see the king in person, but you witness the spectacular pageantry and you are certain of the king's presence, you may recite this berachah. A blind person should say the berachah omitting the divine Name and Kingship. It is a mitzvah to make an effort to behold the glory of kings. But if you have seen him once, you should not stop your [Torah] studies to see him again unless he appears later with a greater military parade and a more majestic display than before.

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§11

When you see graves of Jews, you should say: Baruch ata Adonoy Elokeinu melech ha'olam asher yatzar eschem badin... [Blessed are You, Hashem, King of the universe, Who has formed you in judgment etc.] When you see the graves of pagans, you say: [the verse in Jeremiah 50:12] "Your mother will be deeply ashamed, she that gave birth to you will be disgraced. Behold, the ultimate end of nations will be a desert, a dry land, and a wilderness."

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§12

If you see the same phenomenal sights again, you should not repeat the berachah, unless [at least] thirty days have elapsed since you last saw it. You do not count the day you saw it, and if you exclude the day you see it again there are thirty days you may make the berachah. But if you see different individuals [who hold the same high public office] as those whom you have seen previously, as, for instance, another king, or [you see] other graves, or the like, then you should repeat the berachah even within thirty days.

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§13

When you see an African, or an Indian, that is, a person of deep red [skin] color, or an albino, that is, a person with a very pale skin, or a malformed individual, that is to say, a person who is [abnormally] tall and slender, or a dwarf or a hidrakonah, that is, a person whose skin is covered with wart-like scales, or a person with tangled hair, whose entire hair clings together, or an elephant or an ape, you say: Baruch ata Adonoy, Elokeinu melech ha'olam meshaneh haberiyos, [Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, Who makes creatures different]. You say this berachah only [when you see them] the first time because [then] the strangeness is most striking.

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§14

The first time you see any of the following you say the beracha Meshaneh Haberiyos: a crippled person, or an amputee, that is to say, a person whose hands were amputated, or a blind person, or one afflicted with open sores, or a person covered with freckles, that is, a person whose [skin] is speckled with white spots [alternating with brown spots], if these are birth defects. But if they were afflicted after [birth], and to see them causes you distress, you say: Baruch dayan ha'emes.

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§15

When you see beautiful trees, or good-looking creatures, even if it is a heathen, (by casually glancing at him, since gazing at him is forbidden) or an animal, you say: Baruch ata Adonoy Elokeinu melech ha'olant shekachah lo be'olamo. [Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, Who has such as this in His world]. This berachah is said only when you see them the first time, and it should not be repeated when you see them again, or others [of the same kind], unless the latter are more beautiful than the former.