Berakhot over Sights

Every day we praise and thank God for the wondrous world He created for our sake, in Birkhot Ha-shaḥar, in the berakhot of Keri’at Shema, and in the prayers. However, in addition to the order of fixed prayers and berakhot, we sometimes encounter special, moving, and stirring sights, and in order to express their spiritual significance, the Sages instituted that a berakha be recited upon seeing them, thereby connecting them to their root in faith. Thus they instituted berakhot upon seeing special landscapes, natural phenomena, places where miracles occurred, new settlements in the Land of Israel, sages and kings, beautiful and unusual creatures, as well as sights that shake the soul, such as idolatry or graves.

The Sages instituted these berakhot as an obligation. However, when there is doubt regarding a particular sight whether it is among the things over which they instituted a berakha, one does not recite the berakha because of the doubt, for in cases of doubt regarding berakhot we are lenient. One who wishes to go beyond the requirement should say the berakha without God’s name and kingship.

To recite the berakhot over sights, two conditions must be met: first, that the sight be special and arouse wonder in most people; second, that the viewer has not seen it for thirty days, so that seeing it is something new for him (SA OḤ 218:3; 224:13). Although there are sensitive people who would be moved by the sight even after a week, and indifferent people who would not be moved even after a year, the Sages instituted the berakha according to what is common among most people, for whom a sense of novelty is aroused after thirty days.

To make counting the days easier, we will explain that the thirty-first day, on which one recites the berakha a second time, will always fall four weeks and two days later. Thus, if he saw it on Sunday, the thirty-first day will arrive four weeks later on Tuesday. And if he saw it on Monday, the thirty-first day will arrive four weeks later on Wednesday.

The berakha should be recited while one is still seeing the sight, or at the latest within tokh kedei dibbur of when the seeing ended (see SA OḤ 227:3; Bi’ur Halakha 218:1, s.v. “ba-makom”).

When several people are together and become obligated in the same berakha, it is proper for each to recite it for himself. When there are some who do not know how to recite the berakha, it is better for one person to recite it on their behalf (above 12:7).

One who sees these sights through eyeglasses – his seeing is considered ordinary seeing. But one who sees these sights in a picture or film or through a telescope does not recite a berakha, for such seeing does not arouse wonder like tangible seeing. It is a fact that people are not satisfied with seeing pictures and films, but rather go out on trips to see things with their own eyes.

From what distance may one recite the berakha? From a distance at which one can be impressed by the special sight. For a mountain or sea, one may recite the berakha from a great distance. To recite the berakha over a hill, one must come closer in order to discern its unique shape. To recite the berakha over a sage or king, one must come closer still in order to discern his form. And to recite the berakha over a beautiful creature, one must come closer still in order to discern its beauty.