Torah Portion - May 14, 2009

D'var Torah - Birkat HaGomel   5-15-09

Rabbi Mark S. Kram, Temple Beth Or, Miami, FL

You know the saying in Judaism: "There's a blessing for everything!" Well, just about. One of my favorites is truly useful, that is if you're ever on I-95 or U.S. 1 in traffic. That is the Birkat HaGomel - Thanking God for Deliverance. During the Temple times, one who managed to escape from four types of danger would offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God. Today, thankfully, it is not possible to offer a sacrifice. The Sages instituted this special blessing of thanksgiving in its place.

We take a moment, sigh (large), and are guided to recite it upon emerging in good health for that or from any of the following situations:
  1. One who arrived safely from traveling over the sea (and wasn’t shipwrecked).
  2. One who arrived safely from traveling through a desert (and wasn’t attacked by wild beasts or bandits (I would add, from any dangerous travel- once one has arrived at their final destination).
  3. One who recovered from an illness (and his condition didn’t deteriorate or after being completely restored to normal health).
  4. One who was released from prison (sane, and didn’t lose his mind from the harsh ordeal, or after being entirely freed).
  5. [Upon deliverance from an earthquake or other natural disaster (Hurricane?).]
Bircat HaGomel is often recited in synagogue as a public acknowledgment of God’s deliverance. It reads,


 
Barukh attah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam,
hagomel l’chayavim tovot, shegamalani kol tov.
Praised are You, God, Ruler of All,
who has bestowed upon the undeserving good
things, and has given me all good things.

Response from listeners
Mi shegmalach (for a man, Gemalcha), kol tov, hu yigmalech (yigmolcha) kol tov selah. God who has bestowed upon you good things should always bestow upon you good things.

The Sages made two additions to the requirements of reciting this blessing:
  1. If one survives any dangerous ordeal, even though it doesn’t fall under the four primary categories, it still obligates them to recite this blessing of thanksgiving. (For example, someone who had a structure collapse on top of them, a dangerous animal attacked them, or they escaped from the clutches of a murderer.)
  2. Even if a person didn’t actually endure any danger, nevertheless since they were in a situation which potentially could have been dangerous, they are obligated to recite the blessing.
  3. A current and common example of a situation that calls for this blessing is upon arriving at your destination after flying overseas.
Finally, it is best to try and recite the blessing as close as possible (within three days) to the deliverance. It wouldn’t be fitting to delay thanking.  It is also customary to recite the blessing in the presence of a Torah scroll.

This b'racha and others keep us on the path of God-awareness. This awareness doesn't happen in a vacuum – it happens when we recite HaMotzi over food or a B'racha over candles, or Kiddush. Or even, as at Beth Or, we recite the Bathroom Prayer. However we can raise our lives up, and bring them to holiness by the realization of God's saving power and of Gods many gifts to us – in this case, life, over and over again, we have the opportunity to give thanks.

Shabbat Shalom!