- March 25, 2023
Brachos on Seas and Mountains
- Upon seeing seas, rivers, mountains, hills, or deserts, one should say, “ברוך אתה ד’ אמ
- March 25, 2023
Brachos on Seas and Mountains
- Upon seeing seas, rivers, mountains, hills, or deserts, one should say, “ברוך אתה ד’ אמ”ה עושה מעשה בראשית” (שו”ע או”ח רכ”ח ס”א). This is only if one has not seen them within the past 30 days (מ”ב סק”ב).
- Thus, on all seas that have existed since Creation, one says, “עושה מעשה בראשית.”
- If one saw one of these sights, left without saying a brachah, and sees them again before 30 days have passed, it could be he can no longer say the brachah (ביה”ל סי’ רי”ח ס”א ד”ה במקום).
- On the Mediterranean Sea, the Mechaber holds one should say, “בא”ה אמ”ה עושה הים הגדול,” or in the past tense, “שעשה את הים הגדול” (מג”א וא”ר). However, many Acharonim maintain that one should only say “עושה מעשה בראשית” (מ”ב סק”ב).
- On the oceans, [the Atlantic or Pacific], all poskim agree that one should say “עושה הים הגדול” or “שעשה את הים הגדול,” since they encompass most of the world (מ”ב שם).
- On the Kinneret, one should say, “עושה מעשה בראשית” (מור וקציעה, הליכות שלמה פכ”ג הכ”ז).
- Although the Dead Sea is one of the wonders of the world, it is unclear if it gets a brachah so one should not say “עושה מעשה בראשית.” The reason for this is because it is apparent from Chazal (עי’ רש”י בראשית י”ד עה”פ עמק השידים) that the Dead Sea did not exist since Creation; rather, channels of water flowed to the area, resulting in the Dead Sea (שו”ת שבה”ל ח”ט סי’ מ”ז).
Can you make a Bracha on mountains and hills?
- The brachah “עושה מעשה בראשית” is also said on extraordinary mountains and hills that reflect the might of their Creator (שו”ע רכ”ח ג’). This is subjective: it all depends if a person is moved, based on how accustomed he is to seeing such mountains.
- One can say a brachah on the towering Alps (שו”ת אור לציון ח”ב פמ”ו ס”ב), as well as on the mountains that surround Hungary (שלחן הטהור סי’ רכ”ח, נמוקי או”ח סי’ ער”ב).
- Regarding the mountains next to Bad Ragaz, Switzerland, my rebbi the Kenei Bosem told the Toldos Aharon Rebbe shlit”a that the brachah can be said (היכל הוראה ח”א הוראה ט”ז).
- The leading rabbanim say a brachah on the Niagara Falls, as it is clear that they have been around since Creation and remain unchanged by human intervention (ויהי בנסוע פי”ד הערה כ”ו).
Tevilas Keilim [see also Issue 93]
- The grate of a reusable, stainless steel barbecue that food goes on must be toiveled before its first use if it was made in Chutz La’aretz. However, the co