Question: I recently returned from a trip abroad and wanted to say HaGomel. When I mentioned this to the officers of my synagogue, however, they told me – as per the instructions of the synagogue’s rabbi – that I would have to wait until Shabbos to do so. I was not given any reason for this and did not wish to display my ignorance, so I quietly acquiesced. Can you please explain why I had to wait?
Name Withheld
Via E-mail
Synopsis: The Mechaber rules that a person is required to offer hoda’ah if he survived crossing a sea, survived traveling through the wilderness, recovered from a serious illness, or was set free after being imprisoned. He specifies that the blessing of the hoda’ah must be recited before a minyan.
We discussed the various opinions about whether reciting the blessing with a minyan is required l’chatchila or not and whether the person reciting the blessing is counted in the minyan for this purpose. As we noted, the Mishnah Berurah rules most leniently – that the quorum should include the one reciting the blessing. Many other authorities agree with this opinion.
Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch (Orach Chayim, vol 2:143) differentiates between HaGomel and tefillah, which requires 10 men present, but not all 10 need to be praying. HaGomel, however, requires the response of the entire minyan since the entire purpose of having a minyan present is to thank G-d publicly. Rabbi Sternbuch therefore advises that one recite the blessing loudly so that all can hear and respond.
Last week we continued to look at different opinions comparing HaGomel and Birkat Chatanim, which also requires ten people. The Rashba rules that Birkat Chatanim – specifically the sheva berachot recited at the wedding – may not be said with less than a minyan of ten. However, we saw that there is a difference of opinion about whether the blessings are required to complete the marriage ceremony. Thus, we cannot compare Birkat HaGomel to Birkat Chatanim because, when necessary, Birkat Chatanim may be left out, whereas the same cannot be said regarding Birkat HaGomel, where the blessing is the fulfillment of the mitzvah.
* * * * *
Answer: Now let us discuss waiting to recite the blessing at Keriat HaTorah, the Torah reading. Does this not negate the rule of “Zerizin makdimin l’mitzvot” – precepts are to be performed at the earliest possibility (Pesachim 4a)? Why not gather ten people even on a day when there is no Keriat HaTorah and recite the blessing as soon as one has been delivered from danger?
To answer this question, let us turn to the Rosh (on Perek HaRoeh, the Ninth Chapter of Berachot, siman 3), where he cites HaRav Yosef, a Rishon, who states that Birkat HaGomel was enacted in place of the Korban Todah – an offering of thanksgiving. This offering is alluded to in the very same chapter of Psalms (107) from which our Gemara (Berachot 54b) derives the four types of situations that warrant a Birkat HaGomel. Thus today, when there is no Temple and there are no sacrifices, the individual recites HaGomel after Keriat HaTorah (on Monday, Thursday or Sabbath, as per Tosafot, Berachot 54b sv “v’eima bei asara…”), as one who enters the synagogue at those times will surely find a minyan.
Rabbi Moshe Sofer (Responsa Chasam Sofer, Orach Chayyim 51) sets forth an interesting analysis of Psalm 107, the Sages’ source for identifying those delivered from danger due to any of the four situations mentioned previously – one who survived a sea crossing, one who survived travel in the wilderness, one who recovered from a serious illness, and one who was set free after a period of imprisonment.
He notes that the text of Psalms seems to indicate that only the latter three situations mentioned in the chapter would require the person to bring a Korban Todah. At the mention of the first situation – one who survived sea travel – we see no mention of a Korban Todah; rather, he is to offer praises to G-d before an assembly of people and a session of elders. As mentioned previously, this refers to a quorum of ten plus two sages. Consequently, it appears that there is no element of offering praises after any of the other three situations. It would appear that, logically, since the one who survived the sea is the only case (of the four enumerated) where the person actually placed himself in danger, he is surely the one who must offer praises to G-d. (Sea travel has long been considered to be inherently more dangerous than other means of travel, and there are greater odds of a calamitous outcome than traveling on land. Traveling by air is obviously a recent phenomenon, and a topic of fascinating discussions about whether one should recite Birkat HaGomel after a flight. This is a matter for later discussion.)
Rabbi Sofer continues his analysis by examining the enactment of the practice of Birkat HaGomel. “Surely, it is not the Rabbis who established [that we should] recite it,” he explains. “Rather, it is the fact that the verse openly states to do so. Thus, what is the term ‘they enacted’ [Berachot loc. cit.]? However, now, it is no longer difficult to understand, since there is no mention of offering praise regarding the latter three situations.
“Since the Temple was destroyed, it was indeed the Sages’ enactment not only insofar as one who is delivered from the sea but as relates to the three other situations as well, even though we would not see so [explicitly] from the verses in Psalms. Thus, we see that [Birkat HaGomel] is [indeed] their enactment.”
To be continued.