Draft:Birkat Hagomel

{Judaism| prayers}}

Birkat HaGomel (Hebrew:, Blessing [of thanksgiving] for Deliverance [from life-threatening danger], is a blessing thanking HaShem for delivering a Jew safely when they have experienced an actual or potentially dangerous event. The act of reciting the blessing is often referred to by the Yiddish phrase "benching Gomel".

The prayer must if at all possible be said within 3 days of surviving the danger. It can be said anywhere, but must be said before a minyan (at least ten Jewish men gathered for the purposes of prayer). It is often said at the Monday, Tuesday or Shabbat Torah reading during Shacharit when the person reciting the blessing is given an aliyah to read a portion from the Torah, but this is not essential.

Uses
All orthodox nusachim utilise the prayer to give thanks for surviving dangerous events. The exact definitions of what constitutes a dangerous event, and certain words and psalms said around the blessing differ by nusach.

Origin of Birkat HaGomel
The way to give thanks to HaShem for surviving potential injury or death during the time of the Beit HaMikdash was by bringing a Korban Todah (sacrifice of thanksgiving) offering to the temple. Since then the mitzva of giving thanks is fulfilled by reciting Birkat HaGomel in public, to emulate the Korban Todah which was offered publicly. Chayei Adam recommends that in addition to benching Gomel, you should also publicly give charity equivalent to the value of the Korban Todah that would have been offered, while stating that the donation is to fulfill the mitzva, but this is not mandatory.

Giving thanks is a voluntary action based on the givers feeling of thankfulness, as was the offering of the Korban Todah. So not reciting the prayer is not a sin, but Halacha (Jewish law) advises that if you do give thanks you must apply yourself to doing it properly. The Halacha creates an "obligation" to give thanks, but the word obligation in this context is meant to convey that Halacha has determined when someone should, as a minimum, feel thankful and give thanks, not that they are forced to do so. Over time, however, since observant orthodox believers desire to often thank HaShem for the blessings they receive, the "obligation" to give thanks, and the giving of thanks in the way set out in Halacha have become synonymous.

The Halacha for reciting Birkat HaGomel is set out in Talmud Masechet Berachot (54b.12) where Rav Yehuda quotes Rav as saying that 4 categories of people are obligated to give thanks to HaShem for saving them:
 * A person who sails on the sea, when they return to port
 * A person whose journey exposed them to the dangers of the desert, once they reach an inhabited city
 * Someone who recovers from an illness
 * A prisoner released from prison

A mnemonic to remember these four categories is the word [CHA][Y][I]"[M] (chayi"m) in (and all living things will thank you, Selah!) from  used in the third blessing of the Amidah. It is an acronym for:
 * [CHA]vush: a released prisoner
 * [Y]am, the sea
 * [Y]isurim, the pain experienced by a sick but now healed person
 * [M]idbar, which refers to those traveling through the desert who have arrived at an inhabited settlement.

The ruling is based on these categories of people all being referred to in, as set out in the Halacha. starts by saying that HaShem should be praised because he is good and loving, and should be praised especially by those he has saved from adversity. The Psalm then describes the category of people mentioned in the Halacha, how HaShem saved them and how grateful they were:

(Let them exalt Him in the congregation of the people, acclaim Him in the assembly of the elders , ) [emphasis added] summarises the need to give praise and the method of doing so. Based on this, Berachot 54b.17-18 discuss how the thanks should be given in front a minyan (congregation of the people) including, if available, 2 sages (assembly of the elders).

Berachot 54b.19-20 detail how listening to someone else, who is obligated to make the blessing, with intention to fulfill your obligation, is sufficient to meet your obligation, even if you don’t respond "Amen", although it is expected that you will respond Amen. If the person reciting is not obligated, then you only fulfill your obligation by responding Amen. The person who says the thanks must also have the intention that others will meet their obligation through their recitation. This is particularly important in Nusach Edot HaMizrach where the obligation has been expanded to many more situations than in Nusach Ashkenaz. There are often many congregants needing to give thanks especially during the Shabbat Torah reading, and all can fulfill their obligation through one recitation.

Ideal circumstances for reciting Birkat HaGomel
If circumstance permit Birkat HaGomel should ideally be recited:
 * 1) Within 3 days of the event occuring,
 * 2) In front of a minyan of 10 men, not including the person giving thanks, and an additional 2 Torah scholars (so at least 12 plus the one reciting),
 * 3) After the person benching Gomel has been given an aliyah to read from the Torah,
 * 4) While standing,
 * 5) During the daytime,
 * 6) Individually by each person giving thanks, unless the danger was experienced as a group where one person can recite for the group and the others respond in plural.

If the ideal situation for recitation is not possible the following leniencies are allowed:
 * 1) Most requirements (except that for a minyan) can be dispensed with to enable recitation within 3 days of the event. If not possible in 3 days,it should be recited within 5 days. If not within 5 days then within thirty days. If not within thirty days then anytime the person giving thanks still feels thankful.
 * 2) The minimum minyan required is 10 men including the person giving thanks if male, and excluding Torah scholars if none are available (so at least 10 men). If a minyan is not or will not be available the blessing can be said without mentioning HaShem’s holy names (see blessing text below).
 * 3) An aliyah and the presence of the Torah are not essential if arranging these would delay the recitation.
 * 4) The recitation is valid if the person giving thanks is sitting.
 * 5) The recitation is valid if it has to be given at night.
 * 6) If too many people need to give thanks individually to be practical, it is valid to fulfill the obligation by listening to someone else who is obligated saying Birkat HaGomel, while everyone obligated and the person doing the recitation bear in mind that they will all be fulfilling their obligation in this way. If the person doing recitation is not obligated then the others who are obligated only fulfill their obligation if they respond Amen.

Birkat HaGomel nusachim
Askenazim (and Chasidim including Chabad who broadly follow Nusach Askenaz in this case) generally limit the obligation to bench Gomel, to those events when actual danger was experienced, or where highly likely danger was avoided. Sephardim (and Mizrahim) extend the obligation to any event where potential danger exists, whether or not the person obligated actually experienced the danger. Therefore there are normally a larger number of Sephardim obligated to bench Gomel than Askenazim.

Text of Birkat HaGomel
The blessing should be recited in front of a minyan (10 Jewish men). In Nusach Ashkenaz this can include the person saying the blessing, while Sephardim exclude them. Preferably the minyan should include 2 sages (Torah scholars) but it can still be recited if they are not available.

The blessing is normally said on days when the Torah is being read in Shacharit (Monday, Thursday, Shabbat), because Torah sages are often in shul at this time. The person doing the blessing is normally given an aliyah to read from the Torah, after which they blessing is recited. The aliyah may include hagbah or glila if all the reading aliyot are allocated to other priority people.

The most important requirement is that the blessing should be said within three days of surviving the event if at all possible. This overrides the requirement to have Torah sages present, or to recite the blessing as part of the Shacharit Torah reading if this does not fall within the three days. This also applies to a person sitting shiva who cannot be called to the Torah. They should not wait for an aliyah but should say the blessing before a minyan within three days even during shiva. A minyan is always required. If one knows that a minyan will not be available within 30 days of surviving, the blessing can be said without using HaShem’s holy name (see blessing text below). . The obligation to thank HaShem for saving a person remains until they give thanks, so even if not said within 3 days, the blessing must still be given as soon as possible thereafter.

Nusach Sefard and Nusach Chabad (mostly) follow the Askenazi Birkat Hagomel ritual. Nusach Chabad leave out the word "kol" in the blessing. Nusach Edot HaMizrach adds a (second) "kol" in the congregation’s response.

Notes to text: