Shulchan Arukh Orach Chayim · Siman 219

Shulchan Arukh Orach Chayim 219 — English translation

Translation: Sefaria Community Translation. Section numbers match the Hebrew text above.

1. 1The blessing of individual thanksgiving. 9 sections: Four people must give thanks: those who descend to the sea when they have come up from it; those who travel through deserts when they reach an inhabited area; one who was ill and recovered; and one who was imprisoned and was released. And your mnemonic is "and all the living shall thank You" — Choleh (sick), Yisurin (suffering/imprisonment), Yam (sea), Midbar (desert).
2. 2What does he bless? "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who bestows goodness upon the undeserving, who has bestowed all goodness upon me." And those who hear respond: "May He who has bestowed all goodness upon you continue to bestow all goodness upon you forever."
3. 3One must recite this blessing before ten people, two of whom should be Torah scholars, as it is written "let them exalt Him in the congregation of the people and praise Him in the assembly of elders." If Torah scholars are not available he should not refrain from blessing. The custom is to bless after the Torah reading since ten are present. If he blessed before fewer than ten, some say he has fulfilled his obligation and some say he has not — it is best to bless again before ten without mentioning God's name and kingship.
4. 4If another person blessed and said "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has bestowed all goodness upon you" and he answered Amen, he has fulfilled his obligation. Similarly if one said "Blessed is the Merciful One, King of the universe, who has given you to us" and he answered Amen, he has fulfilled his obligation. Rema: This is not a blessing in vain for the one blessing, even though he is not personally obligated in this blessing, since he is only blessing as an expression of praise and thanksgiving for the good that befell his fellow in which he rejoices. (Tur)
5. 5If one person blessed HaGomel for himself and intended to include his fellow, and his fellow heard and intended to fulfill his obligation — he has fulfilled it even without answering Amen. (Since the one blessing is also obligated, the other fulfills his obligation without answering Amen.) (Tur)
6. 6If one delayed, he may still fulfill it by blessing whenever he wishes — but it is proper not to delay more than three days.
7. 7In Ashkenaz and France they do not bless when traveling from city to city, since the obligation was only imposed for those who travel through deserts where wild animals and bandits are common. In Spain the custom is to bless since all roads are presumed to be dangerous — however for less than a parasang one does not bless, unless it is a place known to be especially dangerous, in which case even less than a parasang requires a blessing.
8. 8For any illness one must bless, even if it is not a life-threatening illness or an internal wound — rather any time one took to bed and recovered, since it is like one who was brought up to the tribunal to be judged. There is no distinction between a recurring ailment that comes from time to time and one that is not recurring. Rema: Some say one only blesses for a life-threatening illness such as an internal wound. (Tur in the name of Ra'avad and R. Yosef, and this is the custom in Ashkenaz)
9. 9These four are not exclusive — the same applies to anyone for whom a miracle occurred, such as a wall that fell on him, one who was saved from being trampled by an ox or gored, one upon whom a lion stood ready to tear him apart in the city, or if robbers or nighttime bandits came upon him and he was saved — all such cases require the HaGomel blessing.
10. 10Some say HaGomel is only recited for these four specific cases — and it is best in such other cases to bless without mentioning God's name and kingship.

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