Shulchan Arukh Orach Chayim · Siman 225

Shulchan Arukh Orach Chayim 225 — English translation

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

1. 1One who sees his friend after thirty days, says shehecheyanu (who has kept us alive....) and after twelve months, one blesses m'chayeh meytim (who gives life to the dead) and this is for one who is very dear to him and is happy when seeing him.
2. 2The one who has not seen his friend for a long time and sends him letters, even though he enjoys seeing him, does not bless upon seeing him. Some say that one who has a son become bar mitzvah should bless "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has exempted me from his punishment" (Maharil in the name of Mordechai and Baruch Rosh Parshat Toldot), and it is good to bless without the name and kingdom (De'at Atzmo).
3. 3One who sees a new fruit in its season year by year blesses "Shehecheyanu," even if he sees it in the hand of his friend or on the tree. It is customary not to bless until the time of eating. Note: One who blessed upon seeing did not lose (Tur), and one should not bless until the payment for the growth of the fruit is completed (Responsa of Rashba, siman resh nun, and all of it), and if one did not bless upon the first sight, he can bless upon the second sight (Agur).
4. 4If one blessed "Shehecheyanu" on the new fruit when eating a "gindeiash," he should repeat the blessing "Shehecheyanu." Note: This applies to two types of nuts, such as walnuts and almonds, and the like.
5. 5If one blessed "Shehecheyanu" on grapes when drinking new wine, he does not repeat the blessing.
6. 6A fruit that does not renew itself from year to year, even if there are many days that one has not eaten from it, one does not recite the blessing "shehechiyanu" (that sustained us).
7. 7One does not recite the blessing "shehechiyanu" (that sustained us) on unripe grapes until the clusters have ripened, and likewise for any other fruit until it has fully ripened.
8. 8Upon seeing a Kushite, meaning someone who is very red, or a leukoderm, meaning someone who is very white, or a hunchback, meaning someone whose abdomen is large and whose height appears shortened due to their thickness, or a dwarf, or a dracunculus, meaning someone who is covered in warts and whose hair is matted together, or an elephant, or a monkey, one recites the blessing "Blessed be He who varies the creatures."
9. 9Upon seeing a lame person, an amputee, a blind person, a person afflicted with boils, or a person with vitiligo (who has small spots on their skin), if they have been like that since birth, one recites the blessing "Blessed be He who varies the creatures." If they became like that later in life, one recites the blessing "True Judge." Some people say that one only recites the blessing "True Judge" if one feels sorry for the person, and that one does not recite the blessing for a non-Jew, and that one only recites the blessing the first time one sees the person, if the change in their appearance is very great.
10. 10Upon seeing beautiful, healthy trees, or upon seeing beautiful animals, even if they belong to a non-Jew or an animal, one recites the blessing "Blessed be He who has such in His world." One does not recite this blessing on them more than once, neither on them nor on others, unless they are more beautiful than the ones they saw previously.

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