The Sages enacted the recitation of Birkat Hagomel to express gratitude to God upon emerging from a situation of danger. They specified four situations that require a person to recite this Beracha: a nautical journey, release from prison or captivity, recovering from illness, and surviving a trip through a desert.
Does a person recite this Beracha if he survives other dangerous situations? For example, should a person recite Birkat Hagomel after surviving a near-fatal automobile accident, or if he was in or near a building that collapsed, and survived?
The Rivash (Rabbi Yishak Ben Sheshet of Algiers, 1326-1408) wrote that one indeed recites Birkat Hagomel in such a case, as no difference is drawn between different situations of danger. The Sages required reciting the Beracha after desert travel, for example, because of the life-threatening dangers that lurk in the desert – thieves, wild animals and the like. There is no difference, the Rivash asserts, between surviving the presence of wild animals in a desert and surviving an attack by an ox in the city. Whenever a person survives a situation of danger, he must recite Birkat Hagomel.
However, the Orhot Haim (anonymous Halachic work from the 13th century), cited in the Bet Yosef, disagrees. According to this view, the Sages specified the four situations mentioned above to the exclusion of other instances of danger, and thus one recites Birkat Hagomel only upon being saved from one of the four situations mentioned.
The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 219; listen to audio recording for precise citation) codifies the position of the Rivash, requiring the recitation of Birkat Hagomel upon emerging from any situation of danger, but then cites the view of the Orhot Haim as the dissenting position ("Veyesh Omerim…"). At first glance, we would apply here the famous rule of "Setam Vayesh Halacha Kistam" – meaning, that when the Shulhan Aruch cites one view plainly, and then a second view as the "Yesh Omerim," Halacha follows the first view cited. In this instance, however, the Shulhan Aruch explicitly writes that in these cases one should recite Birkat Hagomel without "Shem U’malchut," meaning, without the phrase, "Elokenu Melech Ha’olam." In deference to the ruling of the Orhot Haim, the Shulhan Aruch maintains that one should not recite the complete text of Birkat Hagomel unless he was saved from one of the four situations specified by the Sages. In all other instances where one emerged safely from danger, he should recite Birkat Ha’gomel without "Shem U’malchut." This is, indeed, the final Halacha.
One might wonder why Halacha would distinguish between different situations of danger. Why would a person recite a Beracha only in the four specific situations of desert travel, recovery from illness, release from captivity and a sea journey, but not in other situations? Shouldn’t one thank God whenever he is rescued from danger?
The Ben Ish Hai (Rabbi Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) suggested that in these four situations, there is a natural tendency to attribute one’s safe emergence to human efforts. An ill patient, for instance, is likely to give credit for his recovery to the physicians or medications. A person who successfully journeyed at sea will naturally acknowledge the skill and efforts of the crew, and a captive who earns his freedom will generally thank the political figures or other prominent people who secured his release. In these situations, therefore, the Sages ordained that one should recite a Beracha to acknowledge the Almighty’s role in rescuing him from harm. In other situations, however, such as an automobile collision or building collapse, God’s involvement in the individual’s rescue is more obvious and evident, and therefore Birkat Hagomel is not required.
Summary: A person must recite Birkat Hagomel upon emerging safely from one of the following four situations of danger: illness, captivity, desert travel, or sea travel. A person who emerges from any other life-threatening situations recites the Beracha without the phrase "Elokenu Melech Ha’olam."
