If, for some, cleanliness is next to G-dliness, for Jews, gratitude is its
direct access route. Gratitude to parents leads directly to gratitude to the
Almighty Himself.
The Korban Todah – the thanksgiving offering in Temple times, and its modern day
equivalent of the blessing of Hagomel, gives tangible expression to this most
noble of all human traits. The original sacrifice was an obligation upon those
who had “crossed a sea or a desert, one who was released from prison, or one who
recovered from a grave illness”.
The Brachah must be recited in the presence of a Minyan, usually after one has
been called up to the Torah, or before Hagbah. Although the Mishneh Brurah
permits women to recite the Brachah in the presence of ten other women, in his
last written responsum, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein went further and ruled that only
the presence of one other person is required, either a man or a woman.
He also ruled that even in this age of relatively safe air travel, the Brachah
should still be recited, as it is not necessarily linked to the degree of hazard
of the journey. If one places oneself in an environment (either on water or in
the air) which does not naturally sustain human life, one acknowledges G-d’s
hand in returning one to safety.
The Brachah should preferably be recited within three days of return. Rabbi
Ovadiah Yosef links the Brachah to the prayer of Tefilat Haderech (the prayer
when undergoing a journey), which is not required for a plane journey of under
72 minutes.
He likewise ruled, following the Entebbe hijacking, that although one only
recites the Brachah for one’s own good fortune and not for that of another,
nevertheless, if a loved one is freed from a kidnapping or hijacking after 30
days, one recites the brachah of Shehecheyanu.
