Tuesday
December 29th 2009
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1) One who flew on an airplane and landed safely must recite Birchas HaGomel, and according to many Poskim this applies to all flights regardless if they were domestic or overseas and regardless of the amount of time spent in the air. (See Shu"t Igros Moshe Orach Chaim Vol. 2 Siman 59 where Rav Moshe Feinstein Zatzal writes very strongly: "I heard that some Poskim rule that only for flights over water is the Gomel required, and there is no basis for this ruling, and of course the Bracha needs to be recited for all flights". See also Halichos Shlomo Perek 23:5.)
Some Poskim differentiate between flying between countries (where the Bracha needs to be recited even if not flying over water) and between two cities in one country (where no Bracha is recited). (See Shu"t Tzitz Eliezer Vol. 11 Siman 14)
Some Poskim including Rav Ovadia Yosef Shlita (in Shu"t Yechaveh Da'as Vol. 2 Siman 26) rule that only flights whose duration is more than 72 minutes require Birchas HaGomel.
Many Poskim, however, have a hard time understanding this difference between short flights and long flights, as any amount of time spent in a speeding airplane hundreds of feet above the ground is a situation of extreme danger, as many plane crashes have happened almost immediately upon takeoff. (See Shu"t L'Horos Nosson Vol. 11 Siman 14. See also Shu"t Teshuvos V'Hanhagos Vol. 1 Siman 193, Vol. 2 Siman 148 and Vol. 3 Siman 81 where he discusses various different customs regarding this.)
Some Poskim say that today's days when air travel is much safer than it used to be, no Gomel is recited, or at minimum it is recited without Shem U'Malchus. (See Shu"t Chelkas Yaakov Siman 55, Shu"t Kinyan Torah Vol. 1 Siman 16 quoting the Brisker Rav Zatzal and Shu"t B'Tzel HaChachma Vol. 1 Siman 20)
For Halacha L'ma'aseh, as always, a Rav must be consulted to determine if and when to recite the Bracha of Gomel after flying.
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