- Q. See question above. Since we live close by to the school, do we have to come to shul and recite the customary Bracha of Hagomel? What would the case be if it happened during actual classes and our children were there?
A. On question 10 we wrote:
“Regarding if someone is in a car that spins out on the Highway and miraculously does not get hit by another car, one does not recite Birchas Hagomel. But if one is struck by a car and survives, he would be required to recite Birchas Hagomel. By contrast, if someone flies in a plain over seas, he recites Birchas Hagomel, even if the plain did not encounter any problems. Please explain. Also, would hitting the guardrail be the same as being hit by another car.
A. In Shulchan Aruch O.CH. 219,9 and Mishnah B”rurah ibid. 32, the Halacha dictates that we should recite Hagomel when encountering and experiencing a factual and real danger, and being saved from it even if the deliverance was not seen as a miracle, such as a wall falling on someone or an incident with dangerous armed robbers. See also Piskey Teshuvot ibid. and 318, 10.
Harav Shlomo Miller Shlit”a is of the opinion that if someone is indeed in a car that spins out on the highway and miraculously does not get hit by another car, he does not recite this Brocho, however if he did hit the guardrail and there was damage done to the vehicle he should bless Hagomel.
As for why if someone flies in a plane over seas, he recites Birchas Hagomel, even if the plain did not encounter any problems, see Igros Moishe O. Ch. 2,59 who explains that flying in itself is being in a medium where we cannot survive at all naturally without the airplane. For other rationale see also Chelkas Yakov O.Ch. 55, Minchas Itzchak 2,47. Tzitz Eliezer 11,14 and Yaviah Omer O.Ch. 2,14.”
In our case no Hagomel is necessary.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller and Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu and Horav Kalman Ochs Shlit'a.
Important Numbers
