Q. Can one recite say 'Ose Maase Bereishit' when looking at the sea from the great altitude of a flight at the time one cannot see any details, just a great blue surface ?
A. Although it is preferable to recite the Brocho at the beginning of the flight as one sees first the Mediterranean when leaving Eretz Yisroel, Betzel Hachochmo (2: 15) maintains that if the sight carries beauty and awakens admiration and wonder, one can recite the Brocho from the heights of a flying plane.
On question 2573 regarding the "special blessing when he sees a place where a miracle occurred for the Bnai Yisroel, such as the site of the crossing of the sea, when we left Egypt, or the crossing of the Yarden river when entering the land, that we don’t make that bracha today, since we do not know exactly where the sea or the Yarden were split and crossed.
We answered: "Kaftor Vopherach (7), Biur Halacha (208: 1) and others rule that no brochos should be recited unless one is sure and certain that he is witnessing the place where the miracle actually occurred.
Indeed, Horav Ben Sion Abba Shaul zt’l, Rosh Hayeshiva of Porath Yosef, rules in Ohr Letzion (2: 14: 40), that if one travels by plane close to the Jordan river over the area of Yericho, and he sees all the compatible area, he could recite the mentioned blessing.
Horav Shlomo miller’s Shlit’a opinion is that although it may be possible for a plane traveling at the right height to see some specific details and identifying aspects of the location being observed, it would not be possible to do so from space and therefore no brocho should be recited on the crossing of the sea."
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as advised by Horav Shlomo Miller and Horav Aharon Miller Shlit'a
Important Numbers
