#10 - When is one Requred to Recite Birchas Hagomel

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.

It is preferable to recite this Brocho within the first three days of the

occurrence, however after the fact, it

could be said even after thirty days, as long as he still remembers and feels

happiness and relief. (Aruch Hashulchan ibid. Piskey Teshuvot ibid.

Rabbi A. Bartfeld - Revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit”a.