543. Brachos on Crowds, Kings, Scholars

Brachos 10:11

If one sees an assembly of 600,000 idolators, he recites Jeremiah 50:12, “Your mother will be greatly ashamed; the one who bore you will be disgraced. Behold, the final fate of nations will be a dry wilderness and a desert.” If he sees 600,000 Jews in Israel, he recites the bracha “Blessed are You, Hashem our God, King of the universe, the Wise One of secrets.” If one sees a non-Jewish scholar, he recites the bracha that God “has given of His wisdom to flesh and blood.” Upon seeing Jewish sages, one recites the bracha that God “has given of His wisdom to those who fear Him.” Upon seeing a Jewish king, one recites the bracha that God “has given of His glory and might to those who fear Him.” Upon seeing a non-Jewish king, one recites the bracha that God “has given of His glory  to flesh and blood.”

Brachos 10:12

Upon seeing an unusual-looking person, one recites the bracha that God “varies His creations.” If one sees a blind person, a person with one leg, a person with boils, etc., he recites the bracha that God is the true Judge. If the person in question was born this way, one recites “Who varies His creations.” If one sees an elephant, a monkey or an owl, he recites “Who varies His creations.”

[Editor’s note: In former generations, most people never left their villages and they did not have the opportunity to see people of different skin colors or other variations, let alone exotic animals. It is questionable when one would recite this bracha – if at all – but our practice is certainly not to do so in the circumstances described in the traditional halachic literature.]