425. Birkas HaGomeil

60:15 One who sees particularly beautiful trees, animals or people – including non-Jews – recites the bracha “shekacha lo b’olamo,” praise to G-d that He has such beautiful creations in His world. One only recites the bracha the first time he sees the object of beauty; he would not recite the bracha again, even on others of the same type, unless they were more beautiful than the first. (Nowadays, our practice is not to recite this bracha at all, though it is appropriate to say it as a form of praise without mentioning G-d’s Name or His Kingship – Mishnah Brurah 225:32.)

61:1 People give thanks to G-d after safely getting through four things: (1) crossing the sea, (2) crossing the desert or other places known to be dangerous – this includes surviving such hazards as a wall falling on one, being gored by a bull, or being saved from robbers – (3) surviving a dangerous illness, such as one which kept one bedridden for at least three days, and (4) being released from prison, even for white-collar crimes (for which one would not be executed. Others disagree and say that this bracha should only be recited after imprisonment for capital crimes – see Bi’ur Halcaha 219:1 s.v. chavush). The mnemonic for this is the word “chaim” (spelled ches-yud-yud-mem), which stands for choleh (sick), yisurim (prison), yam (sea), midbar (desert). One recites the bracha “HaGomeil,” that G-d does good things even for those who do not necessarily deserve them, as He has done in this instance. (One who has been saved from multiple forms of danger only recites the bracha once – Mishnah Brurah 219:3.) Those who hear this bracha reply with a statement that G-d should always continue to treat the person with such kindness. (See a siddur for the exact text of the bracha and the response.)