424. M’Shaneh HaBriyos

Please note: The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch was written in eastern Europe in the 19th century, a time and place very different from the world we know. While we take diversity for granted, one might have lived his entire life there without ever seeing a person of a different color or abilities. These brachos praising Hashem for the diversity of His creation, may not be relevant for those of us who are privileged to experience such diversity on a regular basis.

60:13 One who sees an Ethiopian, a native American, an albino, someone who is extremely tall and thin, a little person, a person whose skin is scaly, or with matted hair – or one who sees an elephant or an ape – recites the bracha “m’shaneh habriyos,” that G-d has great variety among His creations. One only recites this bracha the first time he sees such a person or animal, when it makes the greatest impact on him.

60:14 If one sees a disabled person, an amputee, a blind person, a person afflicted with boils, or a leper – one recites “m’shaneh habriyos” the first time he sees them if the person in question was born with such a condition. If the condition was acquired and one feels pain on behalf of the person, he recites “Dayan ha’emes.” (From Mishnah Brurah 225:29, it would seem that “Dayan ha’emes” is only recited on a relative who received such an injury.)