Dose of Halacha

Question: I narrowly missed a serious pile-up on the motorway in which people were seriously hurt. Should I bentch gomel ? Answer: The Gemara (Berachos 54b) teaches that there are four specific scenarios following which one recites the beracha of hagomel . They are crossing a desert or a sea, imprisonment, or serious illness. Nonetheless, the Shulchan Aruch (OC 219:9) writes that there is a machlokes as to whether this list is exclusive or not. The Magen Avraham (219:10), Shulchan Aruch Harav (Birkas Hanehenin 13:7) and Mishna Berura (219:32) write that we pasken that one recites the beracha upon being saved from other potentially fatal situations, too. Nonetheless, the Chida (Birkei Yosef OC 219:8; Machzik Beracha OC 219:6), Ben Ish Chai (Ekev 1:10) and Kaf Hachaim (OC 219:52) write that we only recite the beracha following these four instances. If one survived a different incident, one should recite the beracha without Hashem’s name. The Chayei Adam (1:65:4) writes th...

Question: I davened maariv in a Chassidishe shul and they did not say the beracha of Baruch Hashem leolam.. before the amida . Should I say it after Maariv ? Answer: The Tur (OC 236:2) explains why we recite the beracha of Baruch Hashem before the amida. In the olden days, shuls were situated in the cities. In order to prevent people returning home so late, chazal penned an abridged version of the amida . We continue saying this even though the reason no longer applies, though there are rishonim who maintain that we no longer say it. The Taz (OC 236:2) writes that one who comes late to shul should skip this beracha, if necessary, to daven the amida with the tzibbur and recite it after maariv instead. Likewise, the Elya Rabba (236:7) and Chayei Adam (1:34:3) write that if one needs to skip Baruch Hashem, they should recite it after Maariv. The Magen Avraham (296:7) adds that as saying this is only a minhag , one can skip it, if necessary, though does not write wheth...