Siman 219
Presented here for study, not as a practical ruling. The Shulchan Aruch rules by Sephardi custom, the Rema's glosses by Ashkenazi custom, and the Kitzur follows Ashkenazi custom. For a practical question, ask your rabbi.
א אַרְבָּעָה צְרִיכִים לְהוֹדוֹת. יוֹרְדֵי הַיָּם כְּשֶׁעָלוּ מִמֶּנָּה, וְהוֹלְכֵי מִדְבָּרוֹת כְּשֶׁיַּגִּיעוּ לַיִּשּׁוּב, וּמִי שֶׁהָיָה חוֹלֶה וְנִתְרַפֵּא, וּמִי שֶׁהָיָה חָבוּשׁ בְּבֵית הָאֲסוּרִים וְיָצָא, וְסִימָנָךְ: וְכָל הַחַיִּי"ם יוֹדוּךָ סֶלָּה. "חוֹלֶה "יִסוּרִים "יָם "מִדְבָּר.
1 The blessing of individual thanksgiving. 9 sections: Four people must give thanks: those who descend to the sea when they have come up from it; those who travel through deserts when they reach an inhabited area; one who was ill and recovered; and one who was imprisoned and was released. And your mnemonic is "and all the living shall thank You" — Choleh (sick), Yisurin (suffering/imprisonment), Yam (sea), Midbar (desert).
ב וּמַה מְּבָרֵךְ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אמ "ה הַגּוֹמֵל לְחַיָּבִים טוֹבוֹת שֶׁגְמָלַנִי כָּל טוּב, וְהַשּׁוֹמְעִים אוֹמְרִים: מִי שֶׁגְּמָלְךָ כָּל טוּב הוּא יִגְמָלְךָ כָּל טוּב סֶלָּה.
2 What does he bless? "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who bestows goodness upon the undeserving, who has bestowed all goodness upon me." And those who hear respond: "May He who has bestowed all goodness upon you continue to bestow all goodness upon you forever."
ג צָרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ בְּרָכָה זוֹ בִּפְנֵי עֲשָׂרָה, וּתְרֵי מִינַיְיהוּ רַבָּנָן, דִּכְתִיב: וִירֹמְמוּהוּ בִּקְהַל עָם וּבְמוֹשַׁב זְקֵנִים יְהַלְּלוּהוּ (תְּהִלִּים קז, לב), וְאִם לֹא שְׁכִיחֵי רַבָּנָן, לֹא יַנִּיחַ מִלְּבָרֵךְ; וְנָהֲגוּ לְבָרֵךְ אַחַר קְרִיאַת הַתּוֹרָה, לְפִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ שָׁם עֲשָׂרָה; וְאִם בֵּרַךְ בְּפָחוֹת מֵעֲשָׂרָה, יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁיָּצָא, וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁלֹּא יָצָא, וְטוֹב לַחֲזֹר וּלְבָרֵךְ בִּפְנֵי עֲשָׂרָה בְּלֹא הַזְכָּרַת שֵׁם וּמַלְכוּת.
3 One must recite this blessing before ten people, two of whom should be Torah scholars, as it is written "let them exalt Him in the congregation of the people and praise Him in the assembly of elders." If Torah scholars are not available he should not refrain from blessing. The custom is to bless after the Torah reading since ten are present. If he blessed before fewer than ten, some say he has fulfilled his obligation and some say he has not — it is best to bless again before ten without mentioning God's name and kingship.
ד אִם בֵּרַךְ אַחֵר וְאָמַר: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר גְּמָלְךָ כָּל טוּב, וְעָנָה אָמֵן, יָצָא. וְכֵן אִם אָמַר: בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא מַלְכָּא דְּעַלְמָא דִּיהָבְךָ לָן, וְעָנָה אָמֵן, יָצָא. הַגָּה: וְאֵין זֶה בְּרָכָה לְבַטָּלָה מִן הַמְבָרֵךְ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא נִתְחַיֵּב בִּבְרָכָה זוֹ, הוֹאִיל וְאֵינוֹ מְבָרֵךְ רַק דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁבַח וְהוֹדָאָה עַל טוֹבַת חֲבֵרוֹ שֶׁשָּׂמֵחַ בָּהּ (טוּר).
4 If another person blessed and said "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has bestowed all goodness upon you" and he answered Amen, he has fulfilled his obligation. Similarly if one said "Blessed is the Merciful One, King of the universe, who has given you to us" and he answered Amen, he has fulfilled his obligation. Rema: This is not a blessing in vain for the one blessing, even though he is not personally obligated in this blessing, since he is only blessing as an expression of praise and thanksgiving for the good that befell his fellow in which he rejoices. (Tur)
ה אִם בֵּרַךְ אֶחָד הַגּוֹמֵל לְעַצְמוֹ, וְנִתְכַּוֵּן לְהוֹצִיא אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ, וְשָׁמַע חֲבֵרוֹ וְכִוֵּן לָצֵאת, יָצָא אֲפִלּוּ בְּלֹא עֲנִיַּת אָמֵן כֵּיוָן שֶׁהַמְבָרֵךְ גַּם כֵּן חַיָּב, יָצָא הָאַחֵר בְּלֹא עֲנִיַּת אָמֵן (טוּר).
5 If one person blessed HaGomel for himself and intended to include his fellow, and his fellow heard and intended to fulfill his obligation — he has fulfilled it even without answering Amen. (Since the one blessing is also obligated, the other fulfills his obligation without answering Amen.) (Tur)
ו אִם אִחֵר, יֵשׁ לוֹ תַּשְׁלוּמִין לְבָרֵךְ כָּל זְמַן שֶׁיִּרְצֶה; וְנָכוֹן שֶׁלֹּא לְאַחֵר שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים.
6 If one delayed, he may still fulfill it by blessing whenever he wishes — but it is proper not to delay more than three days.
ז בְּאַשְׁכְּנַז וְצָרְפַת אֵין מְבָרְכִין כְּשֶׁהוֹלְכִין מֵעִיר לְעִיר, שֶׁלֹּא חִיְּבוּ אֶלָּא בְּהוֹלְכֵי מִדְבָּרוֹת דִּשְׁכִיחֵי בֵּיהּ חַיּוֹת רָעוֹת וְלִסְטִים; וּבִסְפָרַד נוֹהֲגִים לְבָרֵךְ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁכָּל הַדְּרָכִים בְּחֶזְקַת סַכָּנָה; וּמִיהוּ בְּפָחוֹת מִפַּרְסָה אֵינוֹ מְבָרֵךְ, וְאִם הוּא מָקוֹם מֻחְזָק בְּסַכָּנָה בְּיוֹתֵר, אֲפִלּוּ בְּפָחוֹת מִפַּרְסָה.
7 In Ashkenaz and France they do not bless when traveling from city to city, since the obligation was only imposed for those who travel through deserts where wild animals and bandits are common. In Spain the custom is to bless since all roads are presumed to be dangerous — however for less than a parasang one does not bless, unless it is a place known to be especially dangerous, in which case even less than a parasang requires a blessing.
ח בְּכָל חֹלִי צָרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ, אֲפִלּוּ אֵינוֹ חֹלִי שֶׁל סַכָּנָה וְלֹא מַכָּה שֶׁל חָלָל, אֶלָּא כָּל שֶׁעָלָה לְמִטָּה וְיָרַד, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁדּוֹמֶה כְּמִי שֶׁהֶעֱלוּהוּ לַגַּרְדּוֹם (פי' מַעֲלוֹת שֶׁעוֹשִׂין דַּיָּנִים לָשֶׁבֶת כְּשֶׁדָּנִין) לִידֹן, וְאֵין הֶפְרֵשׁ בֵּין שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ מֵחוּשׁ קָבוּעַ וּבָא מִזְּמַן לִזְמַן, וּבֵין שֶׁאֵינוֹ קָבוּעַ. הַגָּה: וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּאֵינוֹ מְבָרֵךְ רַק עַל חֹלִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ סַכָּנָה, כְּגוֹן מַכָּה שֶׁל חָלָל (טוּר בְּשֵׁם הָרַאֲבָ"ד וְהר"ר יוֹסֵף) וְכֵן נוֹהֲגִין בְּאַשְׁכְּנַז.
8 For any illness one must bless, even if it is not a life-threatening illness or an internal wound — rather any time one took to bed and recovered, since it is like one who was brought up to the tribunal to be judged. There is no distinction between a recurring ailment that comes from time to time and one that is not recurring. Rema: Some say one only blesses for a life-threatening illness such as an internal wound. (Tur in the name of Ra'avad and R. Yosef, and this is the custom in Ashkenaz)
ט הָנֵי אַרְבָּעָה לָאו דַּוְקָא, דְּהוּא הַדִּין לְמִי שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה לוֹ נֵס, כְּגוֹן שֶׁנָּפַל עָלָיו כֹּתֶל, אוֹ נִצּוֹל מִדְּרִיסַת שׁוֹר וּנְגִיחוֹתָיו, אוֹ שֶׁעָמַד עָלָיו בָּעִיר אַרְיֵה לְטָרְפוֹ, אוֹ אִם גַּנָּבִים בָּאוּ לוֹ, אִם שׁוֹדְדֵי לַיְלָה וְנִצּוֹל מֵהֶם וְכָל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה, כֻּלָּם צְרִיכִים לְבָרֵךְ הַגּוֹמֵל.
9 These four are not exclusive — the same applies to anyone for whom a miracle occurred, such as a wall that fell on him, one who was saved from being trampled by an ox or gored, one upon whom a lion stood ready to tear him apart in the city, or if robbers or nighttime bandits came upon him and he was saved — all such cases require the HaGomel blessing.
י וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁאֵין מְבָרְכִין הַגּוֹמֵל אֶלָּא הָנֵי אַרְבָּעָה דַּוְקָא, וְטוֹב לְבָרֵךְ בְּלֹא הַזְכָּרַת שֵׁם וּמַלְכוּת.
10 Some say HaGomel is only recited for these four specific cases — and it is best in such other cases to bless without mentioning God's name and kingship.