Siman 224

One who sees Markulis or other forms of avodah kochavim says: "Blessed are You, Hashem our G-d, King of the universe, Who has granted long-suffering to those who transgress His will." Meaning, so that you should not think that since it endures for a long time He is not concerned with it, as it were; rather, this is from the attribute of long-suffering, for the Holy One, Blessed be He, is long-suffering and eventually collects His due. And if he sees it within thirty days, he does not repeat the blessing, for all blessings of seeing are from thirty to thirty days. Our teacher, the Rema, wrote that nowadays we do not recite this blessing, thus far his words, and there is no need to elaborate on this.

One who sees a place from which avodah zarah has been uprooted, if it is in the Land of Israel, he says: "Blessed are You, Hashem our G-d, King of the universe, Who uprooted avodah zarah from our land," and if it is outside the Land of Israel, he says: "Who uprooted it from this place." And he says in both cases: "Just as You have uprooted them from this place, so may You uproot it from all places, and return the hearts of those who worship them to Your service." And if it was uprooted from one place and they placed it in another place, he recites the blessing over the place from which it was uprooted: "Blessed... Who uprooted etc.", and over the place where they placed it, he recites the blessing: "Blessed... Who has granted long-suffering etc."

It is stated in tractate Avodah Zarah (18b): "Our Rabbis taught: One who goes to stadiums... this is a 'seat of scoffers,' and likewise one who goes to theaters and circuses, and regarding this it is stated: 'Ashrei ha-ish asher lo halach etc.'" See there. And if it should happen in your city, guard yourself lest you watch, for then you will merit and behold the hunting of the Leviathan and the Ox. And when you hear the sound of dancers and those playing flutes and all manner of musical instruments, sigh and say: "Master of the Worlds, Your people whom You brought out of Egypt sinned doubly and were stricken doubly, You destroyed its palaces, You caused its joys to cease, You darkened its celebrations, You overturned its gladness; You, O Lord, God, will You be angry with us forever? May it be Your will that You build Jerusalem Your holy city speedily in our days, Amen" (the Bach in the name of the Eshkol, see there).

One who sees the wicked Babylon says: "Blessed are You, Hashem our God, King of the universe, Who destroyed the wicked Babylon." If he saw the house of Nebuchadnezzar, he says: "Blessed... Who destroyed the house of the wicked Nebuchadnezzar," and even if he sees it from a distance, for from nearby it is impossible, as snakes and scorpions surround it just as the prophet Isaiah cursed it. If he saw the lions' den or the fiery furnace in Babylon, he blesses: "Blessed [is He] Who performed miracles for the righteous in this place," and this has already been explained in siman 218, see there. And there is a place in Babylon where any animal that passes over this place is unable to pass from there unless they place upon it some of the dust of that place, and it is a sign of a curse for it, as it is written: "And I will sweep it with the broom of destruction"; he says when he reaches this place: "Blessed is He Who speaks and acts, Blessed is He Who decrees and fulfills." And I do not know if this is with the Name and Sovereignty or not, and it appears that it is not with the Name and Sovereignty, for if it were with the Name and Sovereignty, it would not be appropriate to say "Blessed" twice (and know that everything we have written in this section, the Rambam, of blessed memory, did not bring them at all in chapter 10, and I do not know why, and in the Gemara there is truly not "Blessed" twice, see there, and the Levush wrote with the Name and Sovereignty, see there).

One who sees six hundred thousand of Israel together blesses: "Blessed are You, Hashem our God, King of the universe, Wise of the secrets," for their minds are not similar to one another and their faces are not similar to one another. For just as they are divided in opinions, which is the internal form, up to six hundred thousand, so they are divided in the external form, and this is the sum of all opinions and is the final edge beyond which there is no other form. Therefore, the Torah was given to six hundred thousand, in order to include all opinions and wisdoms to which nothing can be added (Maharsha, Berakhot 58a). And the Holy One, blessed be He, is the Wise of the secrets, meaning that even though they are wise and their mouths and thoughts are not equal, and each one's wisdom is different from his fellow's, nevertheless He is the Wise of the secrets and knows what is in the heart of each one (Levush). And one who sees crowds of idolaters says: "Your mother shall be sore ashamed; she that bore you shall be confounded; behold, the hindermost of the nations shall be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert" (Jeremiah 50:12).

One who sees a sage from the sages of Israel who is great in Torah recites the blessing: "Blessed are You, Hashem our God, King of the universe, who has shared of His wisdom with those who fear Him, for Hashem's portion is His people, Jacob the lot of His inheritance." And one who sees one of their sages who is great in other wisdoms recites the blessing: "Blessed... who has given of His wisdom to flesh and blood." And what the measure of his greatness in Torah or in other wisdoms is has not been explained, and therefore we refrain now from this blessing. And one who saw a king from the kings of Israel during the time of the Temple would say: "Blessed... who has shared of His glory with those who fear Him," and one who sees a king from the kings of the nations recites the blessing: "Blessed... who has given of His glory to flesh and blood." And even if he is blind and does not see, he recites the blessing, and even if he sees through a window or from a distance, he recites the blessing. And it is a mitzvah to strive to see a king, and if he saw him once, he should not neglect his study to see him again, unless he comes with more glory and legion than the first time, and the Rambam wrote at the end of chapter 3 of Mourning that it is permitted for a kohen to become impure with a rabbinic impurity in order to see a king. And regarding all blessings of seeing, it has already been explained that they are from thirty days to thirty days, but when one sees a different king even within thirty days, he recites the blessing.

The Rabbis taught (58b): "One who sees the houses of Israel in their habitation says: 'Blessed... Who establishes the border of the widow'; in their destruction he says: 'Blessed... the True Judge.' The houses of idolaters in their habitation, he says: 'The Lord will pluck up the house of the proud' (Proverbs 15:25); in their destruction he says: 'O Lord, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth' (Psalms 94:1)." Rashi explained: "The houses of Israel in their habitation, such as in the habitation of the Second Temple and in the Land of Israel" (Magen Avraham, subsection 8), and according to this, this blessing is not applicable now. The Rif wrote: "One who sees the synagogues of Israel in their habitation," see there, and there is one who wrote that it refers to the houses of great wealthy men who give much charity and conduct themselves with fear of the Lord (Beit Yosef). In any event, we do not practice this blessing because of the variation in interpretations, and the rule for a doubt regarding blessings is to be lenient.

One who sees the graves of Israel recites the blessing: "Blessed... who created you in judgment, and sustained you in judgment, and supported you in judgment, and gathered you in judgment (and in the Rambam and the Tur the version is: 'and caused you to die in judgment,' and such is the custom), and is destined to raise you in judgment, and knows the number of you all in judgment, and He is destined to revive you and sustain you, Blessed are You, Hashem, who revives the dead," and in the Yerushalmi he adds before the conclusion: 'He shall reveal the dust from your eyes' see there. And one who sees the graves of idolaters says: "Your mother shall be ashamed etc.," as written in section 5. And regarding all blessings of seeing, if he saw them within thirty days he does not bless as has been written, and if he saw a different cemetery he blesses even within thirty days, and likewise if graves were added to this cemetery he also returns and blesses, and if there is a doubt whether they were added he does not bless, and he should bless when he is near the graves within four amot. And over one grave he does not bless, and a kohen who is unable to bring himself close to the graves, it appears that he can bless from afar since he sees them, and likewise one who is going on his way or traveling in a wagon, since he sees the graves it appears that he blesses.