The Daily Halacha Moment - Blessing on the birth of a Child 👨🍼
״כל השונה הלכות בכל יום - מובטח לו שהוא בן העולם הבא״ (נידה עג ע״א, מגילה כח:)
“Anyone who studies Halachot every day is guaranteed that he is destined for the world-to-come” (Megilla 28b, Niddah 73a)
Question:
Does one make a blessing when they have a child?
Answer:
When a child is born, it is a time of great joy, and there is a halachic obligation to express gratitude to Hashem through a blessing. The appropriate berachah varies based on the gender of the child and the family’s custom.
Birth of a Baby Boy
- According to most Ashkenazic authorities, when a father hears or sees that his wife has given birth to a baby boy, both he and his wife should recite the berachah of HaTov VeHaMetiv ("Who is good and does good"). This blessing is recited when multiple people benefit from a joyous event, such as the birth of a child. [1]
- The Sephardic minhag is different. Instead of HaTov VeHaMetiv, they wait until the Brit Milah (circumcision) and recite Shehecheyanu at that time, as the joy of the mitzvah is considered an appropriate occasion for this blessing. [2]
- If one did not recite the blessing immediately upon hearing the good news, it may still be said later, as long as the joy of the birth remains fresh. [3]
Birth of a Baby Girl
- When a baby girl is born, both the father and mother should recite the berachah of Shehecheyanu ("Who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this time"). [4]
- According to Sephardic custom, it is ideal to recite Shehecheyanu over something tangible, such as a new fruit or new clothing, rather than just on the birth itself. Many Sephardim follow the practice of buying a new fruit or garment and using it as an opportunity to say Shehecheyanu while also having in mind the happiness of the birth. [5]
Sources:
[1]. The Gemara Berachot 59b states that when a man hears that his wife has given birth to a baby boy, he should recite the berachah of HaTov VeHaMeitiv ("Who is good and does good"). This ruling is codified as halacha by both the Tur and the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 223:1). Additionally, the *Beit Yosef* does not cite any dissenting opinions among the Rishonim, indicating broad acceptance of this halacha.
Many poskim affirm this ruling, including the Magen Avraham, Taz, *Mishnah Berurah, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (59:9), and Chayei Adam (62:1). Their consensus reinforces the practice of reciting HaTov VeHaMeitiv as an expression of gratitude upon the birth of a son.
[2]. Chazon Ovadiah, Berachot, p. 388 quotes the Chesed LeAlafim that the Sephardic minhag is not to make the HaTov VeHaMeitiv at the time of the birth but to have the Shehecheyanu at the brit milah cover the whole occasion. See also Kaf HaChaim 223:6.
[3]. Mishnah Berurah 223:3.
[4]. Mishnah Berurah 223:2. See also Piskei Teshuvot 223:1; Igrot Moshe 5:43:5.
[5]. Halacha Berurah (223:3) states that if a person feels great joy upon seeing their newborn daughter for the first time, they may recite the berachah of Shehecheyanu.
However, Chazon Ovadia (Berachot, p. 389) presents a different perspective. He first cites the Mishnah Berurah and Igrot Moshe, who permit reciting Shehecheyanu in such a case. However, he then brings opinions that disagree, including Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Halichot Shlomo, p. 280), Be’er Moshe (5:69), and Mishnah Halachot (2:181). These authorities hold that Shehecheyanu should not be said solely for the birth of a daughter.
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