HaGomel When Being Released From Prison

Halacha Moment
May 8
2 min read

The Daily Halacha Moment - HaGomel When Being Released From Prison

״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 recite HaGomel when released from prison?

Answer:

The Ashkenazic custom is generally not to recite Birkat HaGomel upon being released from prison. This is based on the understanding that modern incarceration, while certainly unpleasant, often does not involve the kind of life-threatening danger that would traditionally warrant the blessing. Since Birkat HaGomel is typically reserved for situations in which a person has experienced significant peril and emerged safely—such as illness, sea or desert travel, or imprisonment under dangerous conditions—many Ashkenazic authorities maintain that today’s prison systems, especially in democratic societies, do not pose the same level of threat that would justify the blessing. [1]

However, the Sephardic tradition differs in this regard. According to many Sephardic poskim, Birkat HaGomel should still be recited upon release from prison, even if the incarceration did not involve significant physical danger. [2]