The Gemara in Mo’ed Kotan (28a) relates: “When Rav Yosef turned sixty, he made a festival for the Rabbis. He said, “I have been spared from kareis.”
We see that Rav Yosef celebrated his sixtieth birthday because he became free from the punishment of kareis. Therefore, certainly there is room to celebrate when turning sixty, the question is, however, if one is excited about reaching this milestone if he may recite the berachah of shehechiyanu?
The Chavos Yair (siman 70) has a Teshuvah in which he discusses what makes something a seudas mitzvah. He writes it is questionable if making a seventieth-birthday party is considered a seudas mitzvah. He then writes: “Even if one who turns seventy may recite shehechiyanu – for it indeed seem to me [that a shehechiyanu should be recited] – it is nevertheless does not necessarily make this festivity a seudas mitzvah. It is therefore appropriate that one delivers a shiur at the seudah which will turn it into a seudas mitzvah.
The Chasam Sofer (Orach Chaim 225:1) quotes the Chavas Yair who says to make shehechiyanu and he argues and writes: “It seems to be that the blessing should be recited without “Shem u’Malchus” (that is, without enunciating, “Hashem, our G-d, King of the world”).
The Ben Ish Chai (Year 1, Re’eh 9) follows the Chasam Sofer and says: When reaching sixty or seventy it is appropriate to don a new garment or take a new fruit and recite shehechiyanu over it, and to have in mind also his birthday.
The Pri HaSadeh Challenges the Concept of Reciting Shehechiyanu
However, the Ginzei Yosef (4) quotes the Pri HaSadeh, who challenges the very concept of reciting shehechiyanu upon turning seventy. He writes that shehechiyanu is recited on Yom Tov, which is a cause for celebration in that we have merited to live to a time when we are obligated in mitzvos that are not practiced on ordinary days. But to recite a berachah on the very fact that Hashem has granted life – on this we do not find a specific berachah, other than the daily morning berachah of “hamachzir neshamos” [“He who returns the souls”]. Chazal did not establish a specific berachah on meriting to reach the age of seventy – and we can explain the rationale for this: For who can say that he has indeed perfected himself throughout his lifetime? Perhaps it is preferable had he not been created in the first place! So how can he make a berachah?! A berachah is appropriate only if one has derived some sort of benefit. But since he does not know if he has fulfilled his obligation during his lifetime, it is inappropriate to recite a berachah over this.
Can One Rely on the Opinion of the Bach to Allow Reciting Shehechiyanu
Although most poskim seem to maintain that one shouldn’t recite shehechiyanu on a birthday (even sixty) unless one does it over a new fruit or garment, I saw an interesting argument from R’ Tzvi Ryzman shlita (Shu”t Ratz K’Zvi) which would seemingly allow one to recite shehechiyanu on a birthday. The Bach (Orach Chaim 29:3) rules: “Shehechiyanu, which emerges from the joy of a person’s heart, can be recited even when one is unsure whether he is obligated to make a berachah. He does not transgress, “Do not express Hashem’s Name in vain”, since he is in fact joyful and thanking Hashem for granting him life and sustaining him until this time.”
What About During the Three Weeks?
Even if we take on like the Bach, what would be the halachah during the Three Week’s? The Sefer Chasidim (ois 840) writes: יש חסידים מחסידים הראשונים שלא היו אוכלים שום פרי חדש בין י"ז בתמוז לט' באב כי אמרו איך נברך שהחיינו וקיימנו והגיענו לזמן הזה. “There are chasidim from the chasidim harishonim who refrain from eating new fruits between the 17th of Tamuz and Tisha B’Av. They say how can we recite ‘He kept us alive and brought us to this time’.”
Practically
We mentioned the Mishnah Berurah above, who writes that since reciting shehechiyanu during the Three Weeks is a big machlokes, on Shabbos there is no need to be stringent. However, during the week one should be stringent like the Magen Avraham. Considering all the above, if one is having his sixtieth birthday on Shabbos it would seem that there is certainly room to be lenient and to allow him to recite shehechiyanu. If the person turning sixty is really excited and has a genuine joy in his heart it would seem he could rely on the Bach and recite shehechiyanu even without needing a new fruit or garment. However, being that the Bach is a big chiddush and one can easily avoid shailos, I think it would be better to say shehechiyanu over a new fruit and have in mind both the fruit and the birthday.
