We are now in Chodesh Nissan, and besides for Pesach preparations and Pesach, there is another mitzvah we are now able to do, and that is the mitzvah of birchas ilanos. For those people who merit to have nice gardens and plenty fruit trees in, this mitzvah is relatively easy, but what about those people who don’t, must one go out his way to make the berachah? If one is busy cleaning for Pesach, is it ok if someone brings him a branch from a tree into the house and he makes the berachah, or must he see blossoms on a live growing tree? If one is busy Pesach cleaning, and the only time he has to recite birchas ilanos is at night, is that ok?
Obligatory or Optional
The source for reciting birchas ilanos is the Gemara in Berachos (43b). The Gemara says: האי מאן דנפיק ביומי ניסן וחזי אילני דקא מלבלבי ,אומר :״ברוך שלא חיסר בעולמו כלום וברא בו בריות טובות ואילנות טובות להתנאות בהן בני אדם״ – “If a person goes out in Nissan and sees blossoming trees, he should say: “Blessed is He who left nothing lacking in this world, and created nice creations and wonderful trees, for people to benefit from.”
The Shulchan Aruch (226:1) brings this down l’halachah and changes the lashon slightly and says: היוצא בימי ניסן וראה אילנות – “One who goes out in Nissan and sees trees”.
From the Gemara and the Shulchan Aruch it seems there is no obligation to recite the berachah, it’s just if one happens to go out and see blossoms then he should. Therefore, it would seem that if one is very busy and he doesn’t come across any blossoming fruit trees, he doesn’t need to go out his way to find any.
However, the Aruch HaShulchan (226:2) writes: “Unfortunately, this berachah is taken very lightly by most people, however, anyone who is a talmid chocham and has yiras Shomayim is careful with this berachah.” Therefore, certainly one should go out his way to recite it. I suggest if one really is so busy preparing for Pesach, and he honestly has no time to go out his way to recite the berachah, perhaps one should make this one of his first Chol HaMoed trips.
Can the Berachah Be Recited at Night
The Shu”t Har Tzvi (Orach Chaim, Vol. 1, siman 118) is medayek from the Gemara which says: האי מאן דנפיק ביומי ניסן וחזי אילני דקא מלבלבי – “One who goes out in the days of Nissan and sees trees that are blossoming”, that the berachah must be said in the day and not at night. However, the Shu”t Tzitz Eliezer (12:20:5) writes in the name of the Shu”t Yayin HaToiv that the berachah may be recited at night, provided one can see the trees. He writes, this is the common custom, as the main thing is seeing the trees, and if one can see at night, certainly he can make the berachah.
Can One Make a Berachah on An Uprooted Branch
The Eishel Avraham (Butchach, end of siman 226) is in doubt if one can recite birchos ilanos on an uprooted blossoming branch which is clear that it is from this year’s trees, and he concludes tzorich iyun.
The Shu”t Hisorarus Teshuvah (1:104) proves the Gemara which says: האי מאן דנפיק ביומי ניסן – “One who goes out in the days of Nissan” and the Rambam (Hilchos Berachos 10:13) which says: “One who goes out to fields or gardens”, that only if one sees trees growing attached to the ground does one make a berachah.
The Shu”t L’Horas Nossan (5:11) also discusses this shailah, and he writes that the nussach of the berachah is: שלא חיסר בעולמו כלום וברא בו בריות טובות ואילנות טובות – “who left nothing lacking in this world, and created nice creations and wonderful trees”, and an expression of “tree” only makes sense on a tree still connected to the ground and not on an uprooted branch, and he cites many proofs to this. Therefore, he says a berachah can’t be said on an uprooted branch.
