Reciting a Berachah Upon Seeing the Sea
The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 228:1) rules: “Upon seeing seas and rivers one should recite ‘oiseh ma’aseh bereishis’, and upon seeing the Yam HaGadol, which is the sea one passes through to get to Eretz Yisroel and Mitzrayim one should recite ‘oiseh Yam HaGadol’”. The Mishnah Berurah (s.k. 3) cites from poskim that the correct nussach [textual version] is “she’osah es HaYam HaGadol” (in the past tense).
Which Sea Is the Yam HaGadol?
The Shu”t HaRosh (Klal 4, siman 4) writes that the Yam HaGadol refers to the Atlantic Ocean (ים אוקיינוס) and he says that even though in the pasukim it seems that the Yam HaGadol refers to the Mediterranean, in the language of the Mishnah it means the Atlantic.
The aforementioned Mechaber writes that, “On the Yam HaGadol which is the sea one passes through to get to Eretz Yisroel and Mitzrayim one should recite ‘oiseh Yam HaGadol’”, the Prisha explains that this is based on a mistaken girsa that the Kesef Mishnah brings from the Rosh, where he says that “The Atlantic is the sea that one passes through to get to Eretz Yisroel and Mitzrayim”, however, the correct girsa is just “The Atlantic” without adding on “the sea that one passes through to get to Eretz Yisroel and Mitzrayim”. (This fits better, as the reality is, that to get to Eretz Yisroel and Mitzrayim one needs to pass the Mediterranean not the Atlantic). However, the Knesses HaGedolah and the Mor U’Ketziah write that the Mechaber argues on the Rosh, and he holds that on the Mediterranean one recites the berachah “she’osah es HaYam HaGadol”.
The Mishnah Berurah (s.k. 2) brings many Achronim who argue on the Mechaber and maintain that only on the Atlantic which encompasses most of the world should one recite the special berachah of “she’osah es HaYam HaGadol”. However, on the sea which one passes to get to Eretz Yisroel, one doesn’t recite the berachah of “she’osah Yam HaGadol”, and one makes the same berachah as all other seas.
In Shoneh Halachos, R’ Chaim Kanievsky writes that the Mishnah Berurah doesn’t conclude as to what the final halachah is.
What Berachah Should One Make on the Mediterranean?
The Mishnah Berurah cites different opinions about this. However, in Biur Halachah he brings that even if one needs to recite “she’osah Yam HaGadol” and he recites “oiseh ma’aseh bereishis”, bedieved he fulfills his duty, similar to what we find by the berachah of shehakol.
The sefer Sha’ar Ho’ayin (Perek 8, he’orah 9) brings from R’ Elyashiv and R’ Chaim Kanievsky that one should recite “she’osah ma’aseh bereishis”. On page 266 he also brings this from R’ Nissim Karelitz. This is also the opinion of R’ Shlomah Zalman Auerbach (Halichos Shlomah, Perek 23, ois 29).
The Minchas Yitzchok (1:110) also says the above, however, he adds that to take into account the other opinions, one should recite within toich kedei dibbur [within ...]
The Mishnah Berurah says the אוקינוס ים. The Vezois HaBerachah explains that this refers to both the Atlantic and the Pacific.
