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In the prayers and blessings we recite daily, we thank and praise God for the wonderful world He created for us. Sometimes, though, we are faced with an exceptional sight, something exciting and moving. The Sages composed blessings for such visual experiences, to give them spiritual expression and remind us of their divine origin.
Two conditions must be met before saying these blessings. First, the sight must be something truly extraordinary and which most people find impressive. Second, the person reciting the blessing must not have seen it in thirty days, as something to which one is accustomed does not stir up the same emotions.
The blessing on seeing natural wonders – such as seas, lakes, rivers, geysers, deserts, stunning waterfalls, mountains, or especially impressive hills – is “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Author of creation.” (There is no blessing for a reservoir, as this category of blessing is limited to divinely created phenomena , not man-made.) Someone who sees a number of amazing sights at once, such as a mountain and a lake, recites one blessing that covers both; if they are seen one after the other, each one gets its own blessing.
Someone who sees an ocean recites: “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has made the great sea.”
Someone who experiences impressive or noisy natural phenomena – such as earthquakes, volcanos, eclipses, comets, meteors, or especially strong winds – can make either of the following blessings: “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Whose power and might fill the world,” or “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Author of creation.” It is preferable to recite “Author of creation” on something impressive, like lightning, and “Whose power and might fill the world” on something frightening, like thunder. In any case, blessings on thunder and lightning are recited only once a day.
