[Avodah] Birchat Ha Gomel

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, Jan 30, 2013 at 02:24:16PM -0500, Zev Sero wrote:
>> Tehillim 107 lists these four elements of Yetzi'as Mitzrayim, which
>> Berakhos 54b has R' Yehudah tying to [Qorban] Todah and Abayei links to
>> birkhas haGomel.
>
> The origin of the four is of course from that capittle, but I don't see
> anything explicit in there about Y"M.  That's a very plausible *drasha*,
> explaining where David Hamelech got the idea, but it isn't in the words.

The Alshikh explains that we commemorate these four forms of yeshu'ah
in particular, because if Chazal didn't set rules, we would need to
say birkhas hagomel perpetually. Therefore they limited it to yeshu'os
that remind on of yetzias Mitzrayim.

The Gra is quoted (Seder haArukh II) as taking this for granted. From
it he also said "vekhol hachayim yodukha sela" is notrikon:
    ch: choleh shenisrapei
    y:  yoredei yam
    y:  yotzei mibeis asurim
    m:  midbaros
And the 4 kosos are keneged these for as well. Which are the 4 leshonos,
etc...

There are also hints of yetzi'as Mitzrayim elsewhere in the pereq:
    2 Yomeru ge'ulei H' asher ga'alam miyad tzar (tzar = shoresh of Mitarayim,
      even)
    4 Ta'u bamidbar
    6 Yayitz'aqu el H' batzar lahem

Rashi clearly takes it generically, not any particular ge'ulah. But if
it's a derashah, it's not mine.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             I always give much away,
micha at aishdas.org        and so gather happiness instead of pleasure.
http://www.aishdas.org           -  Rachel Levin Varnhagen
Fax: (270) 514-1507