Bracha for Covid-19 vaccination

Do you make a brocha on the chicken pox vaccine? on the measles vaccine? on the mumps vaccine? on the flu vaccine?

huju, that’s kind of like a Reform-Judaism type of thing to do, Shehechianu for nearly anything and everything (a birthday, an anniversary, a new job, a graduation etc). It certainly cheapens the beauty and rarity of the bracha. What I humbly suggest to be more appropriate, and “couples” in with another mitzvah. Give Tzedaka for Hakaros HaTov for Hashem allowing the medical community to discover the vaccine (plenty of shuls and yeshivas would post it in their bulletin that it’s intended for such. A bikur cholim organization that supplies kosher foods at hospitals is a worthy and relevant cause). A perek of Tehillim? Making a Siyum on completing a mesechta, in appreciation for the discovery of the vaccine?

A vaccine creates an environment of fooling the body to feel that the illness has struck and waking up the antibodies to fight the virus so that tbe illness creates tbe cure. This is the meaning of umaflie laasos, creating wonders.

R’ Hershel Schachter made a brachah of Hatov v’hameitiv when he received his vaccine.

It wasn’t Trump who created the vaccines. Thank Moderna, Biontech, and Pfizer.

midwestener, ujm mentioned above tbat it was a Trump vaccine indicating hakoras hatov to him but Charlie certainly ment that the thanks goes to Hashem helping the companies to create it.

those who put themselves unnecessarily in danger (not wore masks, went to crowded places without a compelling need) probably should not say a bracha.

TGIshabbos
“that’s kind of like a Reform-Judaism type of thing to do, Shehechianu for nearly anything and everything (a birthday, an anniversary, a new job, a graduation etc). It certainly cheapens the beauty and rarity of the bracha.”

I dont care for calling the desire to thank Hashem for something reform.
First of all The examples You cite are rare, birthday, anioversary is once a year each. And most people Don’t get new jobs or graduate often. None of thsoe would cheapen the beauty or rarity of the beracha.

That said, like everything in our lives there are halachos. There is siman in shulchan Aruch OC 223, 225 with halachos of when the beracha is made, including buying new clothes , “keilim” , house and of course fruit. (I didn’t see mention to try to avoid eating too many fruits in order not to cheapen the beracha, in fact the opposite is true many have the minhag on Tu Bishvat to seek out fruit to make shechiyanu)

As to whether the vaccine qualifies as “keilim chadashim” or “good news” is a fair question. Most poskim said no, a few say yes.

as always speak to your LOR

There is a Yehi Ratzon for doctors to say when performing a procedure. Perhaps if you’re getting the vaccination from a frum person you should ask for he/she to say that. But a bracha is a big deal, it uses the Shem Hashem. It’s not so simple to just “say a bracha”. And you certainly should not pasken based on CR whether or not a bracha should be said.

We don’t make a bracha on the vaccine as it is not edible but to tbe act of vaccination which leads to a cure.

I have never heard such a thing (which means nothing) and if such a thing is indeed true, i would be very surprised if it could be applied as you tried to apply it (although i can’t tell if that was done as a prod or in sincerity 😊)

יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה’ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לִי עֵסֶק זֶה לִרְפוּאָה, כִּי רוֹפֵא חִנָּם אַתָּה

@huju I believe Rav Hirsch ZT”L has a lot to say about the term “Reform”. The Reform invented the term to describe themselves, even though the movement is the opposite of a reformation. I don’t have an issue using it because I think it’s clear that the term describes the religion of Reform Judaism and not the idea that they are reformed Jews.

“Charlie certainly ment that the thanks goes to Hashem helping the companies to create it.”

Biontech, Pfizer, and Moderna are HaShem’s instruments.

PS
on suicide, on an advise from my kid: if one was psychologically sick, you might be able to say gomel from being cured from that sickness, rather than saying that he committed a son, like R’ Ovadia says.

can we say that someone who was not careful re:Covid was not of full capacity due to psychological pressure of kids being at home for months? consult your local Rabbi Dr….

DY, I agree that this consideration might not fully apply to the vaccine.

Argument for bracha – prison/desert are not direct danger, they are just a place where you are very likely to get hurt. So, this is same as unvaccinated person during pandemic.

The way I thought bracha does not apply – a non-careful person’s danger is primarily due to his own actions. But, the danger would still exist for most reasonably behaving people and sources I quoted are ambiguous, so I’ll concede here.

Another interesting aspect raised by Minchas Elazar – we are supposed not to quote Torah in the name of those who are not careful. Anyone can help me understand Minchas Elazar and the sources? B Kama 61b seems to be referring only not to encouraging self-sacrificing, not fully disregarding such a scholar.