Does one make a Shehecheyanu on the first time they ever said a Shehecheyanu in their life?
If so, then does that recursively require a Shehecheyanu, infinitely?
Does one make a Shehecheyanu on the first time they ever said a Shehecheyanu in their life?
If so, then does that recursively require a Shehecheyanu, infinitely?
Just as this question is resolved in regards to tongs, so too it is resolved for Shehecheyanu; G-d must have created the first Shehecheyanu, to avoid this question!
We learn from the extra י in שהחיינו that you only need to say it up to ten times (See BK 39, 52).
There’s a good Rav Elchonan on this I saw, I’ll copy it below.
מיהו לשיטת הריטב״א [ובאמת דפליג ארבו] יש להביא הך דמ׳ טענות דאמר רב אמר רב יהודה לעולם יעשה אדם עד עשרה ע״כ הרי לך שמש״כ הריטב״א דאפשר לסמוך על רש״י בענין עשיית זוגות שהוא חובה דאורייתא אין זה רק לגבי מצות דאורייתא דוקא אבל כל דאתי מרבנן כלאחר יד הוא ע״ש היטב הדק לכן צל״ע אי אמרינן בהך דרשה דב״ק דיו״ד בשהחיינו הוא בכלל זוגות כי מ״מ הוא ה׳ זוגות ממש
The answer is yes, but not because of the exact reason that you are thinking. If I understand your question, you think that one should say Shehecheyanu because each time is the first time you're saying it.
In actuality, the end of the blessing says,
והגיענו לזמן הזה Who has brought us to this time.
When you say the first Shehechiyanu, that time has past. A second later is a new time, requiring you to say a new bracha to commemorate this time. In short, you should be saying Shehechiyanu constantly throughout your life.
Granted, since it takes a few seconds just to say the blessing, itself, you won't be able to account for every moment of your life, so, there will be numerous instances that you won't thank God for by saying this blessing. That's fine, because you're thanking God in many other ways in your life, anyway.