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Halacha codifies making a blessing on wondrous natural events and places (see here). I would like to know if any halachic authorities discuss making a blessing on wondrous man-made structures such as the Great Wall of China or the Large Hadron Collider

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    Who would you be praising in the blessing? The designer? God?
    – Double AA
    Dec 19, 2017 at 15:54
  • @DoubleAA I would only be praising God! I would assume phraseology such as 'SheNatan MeChachmato LeBasar VeDam' - the blessing made on seeing an outstanding non-Jewish scholar (S”A 224:7), would be appropriate. Perhaps also ברוך אתה ה' אלהינו מלך העולם שככה לו בעולמו (ibid 225:10) as said on beautiful creations and good trees Dec 19, 2017 at 16:25
  • @DoubleAA Most likely thanking G-d for the designer, I would assume.
    – ezra
    Dec 19, 2017 at 17:09

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Not that I am aware of and the Artscroll siddur also doesn't mention it.

R Shlomo Aviner was asked whether one should make a shechechiyanu blessing regarding the new tunnel on the Yerushalayim-Tel Aviv road (of course it pales in comparison with the Great Wall or LHC!)

Q: There is a new tunnel on the Yerushalayim-Tel Aviv Road which greatly eases the traffic. Is it permissible for me to recite Shechechiyanu when I drive through it for the first time?

A: It does not seem so, since this is not included among the general rules for reciting this blessing. See Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 222-223. Perhaps one may recite it if he is happy, since it is "good news" (ibid. 222:1), but it does not seem so.

If there was an appropriate blessing for a man-made creation R Aviner would surely have mentioned it.

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  • I upvoted your answer. But it only deals with "Shechechiyanu"; it does not deal with other possibilities eg the blessing made on seeing an outstanding non-Jewish scholar as the OP said in a comment. Dec 20, 2017 at 15:11
  • I know and agree - but I think if there was another appropriate blessing for a man-made creation R Aviner would surely have mentioned it. That is the point, combined with the absence of mention in the Artscroll siddur. But your point is well taken
    – mbloch
    Dec 20, 2017 at 15:13
  • Note: Just because the ArtScroll Siddur doesn't mention it doesn't mean the bracha doesn't exist.
    – ezra
    Dec 20, 2017 at 23:38
  • @ezra Of course but, as you know, proving the absence of something is really hard. So I bring three hints it might not exist: (1) Artscroll doesn't mention it ... (2) R Aviner doesn't either ... (3) mbloch doesn't know it (:->)
    – mbloch
    Dec 21, 2017 at 3:45

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