Blessing on lightening with ANC Headphones on and during Prayers

Dear Rabbi, Sometimes I hear thunder when I am in the middle of Shemoneh Esrei. Is it permitted to stop praying to recite the blessing on lightning and thunder during the Shemoneh Esrei? If I may, I would also like to ask that when I see lightning, do I have to wait until I hear the thunder before saying the blessing? This is because, when I travel, I wear my ANC headphones and don’t always get to hear the thunder.

Thank you for your question.

First, it is important to know that there is a very widespread mistake regarding when one should recite the blessing upon seeing lightning. The reason is that people think that after seeing the flash of lightning they have to wait until they hear the thunder. This is a mistaken idea, as sometimes it could take longer than Toch Kedei Dibbur , and one may no longer recite the blessing on the lightning. The Halacha is that, upon seeing the lightning, one should immediately recite the specific blessing for seeing lightning, which is:

ברוך אתה ה' אלוקינו מלך העולם עושה מעשה בראשית

Translation:
Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, who performs the act of creation.

Transliteration:
Baruch Atah Ad-onoy Elo-Heinu Melech Ha'olam Oseh Ma'aseh Bereishis.

So the same would apply to you. When you have your headphones on and you see the lightning, you should immediately stop what you are listening to, and recite the blessing on lightning. Then, when you hear the thunder, you should recite the blessing on thunder, which is:

ברוך אתה ה' אלוקינו מלך העולם שכוחו וגבורתו מלא עולם

Translation:
Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, whose strength and might fill the world.

Transliteration:
Baruch Atah Ado-noy Elo-heinu Melech Ha'olam Shekocho U'gevurato Maleh Olam.

If by mistake one mixed up the brachot and said the bracha for lightning on thunder, or vice versa, one is still yotze and does not need to recite the bracha again.

If, while reciting the blessing on the thunder, one sees the lightning (or vice versa), then one should not say the other blessing, as they are exempt with the blessing they just recited.

One only recites the bracha once a day, from Alot Hashachar until Alot Hashachar the next day, if he didn’t sleep a proper sleep ( sheynat keva ). If he did sleep during the night a proper sleep, then he may right away recite the blessing without waiting until Alot Hashachar. If during the day the clouds scatter and a new storm starts, then one may recite another blessing.

In a case where you heard the thunder but didn’t see the lightning, you should recite a blessing on the thunder. Then, the next time you see the lightning, you should recite the bracha only on the lightning.

When seeing lightening and hearing thunder during prayer:

When one is in the middle of praying and then sees lightning or hears thunder, sometimes one may interrupt their prayer in order to say the blessing, and sometimes it is forbidden to interrupt the prayer. Therefore, it is important to study the different halachos regarding this, so that when one is in this situation, he will know exactly what to do.

The guidelines are as follows:

a. During Pesukei De’zimra, before Yishtabach, one may interrupt the prayers to recite the blessing, even in the middle of a mizmor.

b. From Yotzer Or, one may recite the blessing in between the brachot, which are: between Yotzer and Ahava Rabba, Ahava Rabba and Shema, Shema and Vehaya Im Shamoa, Vehaya and Va’yomer. During Shacharis, from this point onward, one may not interrupt. During Ma’ariv, there are another two places where one may interrupt: between Ga’al Yisrael and Hash’kiveinu, and between Shomer Amo Yisrael La’ad and Shemoneh Esrei.

c. After Shemoneh Esrei, one may interrupt at any point they are holding.

Shulchan aruch orach chaim siman 51 M ishna Berurah 8

Siman 61 Misneh Berurah 19

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