When your son becomes bar-mitzva say the beracha, “Boruch …shep’tarani may’onsho shel zeh”. You have nothing to lose by saying it with the Shem and Malchus. The minhag is to recite this beracha at the time that the young man is a shaliach tzibbur or reads the Torah for the first Shabbos – now everyone knows that he is bar mitzva. (Rama2 – MB6,8)
When a child under bar mitzva sins, the father bears the punishment for lack of training. Once he is bar mitzva, the young man must strengthen himself. Nevertheless, the father still has an obligation to rebuke his son. If he does not protest against his son’s misbehavior, he will share in his son’s punishment – no different than any other Jew that he has influence over. (MB7)
It is a mitzva to make a seuda on the day that your son becomes bar mitzva just as on his wedding day. If the bar mitzva boy will say a drasha, the seuda will be a seudas mitzva even on a different day. (MB6)
Say Shehecheyonu when eating a fruit that has come into season. Although this is an optional beracha, you should not miss the opportunity. (ShA3 – MB9)
There are 3 ways to say the beracha:
The best way is to first say Shehecheyonu, then the birkas hanehenin and then eat it.
You can say the birkas hanehenin, taste a little, then say Shehecheyonu.
B'dieved, if you said the Shehecheyonu in between the beracha and the eating, you are yotzay. (MB11)
The minhag is to wait on the Shehecheyonu until you eat the fruit, even though strictly speaking you could say the beracha on the joy of seeing it. If you see the fruit a few times before eating it you can still say Shehecheyonu . (MB11,13)
If you didn’t say the Shehecheyonu when you first ate the fruit, do not recite it upon eating it a second time.(MB13)
Each specie gets its own Shehecheyonu as long as they aren’t bought in front of you together. (MB14)
Two similar species with different tastes or names are still considered different enough for a separate Shehecheyonu. (ShA4 – MB14)
If you say Shehecheyonu on the newly harvested grapes, do not say a Shehecheyonu on the new wine of that harvest. Since there are poskim who say you do say on the new wine, it’s good to say the Shehecheyonu on something else new, to exempt the wine. (ShA5 – MB15)
Do not say Shehecheyonu on aged wine. (MB15)
A fruit that has a biannual harvest gets a Shehecheyonu on each new harvest.(Rama6 – MB17)
If the fruit stays growing on the tree throughout the winter season (e.g. esrog) or has no set harvest season, no Shehecheyonu is said. (ShA6 – MB16)
Produce which stays fresh through long term storage and can be available all year round (e.g. potatoes, radish) does not get a Shehecheyonu . (MB18 – ShaH24)
New legumes and vegetables all get a Shehecheyonu as long as their newness is recognizable. (MB18)
The Yerushalmi says it is a mitzva to eat a little of each new fruit every year. It shows that you cherish Hashem’s creation. (MB19)
Say the beracha M'shaneh Habrios on unusual looking people and creatures:
Black skinned.
Red skinned.
Very white skinned.
Large belly that makes him appear short.
Tall and so thin that his spine does not bear his height, so he is bent over.
Dwarf.
Skin full of warts.
Elephant.
Monkey. 10.A person born with the following defects: all his hair stuck together, lame, blind in both eyes, diseased with boils, freckled against stark white skin. (ShA8,9 – MB20,21,23,24)
If the freckles develop from the sunny weather and will disappear, no beracha is said. (MB24)
If the defects in item 10 above developed after birth, or you see an amputee the beracha changes to Dayan Haemmes. Say this beracha only if it happened to someone you care about and you are upset – the beracha is for tziduk hadin. (ShA9 – MB25,27)
M'shaneh Habrios is said with Shem and Malchus only upon the first sighting. You will never again say a beracha on that particular creation. If you see another one like it after 30 days say M'shaneh Habrios without Shem and Malchus. (ShA9 – MB30,31 – ShaH32)
Upon viewing an extraordinarily beautiful creation, whether trees, animals or people, say “Boruch….shekachah lo b’olamo” without Shem and Malchus. (ShA10 – MB32 – ShaH33)
It is forbidden to intently study the form of an idolator. (MB33)
It is forbidden to exclaim “How beautiful / nice is this gentile”. (MB33) LAWS OF BERACHOS