(א) אַרְבָּעָה צְרִיכִים לְהוֹדוֹת. יוֹרְדֵי הַיָּם כְּשֶׁעָלוּ מִמֶּנָּה, וְהוֹלְכֵי מִדְבָּרוֹת כְּשֶׁיַּגִּיעוּ לַיִּשּׁוּב, וּמִי שֶׁהָיָה חוֹלֶה וְנִתְרַפֵּא, וּמִי שֶׁהָיָה חָבוּשׁ בְּבֵית הָאֲסוּרִים וְיָצָא, וְסִימָנָךְ: וְכָל הַחַיִּי''ם יוֹדוּךָ סֶלָּה. ''חוֹלֶה ''יִסוּרִים ''יָם ''מִדְבָּר.
(ב) וּמַה מְּבָרֵךְ: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אמ ''ה הַגּוֹמֵל לְחַיָּבִים טוֹבוֹת שֶׁגְמָלַנִי כָּל טוּב, וְהַשּׁוֹמְעִים אוֹמְרִים: מִי שֶׁגְּמָלְךָ כָּל טוּב הוּא יִגְמָלְךָ כָּל טוּב סֶלָּה.
(ח) בְּכָל חֹלִי צָרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ, אֲפִלּוּ אֵינוֹ חֹלִי שֶׁל סַכָּנָה וְלֹא מַכָּה שֶׁל חָלָל, אֶלָּא כָּל שֶׁעָלָה לְמַטָּה וְיָרַד, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁדּוֹמֶה כְּמִי שֶׁהֶעֱלוּהוּ לַגַּרְדּוֹם (פי' מַעֲלוֹת שֶׁעוֹשִׂין דַּיָּנִים לָשֶׁבֶת כְּשֶׁדָּנִין) לִידֹן, וְאֵין הֶפְרֵשׁ בֵּין שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ מֵחוּשׁ קָבוּעַ וּבָא מִזְּמַן לִזְמַן, וּבֵין שֶׁאֵינוֹ קָבוּעַ.הַגָּה: וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּאֵינוֹ מְבָרֵךְ רַק עַל חֹלִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ סַכָּנָה, כְּגוֹן מַכָּה שֶׁל חָלָל (טוּר בְּשֵׁם הָרַאֲבָ''ד וְהר''ר יוֹסֵף) וְכֵן נוֹהֲגִין בְּאַשְׁכְּנַז.
(ט) הָנֵי אַרְבָּעָה לָאו דַּוְקָא, דְּהוּא הַדִּין לְמִי שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה לוֹ נֵס, כְּגוֹן שֶׁנָּפַל עָלָיו כֹּתֶל, אוֹ נִצּוֹל מִדְּרִיסַת שׁוֹר וּנְגִיחוֹתָיו, אוֹ שֶׁעָמַד עָלָיו בָּעִיר אַרְיֵה לְטָרְפוֹ, אוֹ אִם גַּנָּבִים בָּאוּ לוֹ, אִם שׁוֹדְדֵי לַיְלָה וְנִצּוֹל מֵהֶם וְכָל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה...
1-
Four (categories of people) ought to thank (through Birkat HaGomel): 1- Sea travelers upon returning, 2- Travelers in the wilderness (or desert), upon returning; 3- Those who recovered from illness; 4- Those who were imprisoned, upon being freed. This is hinted at (in the line from the Amidah) vekhol hahayyim yodukha sela ("all LIVING shall thank you"). (The word Hayyim may be viewed as an acronym for) holeh - "sick", yissurim - "punishments", yam - "sea", midbar - "wilderness".
2- And what does one bless? "Blessed are you... who rewards the undeserving (literally, "guilty") with goodness, may He reward me with all good things." And those who hear (the blessing) respond: "May He who rewarded you (at all times) with goodness reward you (now), selah."
8- One recites the blessing over all illnesses even if it isn't a dangerous illness nor a serious blow (to the body). Anyone who (had been) bedridden (recites the blessing) because it appears as if such a person was being called to trial. And it makes no difference whether or not it was something chronic or temporary. (Rabbi Isserles adds:) There are those who say that one recites the blessing only if it was a dangerous illness, like a serious blow, and that is the custom in Ashkenaz.
9- These four (categories) are not exclusive. The same applies for anyone for whom a miracle was done. For example: someone upon whom a wall had fallen, or someone who was rescued from being trampled or gored by an ox, or who was about to attacked by a lion in settled areas (literally, "in a city"), or who was attacked by robbers and he was rescued. (The same applies) for any other cases like these...