Must one recite birchat ha’ilanot in front of 2 fruit trees, or is one enough?
Answer:
One may recite the berachah over a single tree, but some state that the berachah requires two trees, and the common custom is to search for two trees.
Sources: The wording of the Gemara (Berachos 43) is that one recites the blessing upon seeing trees (plural), and this implies that one needs to see at least two trees. This is ruled by Chida (Moreh Be’etzba), Kaf Hachaim (296), and others. However, Maharil (143) writes one tree (this was his version of the Gemara), and this is also found in the original Venetzia editions of the Gemara, and most poskim do not mention the obligation to have two trees. Therefore, it is better to make the blessing over two trees, but if they cannot be found, the blessing can be made over one tree. See also Maaseh Chemed, p. 169.
