Halakhah for Berakhot 119:3
מיתיבי בנה בית חדש ואין לו כיוצא בו קנה כלים חדשים ואין לו כיוצא בהם צריך לברך יש לו כיוצא בהם אין צריך לברך דברי ר"מ ר' יהודה אומר בין כך ובין כך צריך לברך
Against this is quoted : If he built a new house and he has not a similar one, or bought new vessels without possessing the like, he must say a benediction ; but if he has the like, he need not say the benediction. These are the words of R. Meir ; R. Judah says : In either case, a benediction is necessary !
Arukh HaShulchan
Therefore, one who enters a city and hears the sound of shouting due to some sort of calamity that occurred in it and says, "may it be [God's] will that [that shouting] is not from within my house", has uttered a vain prayer, for this prayer is regarding the past and whatever has happened has already happened. But he can say, "I trust that it is not from my house" if he is wholly righteous. This is akin to the story of Hillel the Elder, regarding whom it is said: He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord (Berachot 60a). The matter can be explicated in two ways: (1) in its simple rendering- that he is not afraid that it was coming from his house or (2) because he had accustomed his household to accept everything with joy, both the good and its opposite. Therefore, even if, God forbid, some calamity had taken place, they would not scream, but would rather accept it with love and silence. ...
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