Asher Yatzar: Blessing The Lord for All Bodily Functions
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There is a traditional Jewish blessing for many moments of daily life; therefore, it is not surprising that there is even a blessing that may be recited after using the restroom. This blessing is called Asher Yatzar, usually translated as “He Who Formed.”
Asher Yatzar is recorded in the Talmud, Berachot 60b, and Jewish tradition associates many of the fixed blessings with the work of the Sages and the Men of the Great Assembly. Over time, this blessing also became part of the weekday Shacharit morning prayer service.
The blessing is more than a simple thanksgiving after using the restroom. Its deeper purpose is to thank the Lord for creating the human body with wisdom, intricacy, and balance, and for the daily miracle of allowing the body to function properly. In essence, it teaches us to thank the Almighty not only when we are healed from sickness, but also when we enjoy ordinary health.
One of the main ideas behind this blessing is that we should not wait until we are ill to appreciate our health. Rather, we are called to thank the Lord for our wellbeing every day, even through bodily functions that may seem ordinary or unrelated to worship.
The Tanakh and Brit Chadasha remind us to praise God, who intricately created us and sustains us daily:
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well." (Psalm 139:13-14 ESV)
“He gives to all life, breath, and all things… for in Him we live and move and have our being,” (Acts 17:25b, 28a NKJV)
Below is the blessing in both Hebrew and English:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר יָצַר אֶת הָאָדָם בְּחָכְמָה וּבָרָא בוֹ נְקָבִים נְקָבִים חֲלוּלִים חֲלוּלִים. גָּלוּי וְיָדוּעַ לִפְנֵי כִסֵּא כְבוֹדֶךָ שֶׁאִם יִפָּתֵחַ אֶחָד מֵהֶם אוֹ יִסָּתֵם אֶחָד מֵהֶם אִי אֶפְשַׁר לְהִתְקַיֵּם וְלַעֲמוֹד לְפָנֶיךָ אֲפִילוּ שָׁעָה אֶחָת. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ רוֹפֵא כָל בָּשָׂר וּמַפְלִיא לַעֲשֹוֹת.
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha’olam asher yatzar et ha’adam be’chochmah u’vara vo nekavim nekavim chalulim chalulim, galui ve’yadua lifnei chisei ch’vodecha she’im yipate’ach echad me’hem o yisatem echad me’hem i efshar le’hitkayem ve’la’amod lefanecha afilu sha’ah echat. Baruch atah Adonai rofei chol basar u’mafli la’asot.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has formed man in wisdom, and created within him numerous orifices and cavities. It is revealed and known, before the Throne of Your Glory that if but one of them were to be blocked or one of them were to be opened, it would be impossible to exist for even an hour. Blessed are You, Lord, who heals all flesh and performs wonders.
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Glossary
Adonai (אֲדֹנָי) means “Lord” and is commonly used in Jewish reading and prayer as a reverent way to refer to God.
Asher Yatzar (אֲשֶׁר יָצַר) means “Who formed” and is a blessing thanking God for the wisdom and function of the human body.
Brit Chadasha (בְּרִית חֲדָשָׁה) means “New Covenant” and refers both to God’s promised covenant of renewal in Jeremiah 31 and to the New Testament writings.
Shacharit (שַׁחֲרִית) is the morning prayer service in Jewish liturgy.
Talmud (תַּלְמוּד) means “study” or “learning” and refers to a collection of rabbinic discussions, teachings, laws, stories, and interpretations of the Hebrew Scriptures and discussions of applying God’s commandments to daily life
Tanakh (תַּנַ״ךְ) is the Hebrew Bible and refers to the three-part collection of Scripture: Torah “Instruction,” Nevi’im “Prophets,” and Ketuvim “Writings.”
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