… Say Asher Yatzar when we come out of the bathroom?
The Vilna Gaon explains that we say “Asher Yatzar” specifically when we leave the bathroom to show that Hashem’s greatness is everywhere. The Gra says, we don’t normally use the term Kisei Kivodecha (the throne of Your glory) in our tefillos. And how could we mention it here of all places – when we thank Hashem for going to the bathroom? Shouldn’t we be embarrassed? NO! Says the Vilna Gaon. The highest malachim cannot access the Kisei Hakavod. But from his throne, there is not a single detail Hashem does not watch over, and there is nowhere Hashem is not. He is there, protecting, helping, even when we use the restroom!
The Ponovezher Rav used to get very absorbed when he made an Asher Yatzar. Afterwards he would exclaim, “Is the human body less of a neis than Krias Yam Suf? When a machine has garbage in it, eventually it breaks down. Hashem made our bodies in a way that they clean themselves, and they stay working; so many different parts working together seamlessly and perfectly! At the end of Asher Yatzar, we thank Hashem, U’mafli La’asos – He does wonders. The sefarim say that the biggest wonder is that our spiritual neshamah and our physical bodies work together. Even more so, when our heiligeh neshamos, which are a chelek Eloka mimaal (literally a part of Hashem!) are inside our bodies as they use the restroom… what an incredible thing! We thank Hashem that even in places that are “not heilig at all,” Hashem is there, helping us from the highest place, from his Kisei HaKavod!
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 39.
