Asher Yatzar — Thank You for Creating Me

In Judaism, we have a prayer called Asher Yatzar. The prayer begins with

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר יָצַר אֶת הָאָדָם בְּחָכְמָה, וּבָרָא בוֹ נְקָבִים נְקָבִים, חֲלוּלִים חֲלוּלִים.

“Blessed are You, God, Who formed me with wisdom and fashioned the human body.”

It’s typically called the “bathroom blessing,” and Jews traditionally say it every morning after one does their business in the bathroom.

I’m a Reconstructionist rabbi and part of my role in Jewish is life is to find ways “Reconstruct” our tradition, and our text to make them more relevant today.

The entire prayer in English is:

Blessed are You, God, Who formed me with wisdom and fashioned the human body. Creating many openings arteries, glands and organs marvelous in structure… It is revealed and known before You that if any one of these passageways be open when it should be closed, or blocked up when it should be free I could not to stay alive or exist for even just an hour. Blessed are You, God, the healer of all flesh who sustains our bodies in wondrous ways.

While I was studying to become a rabbi this prayer meant everything to me and it became my favorite prayer.