We’ve been talking about trying some new types of posts with this blog, and figured this would be a good week to start. One thing that we have been really wanting to do (and have been talking about behind the scenes for quite a while) is to delve into our prayers. We want to not only read them but see what they really mean and how they relate to us today. This week we’re diving into a prayer that is said pretty frequently in our tradition: Asher Yatzar
Excerpted from Mishkan T’filah
Asher Yatzar is a prayer that is traditionally said after one uses the bathroom, but is now a part of our daily prayers. How could a prayer that is said after we do our business find an appropriate place in our daily prayer services? It’s actually quite simple. It’s a prayer of gratitude for our properly working bodies. If you think about it, going to the bathroom is a pretty essential function of life. If our intestines and waste regulating organs don’t work properly, a lot can go wrong and it can cause an incredible amount of trouble for our health. We should always be thankful when an important body process occurs without issue. Going to the bathroom is also a pretty basic function. We can often forget to be thankful for something that is so simple. Putting this prayer in our daily services allows us to remind ourselves to be thankful for our most basic bodily functions and what allows us to be healthy.
Dan Nichols, a popular Jewish musician, has his own interpretation of this prayer. His song of the same name offers a similar meaning.
“I thank you for my life, body and soul
Help me realize I am beautiful and whole
I’m perfect the way I am, and a little broken too
I will live each day as a gift I give to you
Baruch Atah Adonai
Rofei chol basar
Umafli laasot”
These lyrics encourage us to be grateful for who we are, as we are. No one is perfect, we all have our flaws. That’s just how life works. This is something that is hard for a lot of us to admit. We have a hard time accepting our flaws and instead focus on the ways we can change ourselves. It’s okay to want to make some changes and better ourselves, but we need to make sure we’re doing it for the right reason. Don’t make these changes from hatred, instead, make changes out of love. Make sure you are being the best and healthiest you can be, flaws and all. We are all a little broken and we all have our flaws, but that is what makes us beautiful and whole. Remember, broken crayons still color.
In addition to us reminding ourselves that even with our flaws we are beautiful and perfect the way we are, we realize that we are living in a scary time right now. Everyone’s health is a mystery. Is my sniffling something more serious than a cold? Am I not concerned enough with my current ailment? When will self-quarantining and working remotely end? When will school open again? No matter what part of this pandemic is affecting you right now, remember to be thankful for what health you do have. Be thankful that there are people who are surviving coronavirus and that there are hardworking individuals trying to get a handle on this, treating those who have been infected, and working to develop medicines to combat it. We will make it through this. For now, be thankful for the health you have and realize the little miracles that happen for us every day. And don’t forget to stay home as much as you possibly can, check in on your friends and family, offer help to your elderly and immunocompromised neighbors, and wash your hands!
