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Does the blessing of Asher Yatzar (normally said upon using the bathroom) apply in other situations. For example in passing a kidney or gallstone? A woman who's water breaks or passes her mucus plug? Would it be said after childbirth if a woman moves her bowels during labor, which is very common? Are there any other situations where this blessing should be said?

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  • I've said it when getting an EEG or when watching my wife's ultrasound. Not sure if anyone else holds by that sort of thing, but I think seeing your own openings and closings is a great opportunity to thank G-d for it.
    – Charles Koppelman
    Jan 1, 2013 at 0:06

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The G'mara in B'rachos 60b says that the situation in which one says this blessing is upon leaving the bathroom. Although the text of the blessing mentions many natural/biological phenomena that God effects, the applicable context appears to be limited to that one. In fact, Dr. Beni Gezundheit (in Section ד Part 2 of this article) cites late sources that limit the situations warranting the blessing only to certain instances of "leaving the bathroom" - either those which provide some relief from discomfort or those which themselves are not a cause for discomfort.

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    The link isn't opening for me, but...a doctor called Gezundheit??? Fantastic :-)
    – Shraga
    Jan 1, 2013 at 18:02
  • Yes, he is an impressive talmid chacham and educator in addition to being a medical doctor.
    – WAF
    Jan 1, 2013 at 20:16
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It would appear that we do not apply this blessing outside of going to the bathroom. For instance the blessing is not recited after sneezing, vomiting or birthing a baby. The lack of obligation to say asher yatzar for those much more common occurrences would indicate that none should be necessary for rarer situations. Regarding a women who moved her bowels during labor, I believe that if someone has an accident, due to being inebriated or because of some medical condition, they do not recite the blessing as they are not cognizant of the benefit they received - similarly if one was about to be force-fed (chalilah) there would be no obligation to bless beforehand.

Clearly this is all my own thinking, please consult a Rabbi for practical advice

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  • Re "I believe that if someone has an accident, due to being inebriated or because of some medical condition, they do not recite the blessing": surely if such an exception exists, it's mentioned somewhere (or the language requiring the benediction in the more general case excludes it). So it's an odd belief to hold based only on logic. +1, though, for the argument in the first ~40% of your answer.
    – msh210 ♦
    Jan 1, 2013 at 15:29
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The halacha is brought in the Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim Siman 4 that even if you do not go to the bathroom you must still say asher yatzar in the morning. The Bach explains that the reason (or one of the reasons [I did not see the Bach inside]) is because while sleeping one passes gas.

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  • Are you suggesting saying the bracha every time one passes gas? (I note you didn't say the word 'morning' in your answer, although I suspect you meant to.)
    – Double AA ♦
    Jan 1, 2013 at 20:35
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    The Levush does not say that. What he says is (OC 4:1): ואע"פ שלא עשה צרכיו עכשיו, אי אפשר שלא הטיל מים, או יצא ממנו מעט ציחצוחי מים, או עשה צרכיו מעט בלילה, או קודם ששכב, ולא בירך עליהם, מפני ששכב תיכף בידים מטונפות. לכך מברכין גם אשר יצר מיד כשירחץ בקומו, שהוא קרוב לוודאי שצריך לה
    – Fred
    Jan 2, 2013 at 0:30
  • @ Double AA- You are correct.
    – Gavriel
    Jan 5, 2013 at 18:57
  • @ Fred- Thank you for pointing tat out. You are right, I meant the Bach.
    – Gavriel
    Jan 5, 2013 at 18:57

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