סימן ו - דין ברכות אשר יצר ואלהי נשמה ופירושיו ובו ט' סעיפים

Siman 6: Laws of Asher Yatzar and Elokai Neshamah and Their Explanations, containing nine seifim:

Recording: Seifim 1–9

1. Although by the law of the Gemara one need bless "Asher Yatzar" only when he has relieved himself, nevertheless the universal custom is to bless every morning, immediately after the blessing "on netilas yadayim", the blessing "Asher Yatzar"^[1].

Because each day a person becomes a new creation, it is therefore fitting to bless every day, "who formed man in wisdom"^[2].

And one who wishes to remove himself from the doubt^[3], should take care to relieve himself right after the morning washing of the hands.

And when he leaves the bathroom, he should wash his hands a second time^[4] and bless "Asher Yatzar".

And he fulfills his obligation with this blessing "Asher Yatzar", even if he was obligated to bless "Asher Yatzar" for having become a new creation, for one blessing serves for both.

And it is good that he not recite the blessing "on netilas yadayim" until after the second washing, which he does after leaving the bathroom.

Especially if he needs to relieve himself, for then it is forbidden for him to bless:

2. Some are accustomed, when they rise early in the morning and wish to go right away to the synagogue to pray, to wait with the blessing "on netilas yadayim" until they come to the synagogue, and they arrange the blessing on the washing with the other morning blessings.

Because the main purpose of the ordinance of washing the hands in the morning is to sanctify and purify our hands before our service, like a kohen who would sanctify his hands before his service.

And since the main service is to praise Him, laud Him and pray before Him, it is therefore fitting to bless "on netilas yadayim" before the prayer, for if there is no prayer, there is no washing of the hands:

3. When does this apply? When they go to the synagogue immediately after washing the hands, and begin right away to arrange the order of the blessings.

But it is forbidden to interrupt between the washing and the blessing with study or with any prayer, and certainly with other matters.

And one who wishes to interrupt in between, such as those who say Tehillim before the prayer, and likewise in the days of Selichos, when Selichos are said before the start of the prayer, should take care to bless "on netilas yadayim" at home, immediately after the washing:

4. Therefore, what is done in the days of Selichos and on the Days of Awe, that after they have interrupted with saying Selichos or Tehillim and other matters, they begin to bless "on netilas yadayim" and "Asher Yatzar": either way they are not acting properly, and one must protest against it.

If they have not yet blessed "on netilas yadayim" and "Asher Yatzar", then this is a great interruption, and it is not proper to do so, as has been explained.

And if they have already blessed, then they are now making a blessing in vain.

And even the prayer leader should not bless twice.

And even if he intends the second time to fulfill the obligation of the congregation, it is nevertheless a blessing in vain.

For nowadays everyone is versed and knows how to bless, and each one blesses for himself.

And a prayer leader who does not wish to change the custom of not blessing "on netilas yadayim" and "Asher Yatzar" at the prayer stand:

He should take care not to recite these blessings before he goes down to the prayer stand, and also take care not to interrupt between the washing of the hands and the blessing "on netilas yadayim" with saying Tehillim or with study, and certainly with other matters:

5. But some are accustomed to bless "on netilas yadayim" and "Asher Yatzar" at home, immediately after the washing. And when they come to the synagogue, they recite all the morning blessings, apart from those blessings they recited at home, which they do not recite a second time.

And this custom is a fine one, and it is fitting to do so^[5].

For one must bless on all mitzvos before performing them, except that with washing the hands it is impossible to bless before the washing, so the blessing is put off until after the washing. If so, as far as possible one must bring the blessing close to the washing and not interrupt in between:

6. All blessings open with "Baruch", except for a blessing adjoining another, such as "Ahavah Rabbah", which adjoins "Yotzer Or", for which the "Baruch" at the opening of Yotzer Or suffices.

And except for a blessing of thanksgiving, such as "We give thanks to You for every drop, etc." which is said over rain, which need not open with "Baruch", since all of it is in the language of thanksgiving.

And likewise all such cases:

7. The blessing "Elokai Neshamah" does not adjoin the blessing "Asher Yatzar", for as soon as he awakes from his sleep he must bless "Elokai Neshamah" by the law of the Gemara^[6], while "Asher Yatzar" he need not bless until he has relieved himself.

And why does it not open with "Baruch"?

Because it is a blessing of thanksgiving.

Nevertheless, it is good to place it next to the blessing "Asher Yatzar", so that it be a blessing adjoining another, for which the "Baruch" at the start of the first blessing suffices:

8. One who rises early and knows that he will need to sleep again a second time, a fixed sleep, should say "Elokai Neshamah" without the closing.

And when he wishes to sleep a second time, he should say the blessing "HaMapil" without the opening, saying only "Blessed is He who casts the bonds, etc." up to the closing and not including it.

And when he rises the second time, he should say "Elokai Neshamah, etc." with its closing.

But the blessing "on netilas yadayim" he should say only when he rises from his bed the first time, as written in Siman 4:

9. Some are accustomed that after one has recited the morning blessings and they answered Amen after him, one of those who answered Amen in turn recites all the morning blessings, and they answer Amen after him.

And in this order all those who first answered Amen do so.

And they do this in order to answer ninety Amens every day^[7].

And one should not object against them and say that they have already fulfilled their obligation with the Amen they first answered.

Because the one blessing does not intend to fulfill the obligation of others.

And even if the one blessing did intend to fulfill the obligation of others, they do not intend to fulfill their obligation through his blessing:

Notes

1. Asher Yatzar: Even if he has not relieved himself.

2. A new creation: See above, Siman 4, seif 1.

3. The doubt: For the blessing he recites is only on account of the custom, and he wishes the blessing to be by the law of the Gemara as well.

4. A second time: For he washed his hands and blessed on the washing before this.

5. Fitting to do so: The Rebbe writes, on saying the morning blessings communally: "כיון שחיוב ברכות השחר הוא כשקם ממטתו, ואח"ז הוא רק בתור תשלומין" ("Since the obligation of the morning blessings is when one rises from his bed, and after that it is only as a making-up") (Igros Kodesh, vol. 18, no. 6774; the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch, beginning of Siman 71).

6. By the law of the Gemara: On one who stayed awake all night, see above, Siman 4, seif 13, note 7.

7. Ninety Amens: The Rebbe writes: "אשר צדי"ק הוא רומז לצ' אמנים, ד' קדושות, י' קדישים, ק' ברכות" ("that the word tzaddik alludes to ninety Amens, four Kedushos, ten Kaddishes, a hundred blessings") (Igros Kodesh, vol. 14, no. 4946).