People frequently ask me questions about Judaism. Some are questions regarding practice, some are serious theological questions, and some fall in the category of “interesting.” In this last category, there is one question I truly treasure: “Rabbi Bass, is there a blessing for going to the bathroom?”
The question is asked in jest. There is often a not-so-well-hidden smirk attached to the question. It seems like a perfect moment to make the rabbi blush. I think most of us do not think of the time spent on our bowel functions as a time to bless God. Actually, we just don’t want to think about our bowel functions. So it is with a smirk of my own that I have the pleasure of responding “yes!” to that question. The blessing is:
“You are a source of blessing, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who fashioned the human being in wisdom and created the body with different orifices and enclosures. Should but one of them, by being blocked or opened, fail to function, it would be impossible to exist and exalt your name. You are a source of blessing, Adonai, healer of all flesh who sustains our bodies in wondrous ways.”
This blessing is a way of forcing us to think about our bodies and to sanctify our daily experiences. We all know that when the body does not function properly, our souls have a difficult time focusing on the task of partnering with God in the work needed to support all of creation. Our tradition forces us to look at the beauty of our God-given bodies on a daily basis. By focusing on our bodies, we are compelled to think about the maintenance and sustenance that they require.
The care of the body and the concept of thanking God for the openings and closures remind me of a Rabbinic observation about two of Israel’s bodies of water, Lake Kinneret and the Dead Sea. They are connected by the Jordan River. Lake Kinneret is a fresh water lake, and provides good drinking water for the country. Yet the Jordan River ends at the Dead Sea, which does not let the water out. In other words, the Kinneret, by being able to receive and to give, is a source of life. The Dead Sea, because it only receives and does not give, will not be a source of life for people. With his metaphor the rabbis explain that unless we are open to receiving and giving, we are not functioning well.
This blessing reminds us of the interconnectedness of our experiences. With food and drink, if we only consume and do not dispose, we will become very ill. Also, if we only consume without giving, we will not live a healthy life. If we buy too many things for our home and do not donate what we don’t need, we end up with a cluttered house. We can either be fresh and lively as the Kinneret, or we can be cluttered and lifeless as the Dead Sea.
Hanukah is coming, on Thursday December 10. Let’s make the decision to be healthy in every sense of the word. Some of us more than others, we all have more than our share of latkes and Hanukah gelt. We can make a personal commitment to eat only what we need, to not exaggerate, and to care for our bodies during this season. And let’s be healthy with our gift giving, too. Instead of giving a gift a day, and contributing to the cluttering of our homes, make one of the nights of Hanukah into a G’milut Hassadim (charity) night. During that chosen night, discuss with your family where you would like to make a contribution in lieu of a present. There are many worthy causes in this world. Send your contribution and share.
May this Hanukah be a constructive time for all of us. May we be able to have a healthy, balanced time this year. And may we all be as Lake Kinneret, being able to receive and to give, being both healthy ourselves and sharing our blessings with our world.