Angels in the Outhouse New Perspectives
Couldn't load pickup availability
Jewish tradition's peculiar blessing after using the bathroom - Birkat Asher Yatzar - originated as a response to ancient warnings given to guardian angels before entering this spiritually dangerous space. Close reading of biblical sources and Talmudic texts reveals how this blessing navigates a profound tension between human dignity and corporeal necessity. Through examination of Targum Yonatan's interpretation of Ezekiel 28:12b-13 and Genesis creation narratives, the blessing emerges as a meditation on humanity's dual physical-spiritual nature. The phrase "openings upon openings, hollow organs upon hollow organs" takes on deeper meaning when analyzed within its broader context in Berakhot 60a-b, where it forms part of a series of threshold prayers for navigating perilous transitions. By combining philological analysis with examination of parallel rabbinic texts, the research reconstructs how the blessing's reference to "standing before the throne of Your glory" addresses the temporary loss and restoration of human dignity through bodily experience. This recontextualization demonstrates how Asher Yatzar functions as both celebration of divine creative wisdom and acknowledgment of human vulnerability, offering vital resources for contemporary Jewish liturgical practice and pastoral care regarding illness and mortality.

More Information
-
Physical Description
-
Publication Information
Published
ISBN
-
Publication Credits
Dan Ornstein