How soon after using the bathroom must one make an asher yatzar bracha? For example after going to the gym and using the bathroom can you take a shower or do you need to first exit the bathroom area, make an asher yatzar and then return for the shower?

  • I am racking my brain to remember where I heard it, but someone asked a posek this question in my presence, and he said one has until the next time an event comes up that would require the b'racha. – WAF Jun 13 '13 at 1:17
  • one should say it right away, but if he did not, he can say it until the next time he goes. the reason he should say it right away, is because if he has to go again, then the new beracha will not exempt the old beracha. learned this once, cant remember the exact source though. – ray Jun 13 '13 at 10:13

In the context of interruptions during morning t'fila the B(e)i'ur Halacha (in 51:4) brings down the opinion of Derech Hachayim regarding birkas 'asher yatzar'. He holds that one may say this b'racha in between Baruch She'amar and Yishtabach despite the ruling of the Chayei Adam that he should wait until he has finished his prayers. The weakness in the latter ruling is that it doesn't account for the possibility of a person's urge to use the bathroom arising again before the end of t'fila, which would "cancel" the preexisting [need for a] b'racha.

This implies that. . .

  1. Birkas 'asher yatzar' should be said soon after using the bathroom.
  2. A significant amount of time could allowably pass before saying the b'racha.
  3. The deadline for saying it is the next time the need arises to use the bathroom.

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .