Asher Yatzar - After Shemoneh Esrei

QUESTION: If you forgot to recite Asher Yatzar and davened Shemoneh Esrei, which contains the beracha of Refa’einu (a prayer for healing), should Asher Yatzar be recited afterwards, or does the beracha of Refa’einu exempt one from reciting the beracha of Asher Yatzar?

ANSWER: There are many proofs that the beracha of Refa’einu does not exempt one from Asher Yatzar. The Chayei Adam, Mishnah Berurah, and many other poskim rule that if one needs to use the bathroom during Birchos Kriyas Shema, Asher Yatzar should be recited after Shemoneh Esrei. They explain, that since one can wait to recite the Asher Yatzar until after Shemoneh Esrei, it is not proper to make an unnecessary interruption during Birchos Kriyas Shema. It is clear from this ruling that although Refa’einu is recited in Shemoneh Esrei, Asher Yatzar must still be said.

Sefer Bnei Levi disagrees with these poskim. He argues that Refa’einu would exempt Asher Yatzar, and therefore one must interrupt Birchos Kriyas Shema to recite Asher Yatzar, as otherwise the beracha will be lost.

Tzitz Eliezer (11:4) explains that the halacha does not follow the Bnei Levi because Asher Yatzar and Refa’einu are fundamentally different. The beracha of Refa’einu is a request to heal all Jews who are sick. The beracha of Asher Yatzar is a birkas hashevach (or birkas hanehenin) in recognition of the wonders of Hashem’s creation. In addition, he quotes Rav Chaim Berlin who explained that the beracha of Asher Yatzar praises Hashem for establishing a natural process of health for the human body, while Refa’einu is a request that Hashem provide healing even beyond the realm of nature.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.