✦ ❖ ✦ D A A T · L E V E L 3 — M A S T E R S Y N T H E S I S ✦ ❖ ✦
Siman ו׳
ברכת אשר יצר ואלהי נשמה
Asher Yatzar and Elokaï Neshama — the wisdom of the body (בחכמה), the order of the morning blessings, the blessing of hodaa
Structured review, rapid memorization, the morning blessings in practice
📑 Plan of the Synthesis
- The central axiom — the mother rule of the Siman
- Master table of the 4 seifim
- Asher Yatzar — the wisdom of the body
- The order of על נטילת ידים — home or synagogue
- Elokaï Neshama — the blessing of hodaa
- עניית אמן — blessing in a group
- Golden rules — memory aid
- Mnemonic — memory aid
- Pitfalls to avoid
- The morning blessings in practice
- Final synthesis table
1. The Central Axiom
Universal principle of Siman ו׳:
This siman opens the day of the Jew with wonder and hodaa (thanksgiving). On leaving the bathroom, one blesses אשר יצר את האדם בחכמה — who formed man with wisdom: the creation of the body, with its נקבים נקבים חלולים חלולים (orifices and hollow organs), is a marvel of unfathomable wisdom, "for if one of them were to be blocked or one of them to be opened, it would be impossible to survive." Then the soul, returned each morning, calls forth אלהי נשמה — ברכת ההודאה, a blessing of gratitude. The siman also sets the order and the frame of the morning blessings: where to say על נטילת ידים, without saying it twice; and the beautiful custom of blessing and answering amen in a group.
This siman opens the day of the Jew with wonder and hodaa (thanksgiving). On leaving the bathroom, one blesses אשר יצר את האדם בחכמה — who formed man with wisdom: the creation of the body, with its נקבים נקבים חלולים חלולים (orifices and hollow organs), is a marvel of unfathomable wisdom, "for if one of them were to be blocked or one of them to be opened, it would be impossible to survive." Then the soul, returned each morning, calls forth אלהי נשמה — ברכת ההודאה, a blessing of gratitude. The siman also sets the order and the frame of the morning blessings: where to say על נטילת ידים, without saying it twice; and the beautiful custom of blessing and answering amen in a group.
💡 The universal key: to begin the day by recognizing the wisdom of the body and the gift of the soul. אשר יצר את האדם בחכמה.
- אשר יצר → the health of the body, בחכמה: a creation of marvelous wisdom
- על נטילת ידים → to be said at home or at the synagogue, never twice
- אלהי נשמה → ברכת ההודאה: it does not open with ברוך
- עניית אמן → one blesses, the others answer amen, then another blesses…
2. Master table of the 4 seifim
| # | Object of the seif | Heart of the halakha | Marker |
|---|---|---|---|
| ① | אשר יצר On leaving the bathroom |
Bless אשר יצר את האדם בחכמה: the creation of the body is a marvelous wisdom; the body is like a skin-bag full of breath, pierced with orifices — a wonder that it survives. | בחכמה · Berakhot 60b |
| ② | על נטילת ידים The order of the blessings |
Some wait for the synagogue to say it with the ברכות השחר; the Sephardim do not. Do not bless twice: whoever says them at home does not repeat them at the synagogue. | Minhag · do not repeat |
| ③ | אלהי נשמה Does not open with ברוך |
The blessing אלהי נשמה does not open with ברוך because it is a ברכת ההודאה, and blessings of hodaa do not open with ברוך, as with the ברכת הגשמים. | ברכת ההודאה |
| ④ | עניית אמן Blessing in a group |
Beautiful custom: one blesses a morning blessing, the others answer amen, then one of the responders blesses in turn… The one blessing does not intend to discharge others, and they do not intend to be discharged by him. | Minhag · without יציאה |
⚖ The structure of the siman at a glance
The 4 seifim of the Mechaber sketch the dawn of the Jew: (1) אשר יצר — the health of the body, בחכמה; (2) על נטילת ידים — where to say it, without repeating; (3) אלהי נשמה — the blessing of hodaa, which does not open with ברוך; (4) עניית אמן — to bless and answer amen in a group. The Shulchan Aruch HaRav (the Alter Rebbe) unfolds this siman into 9 seifim: he develops the בריה חדשה renewed each day (link with siman 4), the order of the blessings like a kohen before the avoda, and the rule of not interrupting between נטילה and the blessing.3. Asher Yatzar — the wisdom of the body
Q: Why does one bless אשר יצר את האדם בחכמה?
↓
🟢 בחכמה — The creation of man is of a חכמה נפלאה, a marvelous wisdom (1st sense).
🟢 The skin-bag full of breath — The body is like a skin-bag pierced with נקבים נקבים חלולים חלולים; "if one were to be blocked or one to be opened, it would be impossible to survive even one hour."
🟢 רופא חולי כל בשר / ומפליא לעשות — He heals all flesh (expels the waste) and works wonders (He keeps the breath of man within him, binding the spiritual to the material).
🔴 Do not reduce it to an automatism — Asher yatzar is the blessing of the health of the body: to be said after each visit to the bathroom, with awareness.
Why this blessing every day?
Asher yatzar is not a formula of hygiene but an act of wonder: each time the body functions — when an orifice opens and closes as it should — man recognizes that his very survival is a permanent wonder. The Mechaber brings several peirushim of בחכמה: the wisdom of the creation of man; the preparation of his food before he was created; and the meaning of the חלולים חלולים, those hollow organs (heart, stomach, intestines) whose balance conditions life. The Rama (gloss) adds that מפליא לעשות designates the wonder of binding a spiritual being (the neshama) to a material body. For the details of the nossei kelim (Beit Yossef, Tour, Magen Avraham, Mishna Berura), see Level 2.
4. The order of על נטילת ידים — home or synagogue
Q: Where to say על נטילת ידים and the ברכות השחר?
↓
🟢 Ashkenazi custom — Some יש נוהגין wait until they arrive at the synagogue to say them with the ברכות השחר.
🟢 Sephardic custom — The בני ספרד do not have this custom: they say them at home.
🔴 Do not bless twice — לא יברך ב' פעמים: whoever says them at home does not repeat them at the synagogue, and vice versa.
🟢 Whoever studies or prays before — One who learns or prays before entering the synagogue says them at home and does not repeat them (Kol Bo, seif 2).
The principle of the order
The seif settles a practical point: the ברכות השחר are said only once. The debate is not whether one says them, but where — according to the custom (Ashkenazi / Sephardic) and according to whether one has already studied or prayed before coming to the synagogue. The Shulchan Aruch HaRav specifies the ideal of saying these blessings in order, like the kohen who followed a fixed order before the avoda, and of not interrupting between the נטילה of the hands and its blessing (SA HaRav §3).
5. Elokaï Neshama — the blessing of hodaa
Q: Why does אלהי נשמה not open with ברוך?
↓
🟢 ברכת ההודאה — It is a blessing of gratitude (hodaa); blessings of hodaa do not open with ברוך.
🟢 Like the ברכת הגשמים — The Mechaber gives the precedent of the blessing on the rain, which likewise does not open with ברוך.
🟢 It closes with ברוך — Like every blessing of hodaa: it ends with a blessing formula even if it does not open with ברוך.
Gratitude for the soul returned each morning
On waking, the soul returned pure to me is the object of gratitude: אלהי נשמה שנתת בי טהורה היא. Because it is a ברכת ההודאה — a thanksgiving, not an opening praise —, it does not need to open with ברוך. The Shulchan Aruch HaRav develops the meaning of this blessing in connection with the בריה חדשה: each morning, man is like a new creature (link with siman 4). The lamdan debate — is אלהי נשמה סמוכה to על נטילת ידים? — is treated in Level 2.
6. עניית אמן — blessing in a group
Q: How to bless the ברכות השחר in a group?
↓
🟢 One blesses — A member of the group says a morning blessing aloud; the others listen.
🟢 The others answer amen — וענו אחריו אמן: they answer amen after him.
🟢 Another blesses in turn — Then one of the responders takes up and blesses, and one continues thus.
🔴 No objection to this custom — ואין לערער עליהם: one does not say that they have already been discharged by the first amen, because the one blessing does not intend to discharge others, and they do not intend to be discharged by him.
📚 The yesod of seif 4: answering amen to a blessing does not always mean one has been discharged of it. It all depends on the kavana: to be discharged by another, the one blessing must intend להוציא and the listener must intend לצאת. Here, neither one nor the other — hence the legitimacy of answering amen, then blessing oneself (link with the kavana of siman 5).
7. Golden rules — Memory Aid
The 5 golden rules of Siman ו׳
- אשר יצר — בחכמה: the health of the body, a creation of marvelous wisdom, after each visit to the bathroom.
- על נטילת ידים — at home or at the synagogue according to the custom; never twice.
- אלהי נשמה — ברכת ההודאה: does not open with ברוך (like the rain).
- עניית אמן — one blesses, the others answer amen, then another blesses; legitimate custom.
- Order and wonder — the morning blessings in order (SA HaRav, like a kohen); do not interrupt between נטילה and the blessing.
8. Mnemonic — Memory Aid
Acrostic: Y-N-H-A — the 4 seifim of Siman ו׳
- Yatzar (אשר יצר) — the wisdom of the body, בחכמה.
- Netilat yadayim (על נטילת ידים) — the order, without blessing twice.
- Hodaa (אלהי נשמה) — the blessing of gratitude, without an opening ברוך.
- Amen (עניית אמן) — to bless and answer amen in a group.
3 foundational principles to memorize:
- בחכמה — the wonder of the creation of the body (asher yatzar)
- לא יברך ב' פעמים — על נטילת ידים is said only once
- ברכת ההודאה — אלהי נשמה does not open with ברוך
9. Pitfalls to Avoid
❌ Pitfall 1: Seeing in אשר יצר a mere formula of hygiene.
→ The seif: אשר יצר את האדם בחכמה — it is the blessing of the health of the body and of wonder before the חכמה נפלאה of creation.
→ The seif: אשר יצר את האדם בחכמה — it is the blessing of the health of the body and of wonder before the חכמה נפלאה of creation.
❌ Pitfall 2: Saying על נטילת ידים twice (at home and at the synagogue).
→ The seif: לא יברך ב' פעמים — whoever says them at home does not repeat them at the synagogue, and vice versa.
→ The seif: לא יברך ב' פעמים — whoever says them at home does not repeat them at the synagogue, and vice versa.
❌ Pitfall 3: Believing that אלהי נשמה should open with ברוך like the other blessings.
→ The seif: it is a ברכת ההודאה — blessings of gratitude do not open with ברוך (like the ברכת הגשמים).
→ The seif: it is a ברכת ההודאה — blessings of gratitude do not open with ברוך (like the ברכת הגשמים).
❌ Pitfall 4: Thinking that by answering amen to the first, one has already been discharged and can no longer bless oneself.
→ The seif: ואין לערער עליהם — the one blessing does not intend to discharge, and the responders do not intend to be discharged; each blesses in turn.
→ The seif: ואין לערער עליהם — the one blessing does not intend to discharge, and the responders do not intend to be discharged; each blesses in turn.
❌ Pitfall 5: Interrupting between the נטילה of the hands and the blessing, or saying the blessings out of order.
→ The SA HaRav: say the blessings in order, like the kohen before the avoda, and do not interrupt between נטילה and the blessing (§3).
→ The SA HaRav: say the blessings in order, like the kohen before the avoda, and do not interrupt between נטילה and the blessing (§3).
10. The morning blessings in practice
| Step | Conduct | Base halakha |
|---|---|---|
| ① On leaving the bathroom | Bless אשר יצר with awareness of the wonder of the body | אשר יצר את האדם בחכמה |
| ② The morning netila | Say על נטילת ידים — without interrupting, and only once | על נטילת ידים |
| ③ Where to say the ברכות השחר | At home (Sephardim) or at the synagogue (Ashkenazi custom) — never twice | Minhag · לא יברך ב' פעמים |
| ④ אלהי נשמה | Thank for the soul returned pure; blessing of hodaa, without an opening ברוך | ברכת ההודאה |
| ⑤ In a group | One blesses, the others answer amen, then another blesses in turn | עניית אמן |
| ⑥ In order | Say the blessings in order, like a kohen before the avoda | SA HaRav — 9 seifim |
11. Final Synthesis Table
| Aspect | Rule | Marker | |
|---|---|---|---|
| אשר יצר | The health of the body, בחכמה; after each visit to the bathroom | Seif 1 · Berakhot 60b | |
| על נטילת ידים | Home or synagogue according to the custom; never twice | Seif 2 · לא יברך ב' פעמים | |
| אלהי נשמה | ברכת ההודאה — does not open with ברוך (like the rain) | Seif 3 | |
| עניית אמן | One blesses, the others answer amen, then another blesses | Seif 4 | |
| Additions of the Rav | בריה חדשה each day; the order like a kohen; do not interrupt נטילה / blessing | SA HaRav — 9 seifim | |
| Wonder / hodaa | To open the day with the recognition of the body and the soul | The whole siman | |
✦ ❖ ✦ The 5 Practical Commandments of Siman ו׳ in Brief
- Marvel at the body — אשר יצר את האדם בחכמה: the blessing of health, after each visit to the bathroom.
- על נטילת ידים, only once — at home or at the synagogue according to the custom.
- אלהי נשמה, give thanks — ברכת ההודאה: it does not open with ברוך.
- Bless and answer amen in a group — one blesses, the others answer, then another blesses.
- In order, without interruption — like a kohen before the avoda (SA HaRav).
🎓 Recap of the Study Path
| Level | Content | Acquired |
|---|---|---|
| 🌱 Level 1 — Base | Text of the 4 seifim, fluent translation, explanation | Overall understanding |
| ⚡ Level 2 — Lamdan | טעם אשר יצר (בחכמה), סדר ברכות השחר, ברכה הפותחת בברוך, עניית אמן בציבור | In-depth pilpul |
| ✨ Level 3 — Synthesis | Master table of the 4 seifim, schemas, golden rules, mnemonic, the morning blessings in practice | Practical mastery + review |
💡 Suggested next steps:
- Reread Siman ו׳ in the original Shulchan Aruch (Hebrew)
- Study Level 4 — Daat HaRav (the Alter Rebbe): the shitah of the Shulchan Aruch HaRav (9 seifim) on this siman
- Read the Mishna Berura and the Beur Halakha on this siman for the practical nuances (asher yatzar: simanim 4, 7 ; the morning blessings: simanim 46, 47)
- Review Siman 5 (the kavana of the blessings) in order to bless with intention
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סימן ו' · Level 3 — Master Synthesis
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DAAT · רב יוסף חיים סממה
סימן ו' · Level 3 — Master Synthesis
daattorah.com
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