[Avodah] asher yatzar

[Micha Berger]

On Mon, September 25, 2006 5:24 pm, Rt Chana Luntz wrote:
: Yes this is true, but: - the gemora in Yoma 75b states that the mon was
: absorbed directly into the 248 limbs of the body and even elevated all
: other food stuffs so they too resulted in no waste, meaning that no
: waste was produced.  And the gemora explains, it was only after the Bnei
: Yisroel complained...

: So, if relieving oneself is (or can be seen as) a form of punishment,
: and it is possible to provide food that does not result in waste (I know
: it contradicts the second law of thermodynamics - but I am not sure what
: the Torah view is or should be on the second law of thermodynamics, with
: its bleak view of things) why, to perhaps rephrase RDR (or his son's)
: question, are we indeed making a bracha?  Even if the current design is
: complex, would not having the situation in the midbar pre complaint as
: standard be the desirable scenario?

First, to the matter at hand. Asher Yatzar isn't a berakhah about defecation
in particular. Many have the nusach "afilu sha'ah echas" -- and yet a healthy
person needn't defecate more than daily. The Avudraham detours in explaining
the berakhah to go through a biology lesson and the wonders of the entire
body, including the reichayim and the leiv (which one does need working "afilu
sha'ah echas").

I limited my discussion to defacation because had the mon not even caused
urination, it would defy the law of the conservation of matter, not just
thermodynamics. Or did people get steadily bigger in the midbar as the mass
went in?

But since mon isn't a natural thing, why assume it obeys any natural law? This
touches upon our earlier debate about the mabul -- need I minimize the number
of miraculous effects involved in something that requires at least one anyway?
(And since it's after Rosh haShanah, the ban expired on that, BTW. Please
let's not abuse that fact...)

As for the broader queastion... In a way, the law of thermodynamics does fit
along with many parts of Jewish thought. First, it's a physical law. The fact
that matter tends to degrade, and it takes spirituality and human effort to
fight that isn't particularly startling. If one isn't progressing, they're
generally regressing. A lack of construction is a form of destuction.

Also, what is the equilibrium state to which history progresses? "Umal'ah
ha'aretz dei'ah es Hashem" -- full entropy of the idea of Hashem. From the
single point of Avraham to the nation at Har Sinai until the drop of sky-blue
ink is defused throughout the waters of human potential.

-mi
http://www.aishdas.org/asp