If you had to use toilets like this one I had to use in India, you would think twice about talking on the phone in there! You'd probably want to get out as quickly as possible!

In the airport yesterday on my way flying to Virginia I went to the bathroom. Now going the bathroom is a normal event that we think very little of to begin with. We do it at least half a dozen times each day and it’s just a normal, usual thing to do.

But this time I had an awakening. Now, awakenings don’t come often when going to the bathroom so I thought I’d share it.

I was using the urinal, the guy on my right was talking on his phone, to my left the guy was texting, and further to his left another guy was talking on his phone. It struck me as very interesting. I was the only person going to the toilet and not texting or talking on a phone at the same time.

Even in the stalls behind me I could hear talking coming from a couple of them and I don’t think they were conversing one stall to the other. I’ll bet that in some of the stalls where there was no talking the individuals there were possibly texting.

In Judaism we have a special blessing that is said every time when we leave the bathroom.

“Barukh ata, Ado’nai, Elok’eynu melekh aolam, asher yatssar et haadam be khokhmah, ouvara vo nekavim nekavim, khaloulim khaloulim. Galouy veyadua’ lifnei khisse khevodekha, sheim issatem ekhad mehem, o im ipateakh ekhad mehem, ey efshar lehitkayem afilou sha’ah akhat. Barukh ata, Adon’ai, rofe khol-bassar oumafli la’assot. ”

Here is written the prayer in Hebrew with the full  translation.
http://www.torahzone.com/AsherYatzar.htm

This blessing acknowledges the wonders that G-d created in our abilities to maintain healthy bodily functions and says how we could not live for even one hour without the body running properly. For all this we are thankful. There are millions of people out there who do not have control over their bodily functions.

I find it sad that all these people are absentmindedly going to the bathroom while on their phones, not even aware that they’ve just gone! It takes what is truly a remarkable event which we give thanks to G-d over and makes it almost as if it did not happen.

Once while in the bathroom I joined in on someone’s conversation. I was in one stall and they were in the other talking to whoever it was on the other end of the phone. I made believe the person was talking to me. And this surely messed with his head. As he asked a question to the person on the phone I would answer. He finally got annoyed and told his friend he’d call him back later. He did not mention he was on the toilet though and that there was a guy in the other stall was mixing in on his conversation.

Besides being mindful when going to the toilet according to halacha and Jewish law, we are not supposed to talk while in the bathroom, which prevents me from joining in more conversations.

Thus perhaps we should not be talking on phones when on the toilet!