Asher Yatzar

My son recently came home from religious school after having learned that religious Jews recite a blessing after leaving the bathroom. Needless to say, the kids had a good laugh about it, and it became the subject of many jokes. I would like to say something to explain it to him so it would be taken seriously, but I’m not familiar myself with this blessing. Could you please fill me in?

Blessings

I have always wondered about blessings and their deeper meanings. Why do we make them and what is their importance?

Blessings in the First and Third Person

A friend of mine and I were studying the berachos (blessings) we recite on a mitzvah and were wondering why we start out talking directly to Hashem, and then we switch to third person for the end of the beracha.