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A shiv’ata is a sevenfold blessing inserted into the Musaf service on Shabbat. This original shiv’ata is for a bat mitsvah following the traditional count, where a girl turns twelve. Each stanza begins with an example of twelve as used in our tradition, followed by an alphabetical acrostic. A companion piyyuṭ for a bar mitsvah, when a boy turns thirteen, can be found here.
Note: “The CAUSE” is used to translate the Divine Name YHVH, based on the philosophical idea of God as the Prime Mover and on the interpretation of the Name as a causative form of the copula – “causes to be.” This translation also uses the plural pronouns They/Their/Them to refer to God as a pluralis majestatis, and to avoid the implications of God being assigned a gender. (Find Ibn Ezra’s commentary on Genesis 1:1 for a discussion of the pluralis majestatis when referring to God.) All divine referents (pronouns, epithets, names) are rendered in unicase.
| Source (Hebrew) | Translation (English) |
|---|---|
שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר בָּנִים אַחַת הִיא הַיּוֹנָה בָּנוֹת רָאֽוּהָ וַיְאַשְּׁרֽוּהָ בְּרִנָּה בְּיוֹם בַּת מִצְוָתָהּ גִּדְּלָה כִּי בָאָה עוֹנָה וַתֹּ֖אמֶר דָּתִי וְדִינֵי אֲקַבֵּל כְּאִמּוֹת הַשּׁוֹשַׁנָּה׃ בא״י מָגֵן אַבְרָהָם׃ אַתָּה גִּבּוֹר… |
Twelve sons; one is the dove.[1] A dual meaning, referring to Song of Songs 6:9 (as does the next verse) but also to the fact that Jacob had twelve sons and one daughter. The daughters see her and call her content in cheer. On this one’s bat mitsvah day, she has grown, for the time has come, and she said,[2] The opening word of the last line of each stanza comes from Ruth 3:6 “My faith and law I accept like the mothers of the rose.”[3] Referring to the matriarchs. “The rose” is a poetic term for Israel. Blessed are You, Cause, Shield of Abraham. You are mighty… |
שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר שְׁבָטִים הֶעֱבַֽרְתָּ בַּיָּם וְאָז תָּשִׁיר עִם־אַחֶֽיהָ מִרְיָם בְּיוֹם בַּת מִצְוָתָהּ זְכוּיוֹת הַמִּצְוֺת בְּמִלּוּיָם אֵלֶ֑יהָ חַיִּים מֵימֵי אֵל חַי וְקַיָּם׃ בא״י מְחַיֵּה הַמֵּתִים׃ אשכנז נַעֲרִיצְךָ/ ספרד כֶּֽתֶר… |
Twelve tribes You made pass in the sea, and thus Miriam sang with her brothers. On this one’s bat mitsvah day, the merits of the commandments in their filling are to her, living are the waters of the living and enduring Deity. Blessed are You, Cause, who revives the dead. Ashkenaz: Let’s exult in You… Sefarad: A crown… |
שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר מַזָּלוֹת טַבַּעְתָּם בִּרְקִיעָם יִשְׂרָאֵל שׁוֹמֵֽעַ קוֹל אֵל (שבת שובה – מֶּֽלֶךְ) רָם וְרַֽעַם בְּיוֹם בַּת מִצְוָתָהּ כִּתְרֵי תּוֹרַת קׇדְשְׁךָ תֵּן־לָהּ מִטַּֽעַם כֹּ֛ל לִקְחָהּ טוֹב וּדְרָכֶֽיהָ דַּרְכֵי־נֹֽעַם׃ בא״י הָאֵל (שבת שובה – הַמֶּֽלֶךְ) הַקָּדוֹשׁ׃ תִּכַּֽנְתָּ… |
Twelve zodiac signs; their ring is in their firmament. Israel hears the voice of the Deity (on Shabbat Shuvah: Sovereign), exalted and thundering. On this one’s bat mitsvah day, the crowns of Your holy Torah[4] On the day the Torah was given, the angels gave Israel two crowns. grant her, because all its teachings are good, and its paths are pleasant paths.[5] Find Proverbs 4:2 and 3:17, recited at the end of the Torah service. Blessed are You, Cause, the holy Deity (on Shabbat Shuvah: Sovereign) You established… |
שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֳדָשִׁים מִנִּיסָן עַד־אֲדָר נִתַּן רֹאשָׁם לְנָשִׁים בְּהוֹד וְהָדָר בְּיוֹם בַּת מִצְוָתָהּ שַׂמְּחָהּ בַּיּוֹם הַמֻּגְדָּר אֲשֶׁר־עֳנָגָיו יוֹצְאִים מִשֶּׁבַּקֹּדֶשׁ נֶאְדָּר בא״י מְקַדֵּשׁ הַשַּׁבָּת׃ רְצֵה… |
Twelve months from Nisan to Adar, their first-day given to women[6] Rosh Ḥodesh, the new moon, has long been in many mystical circles a holiday of women. The original reasoning for this was probably biological, but many other spiritual explanations have been suggested over the years. in splendor and splendiferousness On this one’s bat mitsvah day, make her rejoice on the delineated day[7] The Sabbath that has pleasures deriving from the Awesome in Holiness! Blessed are You, Cause, who sanctifies the sabbath. Desire… |
שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה מַצֵּבוֹת פּוֹנוֹת הַר הַתִּפְאֶֽרֶת צוֹפְפוּ בְּיַד צוֹפֶה לְשַׁמֵּשׁ כְּתִזְכֹּֽרֶת בְּיוֹם בַּת מִצְוָתָהּ קוֹרֵא אָבִֽיהָ וְאִמָּהּ אוֹמֶֽרֶת תֹּאמְרִ֥י רְצוֹנִי לִשְׁמֹר מִשְׁמֶֽרֶת׃ בא״י הַמַּחֲזִיר שְׁכִינָתוֹ לְצִיּוֹן׃ מוֹדִים… |
Twelve pillars facing the Mount of Glory[8] Find Exodus 24:4 were brought together by the watcher[9] Moses to serve as a reminder. On this one’s bat mitsvah day, her father calls, and her mother says, “You may say: ‘my desire is to keep the watch.’” Blessed are You, Cause, who returns Their presence to Ẓíōn. We thank… |
שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה אַבְנֵי שֹֽׁהַם אַבְנֵי מִלּוּאִים שְׁמוֹת הַשְּׁבָטִים וְנִדְבוֹת הַנְּשִׂיאִים בְּיוֹם בַּת מִצְוָתָהּ תּוֹדוֹת תּוֹדֶה לְעֹשֵׂה פְּלָאִים אֵלַ֖י תָּרַֽמְתָּ אָז טוּבְךָ אָֽנוּ קוֹרְאִים׃ בא״י הַטּוֹב שִׁמְךָ וּלְךָ נָאֶה לְהוֹדוֹת׃ שִׂים… |
Twelve stones of onyx, stones to be set, the names of the tribes and the donations of the princes.[10] Find Exodus 35:27 On this one’s bat mitsvah day she will thank thanks to the Wonderworker: “To me You have contributed! Thus Your goodness we call.” Blessed are You, Cause, whose name is good, to You it is pleasing to praise. Grant… |
שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנִים יַׄלְדַּת צִׄיּוֹן חׄוֹגֶֽגֶת קִׄדּוּמָהּ הִׄיא רְׄאוּיַת אֵׄל לָׄהּ נָתָן הַגְשָׁמָה בְּיוֹם בַּת מִצְוָתָהּ חִׄזְׄקִׄי אִׄמְׄצִׄי וְקִרְאִי לִפְנֵי הָאֻמָּה אֶׄעֱשֶֽׂה מִׄצְוֺת נׄוֹרָא כִּי אֶהְיֶה לְעַלְמָה׃ בא״י הַמְבָרֵךְ אֶת־עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּשָּׁלוֹם׃ |
Twelve years Ẓíōn’s daughter celebrates her advancement. She is worthy of the Deity, who gives her fulfillment. On this one’s bat mitsvah day, be strong! Be courageous! And say before the nation, “I will do the commandments of the Awesome One, as I become a young woman.”[11] Though often mistranslated in Christian circles, the word almah has no connotations of sexual status whatsoever in Hebrew, referring to any young unmarried adult woman. Blessed are You, Cause, who blesses Their people Israel in peace. |
Notes
| 1 | A dual meaning, referring to Song of Songs 6:9 (as does the next verse) but also to the fact that Jacob had twelve sons and one daughter. |
|---|---|
| 2 | The opening word of the last line of each stanza comes from Ruth 3:6 |
| 3 | Referring to the matriarchs. “The rose” is a poetic term for Israel. |
| 4 | On the day the Torah was given, the angels gave Israel two crowns. |
| 5 | Find Proverbs 4:2 and 3:17, recited at the end of the Torah service. |
| 6 | Rosh Ḥodesh, the new moon, has long been in many mystical circles a holiday of women. The original reasoning for this was probably biological, but many other spiritual explanations have been suggested over the years. |
| 7 | The Sabbath |
| 8 | Find Exodus 24:4 |
| 9 | Moses |
| 10 | Find Exodus 35:27 |
| 11 | Though often mistranslated in Christian circles, the word almah has no connotations of sexual status whatsoever in Hebrew, referring to any young unmarried adult woman. |
“שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר בָּנִים | Shném ‘Asar Banim — a shiv’ata cycle for Musaf on the Shabbat of a bat mitsvah, by Isaac Gantwerk Mayer” is shared through the Open Siddur Project under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license.
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