מי שברך על קבלת שם עברי | Mi sheBerakh on Receiving a Hebrew Name as an Adult

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady, Sarah Chandler and Mollie Andron

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20 June 2018 under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license

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During the Aliyot

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מי שברך mi sheberakh, 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., naming ceremonies, Jewish identity

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Hebrew	English
מוֹנֶה מִסְפָּר לַכּוֹכָבִים לְכֻלָּם שֵׁמוֹת יִקְרָא׃ (תהלים קמז:ד)	[YHVH] counts the numbers of the stars; To each of them, [Hashem] gives a name.^[1] Psalms 147:4
שְׂאוּ־מָרוֹם עֵינֵיכֶם וּרְאוּ מִי־בָרָא אֵלֶּה,‏ הַמּוֹצִיא בְמִסְפָּר צְבָאָם;‏ לְכֻלָּם בְּשֵׁם יִקְרָא,‏ מֵרֹב אוֹנִים וְאַמִּיץ כֹּחַ,‏ אִישׁ לֹא נֶעְדָּר׃ (ישעיהו מ:כו)	Lift your eyes on high and behold who has created these things [the stars], that bring out their host by number. [YHVH] calls them all by names; because of the greatness of [Hashem’s] might and because [Hashem] is strong in power, not one is missing.^[2] Isaiah 40:26
”זְכֹר יְמוֹת עוֹלָם בִּינוּ שְׁנוֹת דּוֹר־וָדוֹר“ (דברים ל״ב:ז חלק).‏ לְעוֹלָם יִבְדֹּק אָדָם בַּשֵּׁמוֹת לִקְרֹא לִבְנוֹ,‏ הָרָאוּי לִהְיוֹת צַדִּיק.‏ כִּי לִפְעָמִים הַשֵּׁם גּוֹרֵם טוֹב אוֹ גּוֹרֵם רָע.‏ (מדרש תנחומא, האזינו ז׳)	“Remember the days of old, Consider the years of many generations.”^[3] Deuteronomy 32:7 partial It is always important for a person to choose a name for their child that will be perceived as righteous, since every time the name is pronounced, invokes either good or invokes evil.^[4] Midrash Tanchuma, Ha’Azinu 7
	The Birkat haKohanim (Priestly Blessing) for a woman
יְבָרְכֵךְ יהוה וְיִשְׁמְרֵךְ. יָאֵר יהוה פָּנָיו אֵלַיִךְ וְיִחָנֵּךְ. יִשָּׂא יהוה פָּנָיו אֵלַיִךְ וְיָשֵׂם לָךְ שָׁלוֹם׃ (כמו במדבר ו:כד-כו)	May YHVH (Hashem) bless you and protect you! May YHVH (Hashem) shine their face upon you and be gracious towards you! May YHVH (Hashem) lift their face up to you, and bring you peace!^[5] Numbers 6:24-26
	The Birkat haKohanim (Priestly Blessing) for a man
יְבָרֶכְךָ יהוה וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ. יָאֵר יהוה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וִיחֻנֶּךָּ. יִשָּׂא יהוה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם׃ (במדבר ו:כד-כו)	May YHVH (Hashem) bless you and protect you! May YHVH (Hashem) shine their face upon you and be gracious towards you! May YHVH (Hashem) lift their face up to you, and bring you peace!^[6] Numbers 6:24-26
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה׃	Blessed are you YHVH (Hashem) our elo’ah, cosmic majesty, who has kept us alive, and has preserved us, and enabled us to reach this season.
	Blessing over a new Hebrew name for a woman
מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ (אִמּוֹתֵינוּ) שָׂרָה וְרִבְקָה רָחֵל וְלֵאָה וּמִרְיָם הַנְּבִיאָה וַאֲבִיגַיִל וְאֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה בַּת אֲבִיחַיִל הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת הַאִשָׁה הַזּאֹת וְיִקָּרֵא שְׁמָהּ (בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל) [פְּלוֹנִית] בְּמַזַּל טוֹב וּבְשַׁעַת בְּרָכָה. וְכֵן יְהִי רָצוֹן וְנאֹמַר אָמֵן׃	May the one who blessed (our foremothers): Sarah and Rivkah, Raḥel and Leah, and the prophet Miriam and Avigayil and Queen Esther, daughter of Aviḥayil — may Hashem bless this woman and let her name (in Yisra’el) be … with good luck and in a blessed hour; and so may it be your will, and let it be said, Amen!”
	Blessing over a new Hebrew name for a man
מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ (אֲבוֹתֵינוּ) אַבְרָהָם, יִצְחָק, וְיַעֲקֹב מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן יוֹאָב בֶּן־צְרוּיָה וּמׇרְדְּכַי בֶּן־יָאִיר הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת הַאִישׁ הַזֶּה וְיִקָּרֵא שְׁמוֹ (בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל) [פְּלוֹנִי] בְּמַזַּל טוֹב וּבְשַׁעַת בְּרָכָה. וְכֵן יְהִי רָצוֹן וְנאֹמַר אָמֵן׃	May the one who blessed (our forefathers): Avraham, Yitsḥak, and Ya’akov Moshe and Aharon Yoav ben Tsruyah and Mordekhai ben Yair — may Hashem bless this man and let his name (in Yisra’el) be … with good luck and in a blessed hour; and so may it be your will, and let it be said, Amen!”

This ritual liturgy for Hebrew naming was prepared in 2016 as part of a series of ritual resource guides for Hillel International by Mollie Andron, in collaboration with Sarah Chandler and Aharon Varady. The selection of verses was chosen by Sarah Chandler. The Mi Sheberakh for adult men and women was adapted by Aharon Varady from the blessings over the names of infant boys and girls.

For those interested, the full set of guides can be downloaded here.

The names of our ancestors reflect the diverse tapestry of experiences and cultures our people encountered including the names of those who joined our families from neighboring people and regional societies. In giving and receiving Hebrew names, we honor the names of all our ancestors whose “names may be remembered for a blessing” (zekher livrakha). Of the ancestors mentioned in the mi sheberakh (“May the one who blessed our forefathers and foremothers…”), I wanted to make certain to include Mordekhai and Esther, names of figures distinguished in their being both native to their Diasporan roots (Marduk and Ishtar), as well as elevated by the heroic, brave action of their namesakes. If there are figures from the Tanakh that are important to you, that are a kesher (connection) between you and your Jewish identity contained within these stories, then please feel free to include them in your mi sheberakh. –Aharon Nissn ben Adrienne & David (ﬡַﬣֲﬧֹן נִיסָן בֶּן אײﬢﬧען וְﬢַוִﬢ)

Source

Notes[+]

Notes
1	Psalms 147:4
2	Isaiah 40:26
3	Deuteronomy 32:7 partial
4	Midrash Tanchuma, Ha’Azinu 7
5	Numbers 6:24-26
6	Numbers 6:24-26

. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike . 4.0 . International .

“מי שברך על קבלת שם עברי | Mi sheBerakh on Receiving a Hebrew Name as an Adult” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.

Aharon N. Varady

Aharon Varady is the founding director of the Open Siddur Project. A community planner (M.C.P, DAAP/University of Cincinnati.) and Jewish educator (M.A.J.Ed., the William Davidson School of Education), his work in open-source Judaism has been written about in the Yiddish Forverts, the Atlantic Magazine, Tablet, and Haaretz. If you find any egregious mistakes in his work, please let him know. Shgiyot mi yavin; Ministarot naqeni שְׁגִיאוֹת מִי־יָבִין; מִנִּסְתָּרוֹת נַקֵּנִי "Who can know all one's flaws? From hidden errors, correct me" (Psalms 19:13). If you'd like to directly support his work, please consider donating via his Patreon account. (Varady also transcribes and translates prayers, besides serving as the primary shammes of the Open Siddur Project.)

Sarah Chandler

Sarah Shamirah Chandler is the CCO (Chief Compassion Officer) and team leader at the Jewish Initiative for Animals (JIFA) where she works to support Jewish institutions to establish meaningful food policies rooted in Jewish ethics and animal welfare. Sarah holds a M.A. in Jewish Education and a M.A. in Hebrew Bible from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and a certificate in Non-Profit Management and Jewish Communal Leadership from Columbia University. She recently served as the Director of Earth Based Spiritual Practice for Hazon’s Adamah Farm and teaches, writes and consults on a national level on issues related to Judaism, the environment, mindfulness, food values, and farming.

Mollie Andron

Mollie Andron holds a double Masters in Midrash and Jewish Experiential Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and a BA in Religion from Bard College. Mollie spent her childhood growing up between the US and Israel. She has worked in a variety of Jewish educational settings, including most recently as Associate Director Rabbinical Engagement and Education at Hillel International. She has also worked for American Jewish World Service, the Jewish Education Project, The Heschel School, TEVA Learning Alliance, Storahtelling, and Eden Village Camp. When Mollie isn't working she is spending time with humans (big and small), the stories that we tell ourselves, plays and playing, cooking and eating, moving around, sunglasses, singing, reading children books, staring at people on the subway until they have to look, breaking down barriers, crossing thresholds and reading Midrash.

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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו "May the pleasantness of אדֹני our elo’ah be upon us; may our handiwork be established for us — our handiwork, may it be established." –Psalms 90:17