מִי שֶׁבֵּרָךְ לִמְקַבְּלֵי שֵׁם אֱמֶת אַחַר אִשּׁוּר מְגַדְּרִי | Mi sheBerakh for those receiving a true name after gender confirmation, by Isaac Gantwerk Mayer • the Open Siddur Project

Categories: During the Aliyot, 🌐 Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31st)

Tags: 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., gender transition, LGBTQIA+, naming ceremonies, North America, transgender prayer, מי שברך mi sheberakh

Excerpt: A Mi sheBerakh prayer, in the manner of those used during the Torah service, to honor those receiving a true Hebrew name reflecting their gender after undergoing gender confirmation. . . .

Content:

A Mi sheBerakh prayer, in the manner of those used during the Torah service, to honor those receiving a true Hebrew name reflecting their gender after undergoing gender confirmation. There’s a long history of Jews changing their names to honor important events — conversions being the classic example, but in some communities healing from diseases was an opportunity to change names. Nowadays one who goes through a gender confirmation ceremony may choose to have a name that reflects their gender rather than the name reflecting the gender assigned to them at birth (often called a deadname). This blessing, similar to yet distinct from a naming ceremony, is meant to announce this. A few notes: “the letter of divine breath” is the letter ה, which was added to the names of Abra[h]am and Sara[h] upon their being welcomed into the covenant. The kabbalists link ה to the sound of breath, which was used when God gave life to humanity (see Genesis 2:7). The name is repeated three times, a traditional number for completeness.

Hebrew	English
לאיש טרנסי	For a trans man
מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אַבְרָהָם וְשָׂרָה וְקָרָא אֶת־שְׁמוֹתֵיהֶם בְּאוֹת רוּחוֹ זוֹ הַאוֹת שֶׁבָּהּ יָצַר אֶת־כׇּל־אָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ כִּדְמוּתוֹ הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת־הָאִישׁ הַזֶּה שֶׁעָלָה לְהִגָּלוֹת בְּצוּרָתוֹ הָרְאוּיָה לוֹ׃ מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם יִקָּרֵא בְּשֵׁם פלוני בֶּן הורה א וְהורה ב בְּיִשְׁרָאֵל׃ חֵלֶק יִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא לִשְׂרוֹת עִם אֱלֹהִים וְעִם אֲנָשִׁים וְהוּא שָׂרָה עִם עוֹלְמֵי שִׂנְאָה וְקִנְאָה וַיּוּכַל עֲלֵיהֶם׃ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִשְׁמְרֵהוּ וִיבָרֵךְ אֶת כׇּל־שֶׁמְּכַבְּדֵהוּ בְּכָבוֹד אָדָם וְיוֹדִיעַ לְכׇל־בְּנֵי בְּלִיַּעַל שֶׁיִּקְרָאֵהוּ בִּשְׁמוֹ הַמָּוֶת בֵּין בְּזָדוֹן וּבֵין בִּשְׁגָגָה כִּי עֲבֵרָה גְּדוֹלָה עָבְרוּ׃ וּבְכֵן יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֶאֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁשְׁמוֹ פלוני בֶּן הורה א וְהורה ב שֵׁם נוֹדַע לִתְהִלָּה וְשֵׁם זָכוּר לְטוֹבָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל׃ פלוני בֶּן הורה א וְהורה ב שְׁמוֹ מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרָתֶךָ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר לֹ֤א יַעֲקֹב֙ יֵאָמֵ֥ר עוֹד֙ שִׁמְךָ֔ כִּ֖י אִם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּֽי־שָׂרִ֧יתָ עִם־אֱלֹהִ֛ים וְעִם־אֲנָשִׁ֖ים וַתּוּכָֽל (בראשית לב:כט)׃ וְנֶאֱמַר אַתָּה־הוּא֙ יְהוָ֣ה הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר בָּחַ֙רְתָּ֙ בְּאַבְרָ֔ם וְהוֹצֵאת֖וֹ מֵא֣וּר כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים וְשַׂ֥מְתָּ שְּׁמ֖וֹ אַבְרָהָֽם (נחמיה ט:ז)׃ אַף לְאַבְרָהָם אָמַרְתָּ כִּֽי־בָרֵ֣ךְ אֲבָרֶכְךָ֗ (בראשית כב:יז) כָּךְ תִּבְרָכֵהוּ וְתִבְרָכֶנּוּ וּתְבָרֵךְ אֶת כּֽל־עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן׃	May the One who blessed Abraham and Sarah and called their names with the letter of divine breath, the very letter with which all humanity was created in the divine image and form, bless this man who has ascended to be revealed in the form proper to him. From now on he will be called ____ son of ____ in Israel. The portion of Israel is to struggle with God and humanity, and he has struggled with worlds of hate and resentment and has persevered through them. May the Holy Blessed One guard him and bless all those who honor him with human dignity, and let it be known to all the lowly ones who call him by his dead name, whether maliciously or unintentionally, that they have committed a great transgression. And thus, may it be Your will, Cause our God and God of our ancestors, that his name ____ son of ____ be a name known for glory and remembered for goodness in Israel. ____ son of ____ is his name from now on, like it is written in Your Torah, “And he said, not Jacob will your name be said any more, but rather Israel, for you have struggled with God and with humanity and persevered.”^[1] Genesis 32:29. And it is said, “You are the Cause God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and set his name Abraham.”^[2] Nehemiah 9:7. Just as you said to Abraham “For I will bless, bless you,”^[3] Genesis 22:17. so too bless him and bless us and bless all the congregation of Israel, and we say amen.
לאישה טרנסית	For a trans woman
מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ שָׂרָה וְאַבְרָהָם וְקָרָא אֶת־שְׁמוֹתֵיהֶם בְּאוֹת רוּחוֹ זוֹ הַאוֹת שֶׁבָּהּ יָצַר אֶת־כׇּל־אָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ כִּדְמוּתוֹ הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת־הָאִשָּׁה הַזֹּאת שֶׁעָלְתָה לְהִגָּלוֹת בְּצוּרָתָהּ הָרְאוּיָה לָהּ׃ מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם תִּקָּרֵא בְּשֵׁם פלונית בַּת הורה א וְהורה ב בְּיִשְׁרָאֵל׃ חֵלֶק יִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא לִשְׂרוֹת עִם אֱלֹהִים וְעִם אֲנָשִׁים הִיא שָׂרְתָה עִם עוֹלְמֵי שִׂנְאָה וְקִנְאָה וַתּוּכַל עֲלֵיהֶם׃ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִשְׁמְרֵיהָ וִיבָרֵךְ אֶת כׇּל־שֶׁמְּכַבְּדֶיהָ בְּכָבוֹד אָדָם וְיוֹדִיעַ לְכׇל־בְּנֵי בְּלִיַּעַל שֶׁיִּקְרָאֵהָ בִּשְׁמָהּ הַמָּוֶת בֵּין בְּזָדוֹן וּבֵין בִּשְׁגָגָה כִּי עֲבֵרָה גְּדוֹלָה עָבְרוּ׃ וּבְכֵן יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֶאֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁשְׁמָהּ פלונית בַּת הורה א וְהורה ב שֵׁם נוֹדַע לִתְהִלָּה וְשֵׁם זָכוּר לְטוֹבָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל׃ פלונית בַּת הורה א וְהורה ב שְׁמָהּ מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרָתֶךָ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֔ם שָׂרַ֣י אִשְׁתְּךָ֔ לֹא־תִקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמָ֖הּ שָׂרָ֑י כִּ֥י שָׂרָ֖ה שְׁמָֽהּ (בראשית יז:טו)׃ וְנֶאֱמַר אַתָּה־הוּא֙ יְהוָ֣ה הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר בָּחַ֙רְתָּ֙ בְּאַבְרָ֔ם וְהוֹצֵאת֖וֹ מֵא֣וּר כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים וְשַׂ֥מְתָּ שְּׁמ֖וֹ אַבְרָהָֽם (נחמיה ט:ז)׃ אַף בְּשָׂרָה אָמַרְתָּ וּבֵרַכְתִּ֣י אֹתָ֔הּ (בראשית יז:טז) כָּךְ תִּבְרָכֵהָ וְתִבְרָכֶנּוּ וּתְבָרֵךְ אֶת כּֽל־עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן׃	May the One who blessed Sarah and Abraham and called their names with the letter of divine breath, the very letter with which all humanity was created in the divine image and form, bless this woman who has ascended to be revealed in the form proper to her. From now on she will be called ____ daughter of ____ in Israel. The portion of Israel is to struggle with God and humanity, and she has struggled with worlds of hate and resentment and has persevered through them. May the Holy Blessed One guard her and bless all those who honor her with human dignity, and let it be known to all the lowly ones who call her by her dead name, whether maliciously or unintentionally, that they have committed a great transgression. And thus, may it be Your will, Cause our God and God of our ancestors, that her name ____ daughter of ____ be a name known for glory and remembered for goodness in Israel. ____ daughter of ____ is her name from now on, like it is written in Your Torah, “and God said to Abraham, Sarai your wife, you will not call her Sarai, for Sarah is her name.”^[4] Genesis 17:16. And it is said, “You are the Cause God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and set his name Abraham.”^[5] Nehemiah 9:7. Just as you said of Sarah “And I will bless her,”^[6] Genesis 17:16. so too bless her and bless us and bless all the congregation of Israel, and we say amen.

Notes

Notes
1	Genesis 32:29.
2	Nehemiah 9:7.
3	Genesis 22:17.
4	Genesis 17:16.
5	Nehemiah 9:7.
6	Genesis 17:16.

Featured Image:

Title: mid-Atlantic Jews in the Woods 2006 Torah Reading (Aharon Varady CC BY-SA)
Caption: