תְּפִלָה לְאִשָׁה לְאָמְרָהּ לִפְנֵי שֶׁמְגַלַּחַת אֶת שַׁעֲרוֹת רֹאשָׁהּ | Prayer for a woman to say before her hair is shorn

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=39234

Date: 2021-09-29

Last Updated: 2025-02-18

Categories: Engagements & Weddings

Tags: 20th century C.E., 58th century A.M., hair, hair-cutting, Jewish Women's Prayers, תחינות teḥinot, Needing citation references

Excerpt: A supplication of a woman cutting her hair as an act of tsanua, per a contemporary custom in many Ḥaredi communities. . . .

Content:

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהָאִשָּׁה מְגַלַּחַת שַׂעֲרוֹת רֹאשָׁהּ עֵת רָצוֹן הִיא לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וּבְיָדָהּ לְהִתְפַּלֵל עָלֶיהָ וְעַל בַּעְלָהּ וְצֶאֱצָאֶיהָ, וְכֵן עַל שְׁאָר צָרְכֵי עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל.	The time when a woman shaves her hair from her head is a favorable time before the blessed Holy one, and it is in her power to pray for her husband and offspring as well as for the needs of the people of Yisrael.
הִנְנִי מוּכָנָה וּמְזֻמֶּנֶת לְקַיֵּם מִצְוַת ”וְעָשִׂיתָ כְכׇל אֲשֶׁר יוֹרוּךָ“, (דברים יז:י חלק) לַעֲמֹד בַּנִּסָּיוֹן לְמַעַן טָהֳרַת וּקְדֻשַּׁת יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּלְגַלֵּחַ אֶת שַׂעֲרוֹת רֹאשִׁי כְּמִנְהַג נְשׁוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל הַכְּשֵׁרוֹת וְהַצְּנוּעוֹת.	I am prepared and ready to perform the mitsvah of “You shall carry out…all their instructions to you” (Deuteronomy 17:10 part) to endure this trial for the sake of the purity of the holiness of Yisrael and to shave my head according to the custom of the modest and proper women of Yisrael
רִבּוֹן כׇּל הָעוֹלָמִים, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁשָּׁמַעְתָּ אֶת תְּפִלַּת חַנָּה כַּאֲשֶׁר עָמְדָה בְּבֵית מִקְדָּשֵׁנוּ בִּתְפִלָּה לְפָנֶיךָ, כֵּן שְׁמַע נָא לְקוֹל תְּחִנַּת פְּלוֹנִית בַּת פְּלוֹנִית אֲמָתְךָ בְּשָעָה זוֹ שֶאֲנִי מְגַלַּחַת אֶת שַׂעֲרוֹת רֹאשִׁי לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנְךָ אָבִי שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם.	Master of all the worlds, just as you heard the prayer of Ḥanah as she stood at the Beit Miqdash in prayer before you[1] Cf. 1 Samuel 1:1-2:11.   so, please listen to the call of the supplication of (Plonit bat Plonit), your handmaid at this time that I shave the hair of my head to do your will, my Father in Heaven.
וִיהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ, שֶׁיֵּחָשֵׁב מַעֲשֶׂה זֶה כְּקָרְבָּן הַמֻּנָּח עַל גַּבֵּי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, וְשַׂעֲרוֹת רֹאשִׁי הַמְגֻלָּחוֹת יֵחָשְׁבוּ כְּשַׂעֲרוֹת הַנָּזִיר הַנְּתוּנוֹת בָּאֵשׁ תַּחַת זֶבַח הַשְּׁלָמִים, וּתְהֵא הַשָּׁעָה הַזֹּאת שְׁעַת רַחֲמִים וְעֵת רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ, לִשְׁלֹחַ רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה לְכׇל חוֹלֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבִפְרָט לפב״פ, וּלְהַמְצִיא זִוּוּגִים הֲגוּנִים לִבְנֵי וְלִבְנוֹת יִשְֹרָאֵל הַצְרִיכִים לְזֶה וּבִפְרָט לפב״פ, וּבִזְכוּת מִצְוָה זוֹ אֶזְכֶּה יַחַד עִם בַּעֲלִי פְּלוֹנִי בן פְּלוֹנִית לִרְאוֹת בָּנִים וְּבְנֵי בָנִים עוֹסְקִים בּתּוֹרָה וּבַמִצְווֹת, בְּלֹא שׁוּם פְּסוּל וְשֶׁמֶץ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, וּבַעֲבוֹדַת בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ נִשְׂמַח כֻּלָּנוּ, אָמֵן וְאָמֵן.	May it be your will that this act would be like a qorban haMunaḥ (meal-offering) placed on top of the altar, and the locks of my head that have been shorn would be like the locks of the Nazir placed in the flames of the peace-offering[2] or “sacrifice of well-being,” Cf. Numbers 6:18.   and that this hour would be an hour of mercy and a time of favor before you, to send a complete healing to all the sick of Yisrael — and particularly to (Plonit bat Plonit) — and to send suitable marriage partners to the sons and daughters of Yisrael who need them — and particularly to (Plonit bat Plonit) — in the merit of this mitsvah I would be found worthy together with my husband (Ploni ben Plonit) to see children and grandchildren who toil in Torah and mitsvot without any disqualifying blemish or fault, ḥas v’shalom, that we would all rejoice in worship at the Beit Miqdash, Amen and Amen.

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A supplication of a woman cutting her hair as an act of tsanua, per a contemporary custom in many Ḥaredi communities. The prayer itself was posted to social media from an unknown source. (If you know, please contact us or leave a comment.) English translation by Aharon Varady and Jonathan Lasko.

Source(s)

prayer for a woman shaving her head (source n/a)

 

Notes

Notes

1	Cf. 1 Samuel 1:1-2:11.
2	or “sacrifice of well-being,” Cf. Numbers 6:18.

Contributor: Yahnatan Lasko (translation)

Co-authors:

• 
  Name: Yahnatan Lasko (translation)
  Bio: Yahnatan Lasko is a software developer and engineer with a masters degree in computer science from Johns Hopkins University. Jewish, he is also a second-generation adherent of Messianic Judaism, a movement of Judaizing Christians and Jesus-believing Jews originating out of the Hebrew Christian Movement and the Jesus Movement. Yahnatan identifies as a Messianic Jew and the stream of Messianic Judaism to which he belongs is non-missionary (does not engage in missionary activities), rejects Christian supercessionist beliefs, and looks toward the halakhah of rabbinic Judaism for guidance in ritual and daily living. He is an alumn of Ets Chaiyim day school (Gaithersburg, Maryland) and completed his ordination in Messianic rabbinic and pastoral leadership at the Messianic Jewish Theological Institute. His interests include Jewish/Christian relations, interpreting the New Testament as Jewish texts, disability in halakhah, and theory and practice of Ashkenazi musical nusaḥ.
  Website: https://www.mjti.org/meet-yahnatan-lasko/
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/yahnatan-lasko
• 
  Name: Unknown Author(s)
  Bio: Sometimes the best we can do in attributing a historical work is to indicate the period and place it was written, the first prayer book it may have been printed in, or the archival collection in which the manuscript was found. We invite the public to help to attribute all works to their original composers. If you know something not mentioned in the commentary offered, please leave a comment or contact us.
  Website:
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/unknown
• 
  Name: Aharon N. Varady (transcription)
  Bio: Aharon Varady (M.A.J.Ed./JTSA Davidson) is a volunteer transcriber for the Open Siddur Project. If you find any mistakes in his transcriptions, 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 translates prayers and contributes his own original work besides serving as the primary shammes of the Open Siddur Project and its website, opensiddur.org.)
  Website: https://aharon.varady.net
  Profile Link: https://opensiddur.org/profile/aharon-varady-transcription

Featured Image:

Title: Me and my new hair (Liz West CC BY)
Caption: "Me and my new hair" -- For some people, losing their hair during chemotherapy is traumatic. For me, it wasn't. My head itched, it was cold, but aside from those factors, I didn't really care. I just wrapped my head in hats and scarves and forgot about it most of the time. However, I thought I should buy a wig for those events when I just wanted to blend in and not call attention to my status as a cancer patient. So I bought one. I sent this picture to my brother, to give him a heads-up as to what I looked like now, and he responded, "You look like a Zen monk." He saw bald women all the time, and they were healthy ones. This reminded me that many people shave their heads by choice. (Liz West CC BY)