ברכת הורים לבר או בת מצווה | Parents' blessing for a Bar or Bat Mitsvah by Rabbi Dr. Aryeh Cohen
Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=10389
open_content_license: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license Date: 2015-02-19
Last Updated: 2024-06-01
Categories: Bnei (Bar/Bat) Mitsvah & Other Birthday Prayers
Tags: 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., Bar Mitsvah, Parents blessing children, prayers for adolescents, Prayers of Primary Caregivers, בת מצוה Bat Mitsvah
Excerpt: I wrote this brachah on the occasion of my son Oryah's bar mitsvah. The Aramaic/Hebrew and the translation are mine. My partner and I recited the blessing after my son was called up to the Torah. The brachah replaces the ברוך שפטרנו which is recited in some communities. This blessing (which is basically self-explanatory) expresses gratitude for Divine favor leading to this moment and a prayer for Heavenly guidance for my son's continued path. Though the translation is gender neutral in relation to God, the Hebrew/Aramaic is gendered masculine. This is my practice with regards to my children. I bless my daughter with feminine God language and my son with masculine God language. The blessing can be grammatically adapted for a bat mitsvah. . . .
Content:
| Source (Hebrew) |
Translation (English) |
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בְּרִיךְ רַחְמָנָא דְאַרְעָא וּשְׁמַיָא
דִי מִפוּמֵיה אוֹרָיְיתָא אִתְגַלְיָא
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Blessed Loving One of the Heavens and Earth,
from whose mouth Torah was revealed,
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לבר מצווה:
אֲשֶׁר סִיֵּעַ בַּעֲדֵנוּ לְחַנֵּךְ אֶת בְּנֵנוּ,
לְגַדְּלוֹ לְתּוֹרָה וּלְמִצְוֺת,
לְאַהֲבַת הַחֶסֶד וְדֶרֶךְ הַמֵישָׁרִים.
לבת מצווה:
אֲשֶׁר סִיֵּעַ בַּעֲדֵנוּ לְחַנֵּךְ אֶת בִּתֵּנוּ,
לְגַדְּלָהּ לְתּוֹרָה וּלְמִצְוֺת,
לְאַהֲבַת הַחֶסֶד וְדֶרֶךְ הַמֵישָׁרִים.
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(for a bar mitsvah)
who supported us in educating this child,
raising him to Torah and mitsvot,
to the love of righteousness and the path of justice.
(for a bat mitsvah)
who supported us in educating this child,
raising her to Torah and mitsvot,
to the love of righteousness and the path of justice.
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לבר מצווה:
אָנָא בַּעַל הָרַחֲמִים,
הַשְׁקִיפָה מִמְּעוֹן קָדְשְׁךָ עַל הֶמְשֵׁךְ דַרְכּוֹ,
וּבָרֵךְ אֶת הַנַּעַר הַזֶּה כָּל יָמָיו.
לבת מצווה:
אָנָא בַּעַל הָרַחֲמִים,
הַשְׁקִיפָה מִמְּעוֹן קָדְשְׁךָ עַל הֶמְשֵׁךְ דַרְכָּהּ,
וּבָרֵךְ אֶת הַנַּעֲרָה הַזֹּאת כָּל יָמֶיהָ.
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(for a bar mitsvah)
Please Merciful One,
look down from Your holy abode upon the continuation of his path,
and bless this child all his days.
(for a bat mitsvah)
Please Merciful One,
look down from Your holy abode upon the continuation of her path,
and bless this child all her days.
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וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן.
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And let us say amen.
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I wrote this brakhah on the occasion of my son Oryah’s bar mitsvah. The Aramaic/Hebrew and the translation are mine. My partner and I recited the blessing after my son was called up to the Torah. The brakhah replaces the ברוך שפטרנו which is recited in some communities. This blessing (which is basically self-explanatory) expresses gratitude for Divine favor leading to this moment and a prayer for Heavenly guidance for my son’s continued path. Though the translation is gender neutral in relation to God, the Hebrew/Aramaic is gendered masculine. This is my practice with regards to my children. I bless my daughter with feminine God language and my son with masculine God language.
[Many thanks to Joanna Harader for sharing her paper collage, “Blessing the Children.” Many thanks to Shira Hannah Fischer for her naqdanut. –Aharon N. Varady]
Contributor: Aryeh Cohen
Co-authors:
Featured Image:
Title: Joanna Harader – Blessing the Children (CC BY-SA)
Caption: "Blessing the Children" paper collage by Joanna Harader (license: CC BY-SA)
