Daughter’s Bat Mitzvah

A MOTHER’S PRAYER BEFORE HER SON’S BAR MITZVAH OR HER DAUGHTER’S BAT MITZVAH

םיָיַּקְו יַח לֵא ךֶלֶמ ךיֶנָפְל יִנֲא הָדוֹמ רַעַנַּה לֶא .הֶזַּה דֶלֶיַּל ךְתְּפָתוּש יִנָתיִשֲׂעֶשׁ ויָיַּח לַע ,ךְל הֶדוֹא ןֵכּ לַע .יִתְּלָלַּפְּתִה הֶזַּה ךיֶתוֹבוֹט לַע ,ךְדָיְבּ םיִרוּסְמַּה וּניֵיַּח לַעְו רֶשֲׁא תֶא וּנָל ָתַּתָנֶשׁ לַעְו תֵע לָכְבֶּשׁ .ךְמִעְמ וּנְלאַָשׁ

יֵהֹלאֵל הָליִפְתּ םיִאְשׁוֹנ ,וֹמִאְו ויִבאָ ,וּנֲא ויָתוֹחְראָ רוֹצְנִי ,ויָכָרְדּ רוֹמְשִׁיֶּשׁ םָלוֹעָה .תוּעֵרָהְו הָוֲחאַָה ,הָבֲהאַָה ךֶרֶדְבּ וּהֵחְנַיְו

,האֵָלְו לֵחָר ,הָקְבִר ,הָרָשׂ ,וּניֵתוֹמִא יֵהֹלֱא לַע ךְל יִנֲא הָדוֹמ ,ביִטֵמַּהְו בוֹטַּה לֵאָה ָתְּנַזֱאֶהְו יִנוֹיְרֱה תוֹליִפְתּ תֶא ָתעַמָשֶׁשׁ יִרְפִבּ וּנְתְּחַפְּשִׁמ תֶא ָתְּכַרֵבוּ ,יַריִצ יֵבֵאְכִל הָעָשְׁבּ תוֹוְצִמ לֹעְבּ וֹאיִבָהְל וּנתִכִּזְו ןֶטַב .תַחַלְצֻמוּ הָבוֹט Thankful am I in Your Presence, sustaining Master of all life, for making me Your partner in raising (child’s name). This is the child I have been praying for. Therefore, I give thanks to You, for the life of this child, and for our own lives that are in Your hands; for the good You give us at all times; and for granting us what we asked of You. As the parents of this child, we offer a prayer to the God of the world to guard the paths of this child and protect (child’s name) journeying, guiding our child in the path of love, camaraderie, and friendship.

God of our mothers Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel, and Leah, good and benevolent God, I thank You for hearing my prayers during my pregnancy and pains of labor. Thank you for blessing our family with this child, and with the merit of guiding our child toward taking responsibility for the mitzvot at a good and proper time.

הֶּכְזִיֶּשׁ ,םוֹלָשַּׁה ןוֹדאָ ,ךִיֶנָפְלִּמ ןוֹצָר יִהְי ךיֶתוֹוְצִמ לֹעָבּ םוֹיַּה אָבַּה ,הֶזַּה רַעַנַּה ,םָלוֹע תַבֲהאְַלוּ תֶמֱא םוֹלְשִׁל ,ךיֶכָרְדוּ .רוֹרְדִלְו תוּרֵחְל

תוּלוּאְגּ תוֹצָרֲאָה לָכּ הָניֶיְהִתֶּשׁ ןוֹצָר יִהיִו .לָלְכּ םָדאָ דוּבְּעִשׁ אֹלְל ןיִרוֹח תוֹנְבוּ םָלוֹעָבוּ לֵאָרְׂשִי לָהְקִבּ רַעַנַּה ךַרוֹביִו םָלוֹע ןוּקִּתְל הֶּכְזִיֶּשׁ .ותמְשִנ ךַרֹבְתוּ וֹלֻּכּ .בַר יִכּ ךְבוּטְבּ ךֶתוּכְלַמְבּ

ךיֶנָפְל וֹתָלִּפְתּ אֵהְתּ ,תוֹאָדוֹהַה לֶא ףוֹטָע .תוֹדִּמַּה תוּמֵלְשִׁבוּ םוֹלָשְּׁבּ תֶכֶרֹבְמ ויָבָס ,ויָרוֹה ,וּנָלֻּכּ הֶכְזִנְו הָשֻּׁדְקִּבּ הֶז יִנְבּ וֹתְּחַפְּשִׁמ יֵנְבּ ,ויתויחאו ויחא ,ויָתוֹבָסְו הָחְמִשְּׂל וּנָתִּא רֶשֲׁא רָקָיַּה לָהָקַּהְו .הָלוֹדְגּ הָכָרְבִלְו בָבֵל בוּטְל ,הָמֵלְשׁ May it be Your will, Master of Peace, that this child, who today is entering into responsibility to fulfill Your commandments and walk in Your ways, will merit to have true peace and unending love, freedom, and liberty. And may it be Your will that all lands be redeemed, free, an un‑oppressed. May this child be blessed among the members of the community of Israel, and within the entire world. May (child’s name)’s soul be blessed to see the world perfected under Your sovereignty, and within Your abundant goodness.

God who draws forth gratitude, receive this child’s prayer with a blessing of peace and foster (child’s name)’s integrity. Surround my child with holiness. May all of us – this child’s parents, grandfathers, grandmothers, brothers and sisters, relatives, and this entire precious congregation who are with us today –merit complete joy, which cultivates good‑heartedness and abundant blessing.

יֵעוּגְּעַגְו יַנֵקְזוּ יַרוֹה תוֹלִּפְתּ וֹבּ וּמְיַּקְתִיְו .םָלֻּכּ תוֹרוֹדַּה

יאַָטֲח וּעְנְמִי אֹלֶּשׁ ךיֶנָפְלִּמ ןוֹצָר יִהיִו ,םָלוֹעָבֶּשׁ בוּטַּה לֹכּ תֶא וּנֶּמִּמ יַתוֹנוֹוֲעַו וֹל דֹמֲעַתְו עַדֶי תַרָכַּהְו תַעַדּ תַלֲחַנ וּצְבַּקְתִהֶשׁ תוֹיֻּלָגַּה יֵגָהְנִמ ,יִמַע תֶשֶׁרוֹמ ,לֵבֵתּ תוֹפְנַכּ עַבְּראֵַמ וּנֵתְּחַפְּשִׁמְל וּאָבוּ .םָדאָָה תַבֲהאַ ךֶרֵע תַלָחְנַה – לֹכַּל לַעֵמוּ

תוּריֵחְו הָרוֹתּ וֹתַשׁוּדְּקִבּ ןַתָנֶּשׁ ךוּרָבּ !אוּה ךוּרָבּ ,לֵאָרְשִׂי וֹמַעְל

וּנֵנָּח ,תוֹמָלוֹעָה לָכּ ןוֹדאָ ,הָתּאַ ךוּרָבּ רַמֱאֶנ ויָלָעֶשׁ זונָגַּה רוֹאָל םיּיַּחַה רוֹאְל ןֵמאָ ,רוֹא יִהְיַו רוֹא יִהְי םיִהֹלֱא רֶמאֹיַּו .דֶעָו הָלֶס May my child see the fulfillment of my parents’ and grandparents’ prayers, as well as the fulfillment of the longings of all generations.

May it be Your will that my sins and transgressions not interfere with my child having all the goodness in the world, inheriting a tradition of knowledge and clear awareness from the legacy of my people, and from disperse traditions of the four corners of the earth, which have gathered into our family. And may my child receive, more than anything, a legacy of the value of loving humankind.

Blessed is God who, in holiness, gave Torah and freedom to the people of Israel – blessed is God! Blessed are You, Master of all worlds, grace us with the light of life, the hidden light about which it is written, “And God said, ’Let there be light’ and there was light!” Amen, forever and ever.

אָנ הֶעְשׁ יַתוֹמִאו יַתוֹבֲא תוּכְזִבּ הֶזַּה דֶלֶיַּה לַע יִל רֹמְשׁ ,יִבִּל תוֹלאְָשִׁמְל אָנּאָ .הָמָדֲאָה יֵנְפּ לַעְו תאֹזַּה ץֶראָָבּ ןאָכּ .לַעֵמ םִיַמָשׁ תַּכְרִבּ ויָלָע הֶרְשַׁה יִהֹלֱא ןֵח אָצְמִיְו” םיִבוֹט ויָמָי וּיְהִיֶּשׁ הֵׂשֲע . “םָדאְָו םיִהֹלֱא יֵניֵעְבּ בוֹט לֶכֵשְׂו דֶסֶחְו

“םוּצָע יוֹגְל ריִעָצַּהְו ףֶלֶאְל הֶיְהִי ןוֹטָקַּה” אוּה הֶיְהִיְו .הָנֶשיִחְּת הָּּתִעְבּ ’ה הָתּאַ רֶשֲׁא םִיָמ יֵגְלַפּ לַע לוּתָשׁ ץֵעְכּ” ךיֶנָפְל רֶשֲׁא לֹכְו לוֹבִּי אֹל וּהֵלָעְו וֹתִּעְבּ ןֵתִּי וֹיְרִפּ . “ַחיִלְצַי הֶשֲׂעַי

תוֹשָׁקַּבוּ דיִמָתּ ויָתוֹלִּפְתּ ךיֶנָפְל וּלְבַּקְתִיְו הָעָשׁ לֹכְבוּ תֵע לֹכְבּ לֵאָרְשִׂי ךְמַּע יֵנְבּ לֹכּ .ךֶמוֹלְשִּׁבּ

29 Proverbs 3:4. 30 Isaiah 60:22. 31 Psalms 1:3. In the merit of my ancestors, turn toward the prayers of my heart. Protect this child for me, here, in this land. Please, my God, bring the blessings of heaven upon this child. Make this child’s days good, “and may this child find favor, kindness, and wisdom in the eyes of God and other people.”29 “May even the small one become an entire clan, and the young one become a mighty nation.”30 May You, God, bring [redemption] about quickly in its time. And may this child be before You “like a tree planted by streams water, yielding fruit in its season, its leaves not withering, and whatever he/she pursues succeeds.”31

And may this child’s prayers, and the requests of all Your nation Israel always be acceptable to You, at every moment and hour.

וּנָל ןֵתו הָרוֹתּ דוּמְלַתְבּ וּנֵלוּבְג הֵבְּרַהְו הָבֲהאְַבּ םייַּח תוֹנְשׁוּ םיִמָי תוּכיִרֲא .ךֶשְׁדָק םֵשׁ תֶא הָבֲהאְַל םוֹלָשְׁבוּ הָוֲחאְַבוּ

לַע רֹמְשִׁל רֶשֹׁאָה תֶא ןֵתּ ,יִלֵא ,יִלְו ,תוֹבַּר םיִנָשׁ דוֹע יִתְּחַפְּשִׁמ לַעְו יִדְּלַי .ןֵמאָ ,ןוֹצָר‑תַעֵבְשׂוּ תֶכֶרֹבְמ םֵא‑תַבֲהאְַבּ And expand our boundaries with Torah learning, and give us long days and years full of life, love, with camaraderie, and with peace, to love Your holy Name.

To me, my God, please give the good fortune to protect my child and my family for many years to come, with blessed mothering‑ love and with satisfaction. Amen.

— Aliza Lavie, Jerusalem, Israel32

Written on the occasion of her son’s bar mitzvah in 2008.

Inspired by a prayer by Fanny

Neuda, which was written in

Czechoslovakia in 1855.

32 An Israeli academic and politician, Lavie served as a member of the Israeli Knesset between 2013 and 2019. Her work focuses on gender issues and multiculturalism in Judaism and Israeli society.