When recited by one who immersed to accept or to affirm Jewish identity:
May these living waters carry me forward
As I have now immersed deeper into the stream of Jewish life.
May the living waters of TorahThe Five Books of Moses, and the foundation of all of Jewish life and lore. The Torah is considered the heart and soul of the Jewish people, and study of the Torah is a high mitzvah. The Torah itself a scroll that is hand lettered on parchment, elaborately dressed and decorated, and stored in a decorative ark. It is chanted aloud on Mondays, Thursdays, and Shabbat, according to a yearly cycle. Sometimes "Torah" is used as a colloquial term for Jewish learning and narrative in general., symbolized in this mikvehThe ritual bath. The waters of the mikveh symbolically purify – they are seen as waters of rebirth. A convert immerses in the mikveh as part of conversion. Many Orthodox married women go to the mikveh following their period and before resuming sexual relations. Couples go to the mikveh before being married. Many, including some men, immerse before Yom Kippur; some go every Friday before Shabbat.,
Embrace me as I embrace Torah in turn.
As I wade through uncharted waters in my renewed life,
May the Divine guide and comfort me, and may I express gratitude, living a life of blessings.
May the people I am joining support me along this current,
And may I be open to their outpouring of love in hard times and in times of joy.
May I emerge from these waters new—and the same;
Open to the new aspects of Torah I will learn—and learned in all the lessons I have learned.
May my family and friends honor this sacred life I have chosen,
And may it be that the waters of this mikveh have washed over me with a touch of Divine love.
May my immersion in this mikveh permit me
A life of community and connectedness,
A life of learning and teaching,
A life of doing good in fulfilling mitzvotLit. Commandment. It is traditionally held that there are 613 mitzvot (plural) in Judaism, both postive commandments (mandating actions) and negative commandments (prohibiting actions). Mitzvah has also become colloquially assumed to mean the idea of a “good deed.",
A life of holiness and Torah,
And a life filled with God’s presence and peace.
Amen.
When recited by an officiant overseeing a conferring of or confirmation of Jewish identity:
May these living waters carry you forward
As you have now immersed deeper into the stream of Jewish life.
May the living waters of Torah, symbolized in this mikveh,
Embrace you as you embrace Torah in turn.
As you wade through uncharted waters in your renewed life,
May the Divine guide and comfort you, and may you, in turn, express gratitude, living a life of blessings.
May the people you are joining support you along this current,
And may you be open to their outpouring of love in hard times and in times of joy.
May you emerge from these waters new—and the same;
Open to the new aspects of Torah you will learn—and learned in all the lessons you have learned.
May your family and friends honor this sacred life you have chosen,
And may it be that the waters of this mikveh have washed over you with a touch of Divine love.
May your immersion in this mikveh permit you
A life of community and connectedness,
A life of learning and teaching,
A life of doing good in fulfilling mitzvot,
A life of holiness and Torah,
And a life filled with God’s presence and peace.
Amen.
