Source of all blessing, grant me the words to describe the debt of gratitude that I must express for the miracle of getting to and through this day. After so much build up, so much planning, so many tears and so many doubts, we did it. We observed and we celebrated. We prayed and we danced. We uttered your name in praise and in thanks … and you delivered!
The Bar/Bat/B Mitzvah of __________ ___________ son/daughter/child of ________ and ________ happened and I could not be more proud. And I could not be more relieved. As life-affirming ceremonies go, this Bar/Bat/B Mitzvah lived up to the hopes I didn’t dare hope for, but should have. Our family, so shattered, so seemingly broken, was given new life today.
These life moments don’t simply happen. We took our place within the story of the Jewish people. We held the 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. close and we found a source of joy beyond ourselves. Today was nothing short of a miracle. It may be impossible to fully describe the state of gratitude right now, but it is incumbent upon us to try.
May we look upon our people and our family with fresh eyes today. May we understand the success of today’s Bar/Bat/B Mitzvah not despite the divorce and all the aftermath, but rather in concert with our family’s re-alignment. And may we be vessels of hope for other families going through struggles and transitions.
As it says in the Psalms, “In the evening one retires weeping, but there is joy in the morning.”
Ken Yehi RatzonLit. "May it be Your Will ..." The opening of many petitionary prayers.. May it be your will.
Find more Jewish divorce resources from Rabbi Ezra Weinberg at www.jewsgetdivorce.com
One Response
Thank you so much. Zimrah’s b’mitz was so hard, and so beautiful.
As you said, in our family’s realignment one thing remained true. Our foundational goal was to raise humans rooted in their Judaism. They continue to see us both show up for shul, celebrate Shabbat, and be a contributing part of the Jewish community. A friend needed help to make Kaddish this week and Zimrah immediately said yes, no hesitation to wake up early or be around people she doesn’t know, just honored to be able to count and support others.