Naming Formula: Misheberakh

silhouette of man holding baby in air

If you will be naming your daughter at the ceremony, you can use the naming formula that follows. Anyone may name the baby and this person does not necessarily need to know the baby’s name ahead of time; one can whisper the name into his ear when he gets to the relevant line. Some people raise up the baby at the time of the naming, as had been customary in the ceremony of the “chol kreish.”

מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אִמּוֹתֵינוּ שָׂרָהּ וְרִבְקָה רָחֵל וְלֵאֶה וְלֵאָה וּמִרְיָם הַנְּבִיאָה וַאֲבִיגַיִל וְאֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה בַּת אֲבִיחַיִל
.(הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶתְ הַיַּלְדָּה הִנְעִימָה הַזֹּאת, וְיִקָּרֵא שְׁמָהּ _________ (פְּלוֹנִית בַּת פְּלוֹנִי וּפְלוֹנִית
.בְּמַזָּל טוֹב וּבִשְׁעַת בְּרָכָה, וִיגַדְּלוּה בִּבְרִיאוּת, שָׁלוֹם וּמְנוּחָה, וִיזַכֶּה אֶת אָבִיהָ וְאֶת אִמָּהּ לִרְאוֹת בְּשִׂמְחָתָהּ וּבְחוּפָּתָה, בְּבָנִים וּבְבָנוֹת, עֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד. עוֹד יְנוּבוּן בְּשֵׂיבָה, דְּשֵׁנִים וְרַעֲנַנִים יִהְיוּ, וְכֵן יְהִי רָצוֹן וְנֹאמַר אָמֵן

Misheberakh imoteinu Sarah vi-Rivkah, Rachel vi-Leah u-Miriam ha-niviyah va-Avigail vi-Esther ha-malkah bat Avichail, Hu yivarech et ha-yaldah ha-ni’imah ha-zot, vi-yikra sh’mah _________ [plonit bat ploni u-flonit].
Bi-mazal tov u-vi-sh’ah brachah, vi-yigadluha bi’vriyut, shalom u-minuchah, vi-yizakeh et aviha vi-et imah lirot bi-simchatah u-vi-chupata, bi-vanim u-vivanot, osher vi-chavod. Od yinuvun bisayvah, dishaynim vi-ra’ananim yihiyu, vi-chen yihi ratzon vi-nomar amen.

He who blessed our matriarchs Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel, and Leah, and Miriam the Prophetess, Abigail, and Queen Esther the daughter of Avichail, may He bless this dear girl, and let her name be called [the name of the girl] the daughter of [the name of the mother and father] in good fortune and prosperity, and may she be brought up in health, peace, and tranquility. May her parents merit to share in her times of rejoicing and in her marriage, in sons and daughters, wealth and honor, they shall still be fruitful in old age, vigorous and fresh they shall be, so shall it be your will, and let us say Amen.

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