Rabbi/leader:
Va’yigdal ha’yeled va’yigamal va’ya’as Avraham mishteh gadol b’yom higamel et Yitzhak.
“And the child grew up, and was weaned, and AbrahamAbraham is the first patriarch and the father of the Jewish people. He is the husband of Sarah and the father of Isaac and Ishmael. God's covenant - that we will be a great people and inherit the land of Israel - begins with Abraham and is marked by his circumcision, the first in Jewish history. His Hebrew name is Avraham. held a great feast on the day that IsaacAbraham and Sarah's much-longed-for son and the second Jewish patriarch. Isaac is nearly sacrificed by his father at God's command (Genesis 22). He is married to Rebecca and is the father of Esau and Jacob. His Hebrew name is Yitzchak. was weaned” (Gen. 21:8).
Rabbi/leader says a few words about this moment of transition.
Parent(s): Give the child a small cup of grape juice to hold, symbolizing the beginning of the child’s ability to independently nourish her/himself. Then (help the child) say:
Barukh atah Adonai Eloheynu melekh ha’olam borei p’ri ha-gafen.
Blessed are You, God, Ruler of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
To mark this moment of beginning add:
Barukh atah Adonai Eloheynu melekh ha’olam shehekheyanu v’kimanu v’higiyanu la’z’man ha’zeh.
Blessed are You, God, Ruler of the Universe, who has sustained us and preserved us and brought us to this occasion.
Child drinks juice.
Parent(s): As I/we watch this child grow we will continue to provide sustenance to this child and provide for his/her physical needs. I/we will also help this child learn to nourish him/herself, to understand the ethical and ritual principles of eating, and to make healthy choices. May I/we provide spiritual sustenance by setting an example of goodness and loving-kindness, by imparting the wisdom 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. and sharing the traditions of our people.
Blessing of child by parent(s):
For boys: Yesimkha Elohim k’Efraim v’k’Menashe / May you be like Ephraim and Menashe.
For girls: Yesimekh Elohim k’SarahThe first matriarch, wife of Abraham, and mother of Isaac, whom she birthed at the age of 90. Sarah, in Rabbinic tradition, is considered holy, beautiful, and hospitable. Many prayers, particularly the Amidah (the central silent prayer), refer to God as Magen Avraham – protector of Abraham. Many Jews now add: pokehd or ezrat Sarah – guardian or helper of Sarah., Rivka, RachelLavan's younger daughter and Jacob's beloved wife second wife (after he is initially tricked into marrying her older sister, Leah). Rachel grieves throughout her life that she is barren while Leah is so fertile. Ultimately, Rachel gives birth to Joseph and dies in childbirth with Benjamin. Rachel is remembered as compassionate (she is said to still weep for her children), and infertile women often invoke Rachel as a kind of intercessor and visit her tomb on the road to Bethlehem. v’LeahThe third of the Jewish matriarchs, Lead is the eldest of Lavan's daughters and one of the wives of Jacob. She is the daughter whom Lavan tricks Jacob into marrying instead of his younger daughter Rachel, whom Jacob has requested to marry. Leah is mother to six of the the twelve tribes and to one daughter, Dinah. / May you be like Sarah, RebeccaThe second Jewish matriarch, Isaac's wife, and mother to Jacob and Esau. Rebecca is an active parent, talking to God when she is pregnant and learning the fate of her children, then ultimately manipulating Isaac and the children to ensure Jacob's ascendancy. Her Hebrew name is Rivka., Rachel, and Leah.
For both boys and girls, continue with:
Yevarekhekha Adonai v’yishmerekha / May God bless you and guard you.
Ya-er Adonai panav eleikha vikhuneka / May God show you favor and be gracious to you.
Yisa Adonai panav eleikha v’yasem lekha shalom / May God show you kindness and grant you peace.
