Welcome to the baby naming ceremony of
_______________
25 Cheshvan 5777 (Date)
Welcome:
HINEH MA TOV (How Good It Is)
Hineh ma tov uma na’im
shevet kulanu (akhim/akhayot) gam yakhad (2x)
Behold how good this is (2x)
We greet (name of child):
Berukhah haba’ah besheim ShekhinahThe feminine name of God, expounded upon in the rabbinic era and then by the Kabbalists in extensive literature on the feminine attributes of the divine.. Mi zot hanish’kafah kemo-shakhar yafah hal’vanah barah kakhamah?
Blessed is she who comes in the name of the Holy One! Who is she who shines through like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, radiant as the sun?
Birth ParshahLIt. Portion or chapter. The weekly parashah (parashat ha'shavua) is that portion of the Torah read weekly in synagogue. The entire Torah is divided into the number of weeks that occur over the course of a year. It is not not precisely 52 weeks because the Hebrew calendar is lunar, so some weeks have holidays with special readings, and some years are leap years.: (fill-in and add your d’var)
Invocation and welcoming of the ancestors (family members can tell stories here)
Sing three times (see information about this song of protection and healing below):
B’shem HashemLit. The Name, referring to the ineffable name of God; used as a substitute for any of the more sacred names of God when not speaking in prayer. Particularly used in conversation., elohei ha olam,
B’ymini Michael u-smoli Gavriel,
U-milfanai Uriel, me’akharai Raphael,
V’al roshi, v’al roshi, Shekhinat-El*
Blessing circle (Blessings offered by the community)
There is a new light in our hearts and in our home. Let these candles celebrate this child’s coming forth from darkness; let them herald new life and illumine new becomings.
We light a candle and say: Blessed is the Source of Life, the Fountain of Being whose 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." direct us toward wisdom that we might learn the sanctity of life and love.
Blessed is the Source of Life, the Fountain of Being whose power enlivens us, sustains us, and enables us to reach this moment of joy.
We lift the cup of MiriamMiriam is the sister of Moses and Aaron. As Moses' and Aaron's sister she, according to midrash, prophesies Moses' role and helps secure it by watching over the young baby, seeing to it that Pharaoh's daughter takes him and that the baby is returned to his mother for nursing. During the Israelites' trek through the desert, a magical well given on her behalf travels with the Israelites, providing water, healing, and sustenance. and say:
This is the vessel of new hope, the water of new life and vision. This is the vessel of the covenant that has bound our people to the Way of Wisdom for thousands of years.
Barukh atah adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam she hakol ni’hiye bidvaro (or borei p’ri ha adamah)
Blessed is the Source of Life, the Fountain of Being whose power brings forth the water from the infinite well of living waters.
(Adapted from Rebecca’s blessing in Genesis 24:60)
“Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands; may your heart’s offspring overcome all challenges.”
Blessing of Mekonenet (The Mourning Woman)—Netivah for Heshvan
(You can create a blessings for each netivah associated with the Hebrew month):
May your joy hold and heal the pain in our ever-changing world.
May Spirit bless you with the best of our ancestors including 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., 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., 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. and 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 s/he who is called __________ grow in blessing and attain the joy of her 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., huppahMarriage canopy symbolizing the couple's new home., and ma-asim tovim: wisdom, love, and good deeds.
And let us say: Amen.
Water blessing:
They say that when the prophetess Miriam died, the well of living water that followed her and our people through the desert dried up. Today we create a new narrative. As long as there is love and hope, the well remains. It is sweet, sustaining, and ever flowing. All who are thirsty are invited to drink. Kiera (insert baby’s name) now joins her ancestress Miriam. Wherever she goes, the well will follow her.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בִּטְבִילָה בְּמַיִם חַיִּים
Barukh atah adonay eloheynu melekh ha-olam asher kid-shanu bit’vilah b’mayyim khayyim.
Blessed are You, God, Majestic Spirit of the Universe, Who makes us holy by embracing us in living waters.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמָן הַזֶּה
Barukh atah adonay eloheynu melekh ha-olam she-hekhe-yanu, ve-ki-y’manu, ve-higi-yanu la-z’man ha-zeh.
Blessed are You, Source of all Life, Who has kept us alive and sustained us, and enabled us to reach this day.
Intentions: (This is where you set you intentions for your little one)
Example:
We hope she is happy, full of joy, kind, thoughtful of others, compassionate, loving, and surrounded by love for her whole life. We hope she is able to work through life’s difficulties, solving problems for herself and also seeking to help the world. We hope that at times when she finds sadness and fear, that those feelings will not consume her, and that she can continue to do good for herself and for the world. We hope that she loves and appreciates nature. We hope that we will all remain close as a family unit.
______ (older sibling) hopes that ______ will grow up to be a beautiful and loving person. She hopes that ______ will not only be beautiful and loving but will also share her toys and give away her clothes when she outgrows them. She hopes that _____ will buy less expensive clothes so that she has enough money to buy extra clothes to share with others.
Anu matzanu menukhah (2x)
Mitachat kanfei, mitachat kanfei, ha-Shekhinah (2x)
Or
Osah Shalom
Osah Shalom bimromeha
Hi ta’aseh shalom aleinuPrayer proclaiming God’s kingship, said near the conclusion of the prayer service. (2x)
May She who makes peace
Shine Peace Upon All of Us (2x)
Priestly/Priestess Blessing:
Tevarkheikh Shadai vetishmereikh
Ta’er Shadai paneha elayikh vit’khuneikh
Tisa Shadai paneha elayikh vetasem lakh shalom
Y’varekhekha Adonai v’yish’m’rekha.
Ya’er Adonai panav eilekha vikhuneka.
Yisa Adonai panav eilekha v’yasem l’kha shalom.
May God Bless you and guard you.
May the light of God shine upon you, and may God be gracious to you.
May the presence of God be with you and give you peace.
*About the archangel song (Note that directional and elemental associations may vary): Usually sung either during ShabbatShabbat is the Sabbath day, the Day of Rest, and is observed from Friday night through Saturday night. Is set aside from the rest of the week both in honor of the fact that God rested on the seventh day after creating the world. On Shabbat, many Jews observe prohibitions from various activities designated as work. Shabbat is traditionally observed with festive meals, wine, challah, prayers, the reading and studying of Torah, conjugal relations, family time, and time with friends. or before sleeping, this prayer seeks protection as we complete our phases of creation and stress and transcend to a world of stillness and tranquility. The invocation of the names of these four angels provide the blanket of security over our fears, the protective layer over our faith that allows us to release our doubts.
Right (South) is Michael, known in biblical history as the “archangel” who defeated evil and acts of injustice. Today, we refer to Michael as the angel of mercy. Michael is perhaps our wake-up call when our arms are not being used to make this world a safer and more just place.
Left (North) is Gabriel, whose name means “God is my strength.” Gabriel is the inner fire that enables us to defend the defenseless, to uphold the weak. Gabriel motivates us to resist injustice for the sake of others and for a better world. Without fire, there would be no change. Gabriel is the fire within us that serves as constant reminder that we are responsible for creating a different world, not a world of indifference.
In front (East) of us lies Uriel, the angel of light. Uriel reminds us that light is in direct relationship to Darkness and that both are holy. Uriel also reminds us of our obligation to be lights for one another.
Behind us (West) is Raphael, the angel of healing, the angel that absorbs our deepest pains, diseases, and despair. Raphael reminds us that we are never alone in the healing process.
