Zeved habat
Encyclopedia
Zeved habat , is a Jewish naming ceremony
for newborn girl
s.
, Monday, Thursday or other occasion when the Torah
would be read following the birth. Sometimes a kiddush
will be held at the synagogue for family and friends. In the 20th century, interest in traditional ceremonies for welcoming baby girls has been revived, and new ceremonies have evolved. These ceremonies are often known under the newly coined terms Simchat Bat or a Brit Bat. There is no explicit source in the Mishnah or Talmud specifying when girls should be named.
In medieval times, girls were named during Shavua Habat (lit. "week of the daughter"). In early German Jewish communities, a baby naming ceremony was developed for both girls and boys called a Hollekreisch, which literally translated to mean the giving of the secular name. The ritual took place after Shabbat lunch. The babies were dressed up, and boys were draped in a tallit
. The book of Vayikra (Leviticus) was placed in the crib. The crib would then be lifted up and the following recited in German: Hollekreisch ! How shall the baby be called? Ploni Ploni Ploni (i.e. his or her name three times). This was done for boys who had received their Hebrew names at their brit mila already. Nuts, sweets and fruits were then distributed to the guests. The custom applied to both boys and girls.
or at a party at home. It is often led by the ḥakhám or hazzan
. The main elements of the ceremony are the mother's thanksgiving for deliverance (Birkat hagomel); the recital of Song of Songs
2:14 (and, in the case of the first daughter born to the mother, Song of Songs
6:9); and the namegiving prayer itself in the form of Mi sheberakh (imoteinu) (see below). Additional elements may include Psalm 128 and the Priestly Blessing
(Birkat kohanim).
“The one Who blessed (our mothers,)
Sarah and Rivkah, Rachel and Leah, and the prophet Miriam and Abigayil
and Queen Esther, daughter of Abichayil —
may He bless this beloved girl and let her name (in Israel) be ... [insert first name here]
with good luck and in a blessed hour;
and may she grow up with good health, peace and tranquility;
and may her father and her mother merit to see
her joy and her wedding, and male children, riches and honour;
and may they be vigorous and fresh, fruitful into old age;
and so may this be the will, and let it be said, Amen!”.
(see psalm 92)
"Moreh Derekh", the Rabbi
's manual of the Conservative Judaism
movement's Rabbinical Assembly
, presents a ceremony based on traditional Jewish forms, with a number of options that parents may choose to perform: (A) Lighting seven candles (symbolizing the seven days of creation) and holding the baby towards them, (B) Wrapping the baby in the four corners of a tallit
(Jewish prayer shawl), or (C) Lifting the baby and touching her hands to a Torah
scroll.
Naming ceremony
A naming ceremony is the event at which an infant is given a name or names. They can occur anywhere from mere days after birth to several months afterwards. Some of these ceremonies have religious or cultural significance. In Christianity the process is often connected with Christening.- Hinduism...
for newborn girl
Girl
A girl is any female human from birth through childhood and adolescence to attainment of adulthood. The term may also be used to mean a young woman.-Etymology:...
s.
Ashkenazi custom
In the Ashkenazi community, namegiving ceremonies for newborn girls were not widespread and often limited to the father announcing the baby's name in the synagogue on the ShabbatShabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
, Monday, Thursday or other occasion when the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
would be read following the birth. Sometimes a kiddush
Kiddush
Kiddush , literally, "sanctification," is a blessing recited over wine or grape juice to sanctify the Shabbat and Jewish holidays.-Significance:...
will be held at the synagogue for family and friends. In the 20th century, interest in traditional ceremonies for welcoming baby girls has been revived, and new ceremonies have evolved. These ceremonies are often known under the newly coined terms Simchat Bat or a Brit Bat. There is no explicit source in the Mishnah or Talmud specifying when girls should be named.
In medieval times, girls were named during Shavua Habat (lit. "week of the daughter"). In early German Jewish communities, a baby naming ceremony was developed for both girls and boys called a Hollekreisch, which literally translated to mean the giving of the secular name. The ritual took place after Shabbat lunch. The babies were dressed up, and boys were draped in a tallit
Tallit
A tallit pl. tallitot is a Jewish prayer shawl. The tallit is worn over the outer clothes during the morning prayers on weekdays, Shabbat and holidays...
. The book of Vayikra (Leviticus) was placed in the crib. The crib would then be lifted up and the following recited in German: Hollekreisch ! How shall the baby be called? Ploni Ploni Ploni (i.e. his or her name three times). This was done for boys who had received their Hebrew names at their brit mila already. Nuts, sweets and fruits were then distributed to the guests. The custom applied to both boys and girls.
Sephardi custom
In the Sephardi community the Zeved habat is usually celebrated within the first month of the birth. It is held privately in the synagogueSynagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
or at a party at home. It is often led by the ḥakhám or hazzan
Hazzan
A hazzan or chazzan is a Jewish cantor, a musician trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the congregation in songful prayer.There are many rules relating to how a cantor should lead services, but the idea of a cantor as a paid professional does not exist in classical rabbinic sources...
. The main elements of the ceremony are the mother's thanksgiving for deliverance (Birkat hagomel); the recital of Song of Songs
Song of songs
Song of Songs, also known as the Song of Solomon, is a book of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. It may also refer to:In music:* Song of songs , the debut album by David and the Giants* A generic term for medleysPlays...
2:14 (and, in the case of the first daughter born to the mother, Song of Songs
Song of songs
Song of Songs, also known as the Song of Solomon, is a book of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. It may also refer to:In music:* Song of songs , the debut album by David and the Giants* A generic term for medleysPlays...
6:9); and the namegiving prayer itself in the form of Mi sheberakh (imoteinu) (see below). Additional elements may include Psalm 128 and the Priestly Blessing
Priestly Blessing
The Priestly Blessing, , also known in Hebrew as Nesiat Kapayim, , or Dukhanen , is a Jewish prayer recited by Kohanim during certain Jewish services...
(Birkat kohanim).
Mi sheberakh blessing
The words in parentheses are recited in the Moroccan Jewish community.English Translation
“The one Who blessed (our mothers,)
Sarah and Rivkah, Rachel and Leah, and the prophet Miriam and Abigayil
and Queen Esther, daughter of Abichayil —
may He bless this beloved girl and let her name (in Israel) be ... [insert first name here]
with good luck and in a blessed hour;
and may she grow up with good health, peace and tranquility;
and may her father and her mother merit to see
her joy and her wedding, and male children, riches and honour;
and may they be vigorous and fresh, fruitful into old age;
and so may this be the will, and let it be said, Amen!”.
(see psalm 92)
New ceremonies
The Simchat Bat ("Celebration of the daughter") or Brit Bat (loosely, welcoming the new daughter into the covenant) are now becoming more common. The celebration typically consists of a communal welcoming, a naming done over a cup of wine with the quotation of appropriate Biblical verses, and traditional blessings."Moreh Derekh", the Rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
's manual of the Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
movement's Rabbinical Assembly
Rabbinical Assembly
The Rabbinical Assembly is the international association of Conservative rabbis. The RA was founded in 1901 to shape the ideology, programs, and practices of the Conservative movement. It publishes prayerbooks and books of Jewish interest, and oversees the work of the Committee on Jewish Law and...
, presents a ceremony based on traditional Jewish forms, with a number of options that parents may choose to perform: (A) Lighting seven candles (symbolizing the seven days of creation) and holding the baby towards them, (B) Wrapping the baby in the four corners of a tallit
Tallit
A tallit pl. tallitot is a Jewish prayer shawl. The tallit is worn over the outer clothes during the morning prayers on weekdays, Shabbat and holidays...
(Jewish prayer shawl), or (C) Lifting the baby and touching her hands to a Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
scroll.
Further reading
- Herbert C. Dobrinsky: A treasury of Sephardic laws and customs: the ritual practices of Syrian, Moroccan, Judeo-Spanish and Spanish and Portuguese Jews of North America. Revised edition. Hoboken, NJ (Ktav); New York, NY (Yeshiva Univ. Press), 1988. (Pages 3-29.)
- Book of prayer of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews' Congregation, London. Volume One: Daily and occasional prayers. Oxford (Oxford Univ. Press, Vivian Ridler), 5725 - 1965. (Page 180.)
- "Namegiving", in A guide to Jewish religious practice, by Isaac Klein. New York (JTS), 1979. (Page 429.)
- "Berit Benot Yisrael", in Hadesh Yameinu = Renew our days: A book of Jewish prayer and meditation, Ronald Aigen. Montreal (Cong. Dorshei Emet), 1996. pages 228-233
- Mothers and Children: Jewish Family Life in Medieval Europe Elisheva Baumgarten, Princeton University Press