Zeved habat

The Zeved Habat (זֶבֶדהַבָּת) is the ceremony of nomination of the girls, generally a month after the birth of the child. It is practiced especially at the Juif S Séfarades. Indeed, the Ashkénaze S are generally satisfied to announce the name of the little girl at the same time as they announce her birth with the synagog, but the practice of Zeved Habat currently knows a renewal at some, even among Ashkénazes Orthodoxes.

To the source of zeved comes the word matana , gift. The event is celebrated with lyric songs and poems as well as a great meal of festival. Raisonnenment basic the, drawn one from the parasha Nitzavim, is that, insofar as any Israel received the Torah with the mount the Sinai, the girls deserve very as much as the boys to enter the alliance (brith) contracted by Abraham with God.

It thus comes to some extent to replace the circumcision, the excision clitoridienne not having course in the Judaïsme, and to recall that the woman is not lower at all than the man, although according to the account of the Genesis, it is subordinate for him.

Ceremony of Zeved Habat

The ceremony can be done as well with the synagog as in residence. The mom thanks God for the childbirth (Birkat hagomel). One sings certain verses of the Cantique of the Canticles (2: 14, and if it is elder, the verse 6:9)

Then the prayer comes where the name is given (semi cheberakh, cf will infra). Another practice which the people of Israel took, on the basis of Midrash, is to say a verse of the Song of Songs or Psaumes starting with each letter of the first name of the baby. It can be also added to it the blessing of the Priests (Birkat kohanim).

Semi sheberach, the blessing of nomination of the girl

The terms between brackets are included in the siddourim sépharades Portuguese Morocco, but not sépharades.

מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ (אִמּוֹתֵינוּ) שָׂרָה וְרִבְקָה. רָחֵל וְלֵאָה. וּמִרְיָם הַנְּבִיאָה וַאֲבִיגַיִל. וְאֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה בַּת אֲבִיחַיִל. הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת הַיַּלְדָּה הַנְּעִימָה הַזּאת. וְיִקָּרֵא שְׁמָהּ (בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל) פלונית . בְּמַזַּל טוֹב וּבְשַׁעַת בְּרָכָה. וִיגַדְּלֶהָ בִּבְרִיאוּת שָׁלוֹם וּמְנוּחָה. וִיזַכֶּה לְאָבִיהָ וּלְאִמָּהּ לִרְאוֹת בְּשִׂמְחָתָהּ וּבְחֻפָּתָהּ. בְּבָנִים זְכָרִים. עשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד. דְּשֵׁנִים וְרַעֲנַנִּים יְנוּבוּן בְּשֵׂיבָה. וְכֵן יְהִי רָצוֹן וְנאמַר אָמֵן׃

Translation: “Him which Blesses (our mothers,) Sarah and Rébecca, Rachel and Lea, and the prophetess Myriam and Abigaël and the Esther Queen, girl of Abi' hayil - can it bless this dear girl, and that its name (in the assembly of Israel) is… girl of So-and-so with good luck and in one hour blessed; Can it grow in good health, in peace and peace; Can his/her father and his mother to see his joy and his marriage, and his sons, to be rich and honoured; And can they live in good health until a advanced age; And that thus is Its will, and say, Amen (I believe)!”.

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