moon; white sliver of shechina's return

8/14/2019 Moon; White Sliver of Shechina's Return

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Moon/White Sliver p. 1

MOON: WHITE SLIVER OF SHECHINAS RETURN

Part One: INTRODUCTION

One hundred years from now we will be certain that naming ceremonies for girls were

handed to Moses at Sinai.

The question is how do we begin to learn what do when a girl is born. Inevitably,

unless we are prepared to forego a welcoming ceremony for daughters altogether, we

must turn our attention to what happens when a boy is born. And no matter how much

it might be preferable to develop our welcome for daughters independently of that for

sons, this need to compare the two has been obvious from the very beginning. In an

article entitled Sarahs Seed - A New Ritual for Women, Mary Gendler raised the

possibility of performing hymenotomies on girls as a parallel to circumcision. Sometime

later, Sharon and Michael Strassfeld suggested full immersion for girls as the

appropriate ritual of welcome based on the Meiri who says that Sarah went to the

mikvah when her husband Abraham circumcised himself.4

We all know what to do when a boy is born. On the eighth day (counting the day

of birth as a full day), we call in the mohel and have a bris. We call this ceremony the

, the Covenant of Circumcision and it is there that we name the boy. Many

people believe that this is the moment when the boy becomes a Jew. Therefore, they

draw the conclusion that the absence of such a moment in the life of a girl means that

girls dont get welcomed into the Jewish people until they become bat mitzva or, in a

more traditional environment, until they marry. To rectify this imbalance, they begin

looking for a ritual to parallel the circumcision and then try to build a ceremony around

it. The result is that, despite esthetic beauty and the opportunity to express deepemotions of gratitude and joy upon the birth of a child, somehow these ceremonies do

not feel rooted in the flow of Jewish tradition. I believe that this is true for two basic

reasons. First, because these ceremonies emerged from ritual rather than content and,

second, because we are misunderstanding in a fundamental way what happens when a

boy is born.

It hardly needs repeating that circumcision has nothing to do with whether a boy

1Statement by Lawrence Kushner in response to a question at a talk he gave at the conference of theReconstructionist Rabbinical Association, March 1990.2See, for example, the excellent effort by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, Brit Bnot Israel: Observations onWomen and Reconstructionism (Response, Summer 1973, No. 18), pp. 101-105. She begins with a carefulanalysis of the power of the circumcision ritual in order to lay a strong foundation for her choice ofShabbat as the covenantal symbol for girls. A notable exception is the ceremony developed by Daniel I.and Myra Leifer which uses wedding imagery as the base for a naming ceremony without reference tocircumcision. On the Birth of a Daughter in The Jewish Woman: New Perspsectives (New York; SchockenBooks, 1976), pp. 21-25.3In Response, No. 24, Winter 1974-75.4An Appropriate Ceremony for Daughters in Shma, December 23, 1983, pp. 27-28.


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is Jewish. Membership in the people is automatic for boy or girl at birth provided that

the mother (or at least one parent) is Jewish. Naming a boy at a is done

primarily for convenience. Since a minyan is usually present and the boy has survived

the circumcision, we feel reasonably confident that he will live and therefore deserves a

name. The traditional Ashkenazic custom of naming a girl at the Shabbat service

following birth is the same principle, except that without the need for minor surgery

(and the possibility of hemophilia), we feel more confident of her survival and therefore

name her in the context of praying for the health and recovery of the new mother.

Syrian Jews have a variation on this custom. Though they also name girls at the

synagogue, the ceremony, called (Seder Zeved haBat), has its own brief

liturgy and a special blessing written only for the baby in which she receives her name.5

The most significant part of our misunderstanding is reflected in the name we give

this ceremony for boys, even in manuals for rabbis and otherwise carefully edited

siddurim. We glibly call it a , and then proceed to translate it as the Covenant

of Circumcision, without asking ourselves what kind of covenant circumcision, or any

ritual, can possibly be. When it comes to Shabbat this is so obvious that we never make

this mistake, because the Torah is clear about it and the pertinent information is

contained in two consecutive verses (Exodus 31:16-17):

.,/',.

Israel shall guard the Shabbat as a sign of an everlasting covenant between it andGod. By observing Shabbat we witness to our agreement that it is God who created our

world in two phases, one of work and the other of rest. By resting we are demonstrating

that we are still party to a covenant which places our people in a special relationship

with God. The covenant is the Covenant of Sinai, the sign of that covenant is the

Shabbat.

The same is true for circumcision. The physical act itself means nothing unless it is

accompanied by a reaffirmation of the actual covenant for which it stands. 6 It is not the

covenant of circumcision but the covenant whose sign is circumcision. In fact, this

is exactly what it is called in the prayer which follows the circumcision (

) and a circumcised penis is called the sign of the holy covenant.

The covenant itself is actually called the Covenant of Abraham our Father. This

is the conclusion of the blessing the father (or parents) traditionally recite(s) just after

5Herbert C. Dobrinsky, A Treasury of Sephardic Laws and Customs (New York; Yeshiva University Press,1988), pp. 3-4. For the liturgy itself, see David De Sola Pool, Seder ha-Tfillot (New York; Union ofSephardic Congregations, 1960), p. 417.6Which is the reason why someone born circumcised, or a male convert who is already circumcised, muststill enter the covenant through a ceremony and .


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the mohel has finished his work.7 The Torah tells us that God and Abraham (and Sarah)

entered into an agreement which involved the following:

1. Abram will be father to multitudes;

2. Abrams name will be changed to Abraham and Sarais to Sarah;

3. God will be God to you and to your offspring to come;

4. the mother of Abrahams covenanted offspring will be Sarah; and

5. the sign of this covenant is circumcision.8

The substance of this covenant is also recalled in the meditation which many

editions of the ceremony place just before this parental blessing and which really

constitutes the essence of what is taking place:

.:

The Blessed Holy One said to Abraham our Father: Walk in My ways and

be blameless.9

In other words, what is really happening when a boy is born is a ritual whichreaffirms the commitment of the Jewish people as a whole to live by this very early

covenant, one which predates Sinai and makes it possible. We affirm that we are still

doing our best to walk with God and be pure and so continue to merit divine protection

for our children. We mark that in the organ which connects men to women and through

which procreation is begun, and we do it at the earliest safe and least painful moment.

Where else could such a covenant which deals so directly with spiritualizing our

sexuality be marked?

The conclusion of this process is that, if we begin by looking at content rather than

ritual, then there is no reason to seek a ritual which in any way parallels circumcision.This ritual is unique to this covenant, a covenant which is between God and the people

of Israel and which is carried and guarded especially by our men. It does point us in the

right direction, however. What we need to ask first is whether there is in our tradition,

either manifest or latent, another covenant which, while being between God and the

people Israel, is especially guarded and carried by our women. I believe the answer to

that question is yes. However, before proceeding directly to this covenant, please permit

a small but significant digression.

'78Genesis 17:2-22

)""(9


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Part Two: HALACHAH, Law or Way?

Rabbeinu Asher (Rosh)...said of the cherem of Rabbenu Gershon...that with it he

established equality between husband and wife.10

We who are new age, Reform, Reconstructionist, and even secular, tend to

assume that the rigidity of many contemporary halachists is due to an inherent rigidity

in the system itself. We see that the operant philosophy is one of rejection of modern life

and an unwillingness to utilize halachah as a tool for improving the quality and texture

of the lives of the real people who are modern Jews. Instead, modern halachists insistthat it is the function of the world, or at least certain sub-communities within the world,

to adjust to suit the demands created by halachic decisions made in previous times and

locations. And since these people have labeled themselves orthodox or orthopraxic

and Torah true, it is easy to allow them to define the parameters and to place

ourselves in the opposition. Thus, it is common for many of us to begin our discussions

by saying that we are not halachic or we are post halachic. While such a starting

point may appear to give us greater creative freedom, in other ways it compromises ourlegitimacy in the larger discussions about Jewish life and, by our own admission, makes

what we have to say irrelevant in any halachic framework.

Such a position also reflects an unwillingness to, and sometimes even a prejudice

against, learning more about the positions we reject. Just as many Jews refuse to

acknowledge the progress being made by many Christians in re-evaluating and

repudiating the evangelical and intolerant attitudes of the Church and insist on judgingall Christians by the standards of modern fundamentalists and medieval doctrine,so

also we who think we sit outside halachah ignore both modern thinkers whose

flexibility is more in keeping with traditional halachah and the datum that the currenthard line is itself a modern phenomenon and only one possible response tomodernity made by caring Jews. We also tend to judge both traditional and modern

halachah by our own cultural standards and assume that anything that looks familiar in

fact is. Again, the result is that we take ourselves out of the framework of traditional

Jewish discourse and we are forced to develop a whole new language. Our Jewishness

becomes personally satisfying, perhaps, but our ceremonies appear shallow and

unrooted.

10Cited in Eliezer Berkovits, Not in Heaven: The Nature and Function of halachah (New York; Schocken Books,1984), pp. 45 and 102.11See, for example, John T. Pawlikowski, Rethinking Christianity: A Challenge to Jewish Attitudes in

Moment, Vol 15 No. 4, August 1990) pp. 36-39.12See, for example, Eliezer Berkovits, op. cit;Jewish Women in Time and Torah (Hoboken, NJ; KtavPublishing House, 1990); David Hartman, A Living Covenant, (New York; The Free Press, 1985); IrvingGreenberg The Religious Argument Over Feminism (National Jewish Resource Center [CLAL], January1985), pp. 1-2.


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While I too question the extent to which I can properly claim to be a halachic Jew,

even a very liberal one, I would still assert that halachah is the dynamic and flexible

process by which we determine how to respond to contemporary life in the light of

Sinai. There simply is no question that we have changed dramatically over the

centuries, creating new ceremonies where there were none before, establishing new

precedents, and even deliberately changing the explicit meaning of Torah texts to

conform to changed realities and values.

The very word halachah itself, deriving from the root , has more in common

with going than arriving, with process rather than conclusion.14halachah is the path we

walk, and like any path (as opposed to a superhighway), follows the contours of the

land in order to arrive at its destination. It is definitely oriented toward a goal, but seeks

to reach that goal in a way which is appropriate to the terrain which must be covered.

The second point is that halachah is more the story of relationships than of entities.

We have come to view each person as a separate unit rather than as part of a network.

We therefore assume that any time a halachic statement appears to favour men overwomen, it proves the male chauvinist bias of the rabbis. Yet, this is really more our own

cultural bias. As we will see in the sources analyzed below, the rabbinic concern wasfocused more on why heterosexual relationships were organized as they were rather

than on which entity is superior.

Finally, the quote used to begin this section emphasizes something oftenoverlooked when we examine Judaisms attitude toward women. The clear trend in

both aggadic and halachic literature is toward greater equality for women. At each stage

in the development of both general and Jewish society, there is change in the relative

status of women to men. Certainly, by our standards, the cherem of Rabbenu Gershom

did not create full equality between husband and wife.15 It left intact the principle that a

woman cannot initiate a divorce proceeding herself and therefore also left the problem

of the agunah unsolved.16 However, within the culture of that time and place, which was

Christian and monogamous, this ban was clearly a major step forward. It removed the

embarrassment of legally sanctioned polygyny, retained Jewish realism in allowing

marriages to dissolve in divorce, and added a new provision which permitted the

woman something which had been clearly forbidden until that point; the opportunity tonegotiate a reasonable settlement for herself.

13Bar and later Bat Mitzva being only the most obvious.14The expression, is translated as what he says, goes. (Alcalay, The Complete Hebrew-EnglishDictionary, 1981, p. 533).15The herem, or ban, of Rabbenu Gershom forbade a husband to divorce his wife against her will and,simultaneously, forbade the husband from taking a second wife before the divorce of the first wascomplete. This made it possible for a wife to negotiate the terms of her own divorce at the time of themarriage break-up, rather than having her father anticipate it when negotiating the ketubah.16The agunah, or anchored woman, is one whose husband has disappeared. Since it is not known whetherhe is dead, she may not remarry lest he return and the children she has with her second husband bedeclared bastards and she an adulteress. This situation can never totally disappear until we grant awoman the right to initiate her own divorce in a Jewish court.


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Even more significant is the fact that the statement was even made. What it shows

us is that achieving equality between the sexes is desirable. The Rosh may have

breathed his sigh of relief too soon, but it is crucial to appreciate that he sees equality as

a goal. Furthermore, the evidence which shows that his statement and feeling are

normative is really overwhelming. The ktubah itself17 is an earlier step in the same

direction, as are the conditional clauses and pre-nuptial agreements being offered today

by the Conservative and Modern Orthodox movements.18

The famous principle that women are not obligated to perform positive, time-

bound commandments is another case in point. As Robert Gordis has pointed out, it is

likely that this observation was not intended as prescriptive but as generally descriptive

of what prevailed in Mishnaic times.19 Officially, the later commentators all saw this as aprescriptive statement, i.e. women may not perform such commandments nor can they

ever become legally obligated to do so. Nevertheless, actual practice permitted both

men and women the right to take on the observance of commandments heretofore not

obligatory which would then become real obligations.20 The following examples will

illustrate this point in relation to women and observance:

,-)(.-

)(.?

All positive time-bound commandments - men are obligated and women

are free; and all positive commandments which are not time-bound are

equally obligatory for both men and women. (Kiddushin Chapter 1 Mishna 7)

What is an example of a positive time-bound commandment: Sukkah,

Lulav, and Tefillin. (Tosefata, ibid., piska 10)17The ketubah, or marriage contract, is an innovation confirmed if not created by the rabbis of the Talmud.Its purpose is to establish the cost of either a divorce or an inheritance settlement (should the husbanddie). Since the Talmud does not challenge the husbands right to artbitrary divorce (as does the herem ofRabbenu Gershom), this was a way of encouraging him to seek a reconciliation and, if that failed, to forcehim to buy back the ketuba before a court would authorize the writing of a bill of divorce.18I am thinking here of the so-called Lieberman clause inserted by the Conservative movement into thebody of the ketuba itself. This clause calls for binding rabbinic arbitration if either party refuses a Jewishdivorce after the completion of the civil one. Also, many modern Orthodox rabbis today provide a pre-nuptial agreement which specifies fines for each day that either party witholds the Jewish divorce.Neither of these solves the problem it addresses, but each represents a serious step to minimize it.

Perhaps if more of the Jews who now call themselves non-halakhic saw themselves as forceful halakhicinnovators, we might be able to construct a herem or takkana which would give women the right toinitiate their own divorce proceedings and so set in motion a process which would really solve thisproblem once and for all.19The Ordination of Women inMidstream (Aug/Sept 1980), p. 136.20The mitzva to wash the hands before eating bread is such an example, since this was originally arequirement only for priests while serving in the Temple.

21The following three references are cited from Eliakim G. Ellinson, Ha-Isha v-ha-Mitzvot (Jerusalem; TheJewish Agency, 1973), pp. 23, 49, 44.


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In this earliest source, the Mishnah states the general principle. Examples of time

bound positive commandments which women need not perform are given by the

Tosefta.

,),'"(.,

Most of our women are very strict and are careful and eager to observemost positive time-bound commandments such as Shofar and Lulav and

it is treated as a case where they have accepted them as obligation.

(Responsa of R. Akiba Eger)

In this second source, which comes from 19th century Germany, Rabbi Egers

statement shows that women are now observing, as a requirement, precisely one of the

commandments which the Tosefta had said women need not observe (lulav) along with

hearing the shofar which, while not mentioned specifically in the Talmud, clearly fallsinto the category of a positive time-bound commandment.

Finally, notice the progression in the following two sources with regard to the

requirement to recline at the Passover seder:

)"(.,

.

A woman having seder with her husband need not recline, but if she is an

important woman then she must recline. (Pesahim 108a)

All of our women are called important. (Rama on Orah Hayyim 472:4)

The result of the line of reasoning and the examples presented in this section is that

innovations which seek to correct imbalances and achieve equality between men and

women in Jewish community are entirely traditional. The results, forms and

ceremonies, may be new, but the process is time-honoured. By seeking a way to

celebrate the births of our daughters in a covenantal ceremony, we are following in the

footsteps of those of our ancestors who had the courage to innovate and implement

changes in harmony with ethics and with the over-all direction ofhalachah, our life path.


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Part Three: METHOD, or Reb Zalmans Paradox

I want us to know that we are a . A doesnt mean that a thing is brand new. It

means that we have discovered a new way of looking at the old that suddenly takes

away the , the difficulties that we have.

A second, and final digression, this time on method. In his address to PeRaH

members in July, 1989, Reb Zalman presented us with a significant and paradoxicalsituation. On the one hand, he confirmed that the efforts we are making to renew Jewish

spirituality and create the liturgies necessary for that renewal are something new. On

the other, he spoke very strongly about the need to remember both that new can be a

fresh angle on something old and that we must know how to communicate with otherrabbis in the traditional Jewish language.

You need to know the words. I have a feeling that when you come to talk

with other rabbis the first issue thats going to come up is do you knowhow to use C the right way....To be a rabbi, you must know how

to use the references and the right terminology.

To simply declare a change, create something entirely new, and hope that over time

it will find its own roots in tradition is really the last resort. It is preferable to locate

antecedents in the past, however latent, and by a process of extrapolation build that

new piece which is needed in our generation. In Reb Zalmans words:

Every one of us discovers raisins in the cake, little gems in the sources,

and I would like to see a collection made of these gems. Reb Yaakov

Emden (18th century), has the following in one of his E : A woman

gives birth to a baby girl while her husband is away at war or on a trip. In

order to name the girl, he suggested that a GF should meet in the house

of the I , that the I be called to the Torah, and that a should

be made afterward naming the child. You understand why I think we

need to have these things accessible to us? They give us roots in the past.

This is the approach taken in this article. I believe that there are precedents in

traditional sources and trends which legitimize the development of a covenant concept

for a welcoming ceremony for daughters. There is also a ritual component available as

well. And there is a path of interpretation which allows these sources to be woven

together in a way which produces a new fabric, one which honours the arrival of our

daughters as we have long honoured the arrival of our sons. Even more, it explains why

the development of a public welcoming for daughters deserves to be developed now,

22PeRaH is an acronym for the Pnai Or Rabbinic Hevra which was a loose association of rabbis andJewish professionals who saw themselves connected to the movement for Jewish spiritual renewal and toReb Zalman in particular. Reb Zalmans talk was transcribed and printed in issues number 4 & 5 of thePeRaH newsletter and is available from Daniel Siegel. OHaLaH,: The Association of Rabbis for JewishRenewal, is the successor to PeRaH.


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that in fact this is the moment for which the tradition has been waiting. We could not

have been expected to take this step before this generation, nor can we postpone it

beyond our own time. Therefore, we can create something new while not losing touch

with what has gone before. Rather than challenging the limitations of our predecessors,

we honour their innovatedness with our own.24

23We once named a baby girl with an Orthodox rabbinical couple present. He had received semicha fromYeshivah University and she was a learned Kotzker Hasid. After the ceremony was over, she told us thatnothing in it save the use of one blessing felt inappropriate to her.24As another example, read the long introduction to the Zohar in which the claim is clearly and repeatedlymade that this new approach to biblical commentary is in fact not new, has always existed as part of theDivine throne, and has only been awaiting its proper moment to be revealed. The ascription of the bookto the Talmudic sage, R. Shimon bar Yochai is yet another example of this same approach to innovation.


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Part Four: GUARDING THE SACRED CYCLES

Welcome Woman-Child

Newborn guardian

of the sacred gift

of cycles and seasons.

Within and all around you

Be witness to the rhythms ofsurrender and renewal

faith and love

Awaken intuition and knowledge

to the indwelling presence -

We welcome you

into the worldinto your family

into your people

May you know from your early days

how we travel through the dance

of dark and light

slavery and freedom

wandering and revelationplanting and harvest

new moon and full moons

from the illumined place of now

the sanctuary in time -

(Hanna Tiferet Siegel)

Let us return, then, to the specifics of how we develop a ceremony in which we

welcome our daughters into the ongoing covenantal life of the Jewish people. Following

the logic of what I have written thus far, the procedure would be as follows:

First, we identify a covenant which exists between God and the Jewish people

which implicitly is already a part of our tradition. That covenant must be one which

involves the whole Jewish people but which is guarded in some special way by women.

The content of that covenant must then be made explicit and incorporated into the text

of the ceremony itself.

Second, a ritual must be created which expresses that covenant and is linked to it.

The behaviours performed must somehow be an obvious expression of the concept


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inherent in the covenant, reinforcing its significance and committing the babys parents

to teaching the child the meaning of the covenant which (s)he has entered this day.25

Reb Zalman once told me that when a father brings his son to the mohel, it is the father

saying yes to his own circumcision.

Third, the ceremony must be assigned a time and place for performance which is

close to the actual time of birth, coherent with its own internal logic, and appropriate forthe addition of the naming itself. In other words, the naming becomes an addendum to

the covenantal ritual rather than the reason for the ceremony. In this sense, it parallels

the ritual for boys and gives the primary focus to the reaffirmation of a covenant.

Where, then, is the covenant between God and the Jewish people which is carried

and guarded especially by women and what is its ritual expression? I believe that the

covenant is encoded in the rabbinic responses to the story of the creation of the sun and

moon and the ritual confirmation is to be found in Rosh Hodesh, the New Moon.

What follows, then, is:

a review and analysis of pertinent texts relating to the creation and

unequal status of the sun and moon;

an analysis of the traditions response to this inequality;

a review and analysis of the Rosh Hodesh holiday in midrash and

halachah; and

some notes to introduce the text of the ceremony which Hanna and I

developed.

The discussion begins with the following account in the Torah:

KL...)",":(.

"".")":,"(.

God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate day

from night; they shall serve as signs for the set times -- the days and the

years.... God made the two great lights, the greater light to dominate the

day and lesser light to dominate the night, and the stars. (Genesis 1: 14, 16)

The great lights. They were created equal, but the moon was

diminished because she charged that it was impossible for two sovereigns

to share one crown. (Rashi, Genesis 1:16)

As is often the case, Rashi here provides the answer without specifying the

question. It is as though the Torahs text contains an ellipse, for if these are the two

25A Rabbiss Manual (New York; The Rabbinical Assembly, 1965), p. 11.


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great lights, then how can it be that all of a sudden one is greater and the other is

lesser? Something must have happened between the moment when they were created

and the following one when they were placed in their respective domains and in

relationship to each other. Rashi reports an abridged version of that story which appears

at greater length and with different nuances of meaning in three separate rabbinic

sources. Though I have arranged them to create a meaning pattern conducive to

achieving my stated purpose, it is possible that this sequence does represent the

development of rabbinic thought on the relationship between mens apparent

dominance over women, each effort provoking the next level of response.

Before introducing these texts, however, let us look briefly at one other just to

establish that the story of the creation of the sun and moon is clearly understood asparallel to the creation of the man and woman later on in the text.

".""'"

.)

:

",

"(

"")",(.

And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him;

male and female He created them.26 Later on the text reads: He took one

of his ribs, etc. An aggadic midrash teaches that God created the human

as two faces in one creation and then divided it into two beings. (Genesis

1:27, Rashi)

About this phrase, male and female He created them. At first, thecreation was of male and female inclusive in one soul, but the actual

formation was of the man first and then of the building of the side into the

woman as will be described at the end. Therefore, here the Torah

describes the creation and in the later section the Torah describes theformation and the wise will understand. (Ramban, ibid.)

Both Rashi and the Ramban are responding to the same question, asked long

before modern Biblical criticism began, which resembles the question asked about thesun and the moon. According to Genesis 1:27, God created both the male and female

human beings at the same time, just as had been done with all other animals. However,chapter two of Genesis describes that same creation as taking place in two separate

steps, the man being created in verse seven and the woman only later in verses twenty-

one and twenty-two. In the same way as the commentators want to know what it is that26All translations from the Tanakh (Hebrew Scriptures) are taken from Tanakh: A New Translation of theHoly Scriptures (Philadelphia; The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1985). Unless otherwiseindicated, all other translations are by the author. Changes in English font size represent additions to theHebrew original made in order to enhance readibility. Similar changes in the Hebrew represent thecompletion of verse fragments. English translations of the Zohar follow the Hebrew of the Sulam.


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happened between the apparently equal and simultaneous creations of the sun and

moon and then their immediately following inequality, so also they wanted to

understand why a creation of equal and simultaneous origin is later subdivided in a

way which implies an inequality and turns the woman into a derivative of the man.

In this case, both Rashi and the Ramban agree that man and woman began as

equals. Their explanations for the change are different, stemming as they do from thedifferent roots of their answers. For Rashi, the story is sequential. Man and woman were

originally created as a single physical being. For reasons which he does not delineate,

this unified being is then later on (in chapter two) divided into two separate beings. 27

For the Ramban, however, this primal unity is a function of the level of reality in which

the story is reported. When we are talking about creation ( ) then the unity of

male and female is obvious. When the story shifts away from creation to the forming

( ) of actual material entities, then the unity is hidden behind the veil of separation

required in a physical universe. In both examples, we are witnessing a response to the

same problem encountered earlier in the story of the sun and moon and solutions which

are strikingly similar.

".''"....

''"''".".""".,".'

),:',(.Rabbi Berachya in the name of Rabbi Seemon said: Both of them were

created to bring light, as it is written: And they shall serve as lights in the

expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth. And it was so....And God set

them in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth.

Rabbi Yudan in the name of Rabbi Tanhum the son of Rabbi Hiyya and

Rabbi Pinhas in the name of Rabbi Seeman said: After God calls them big,

God goes back and reduces them. It sounds strange that God made the

two great lights, the greater light to dominate the day and the lesser light

to dominate the night. This happened because the one entered thedomain of the other. Rabbi Pinhas said: With all the sacrifices it is written

and one goat for a sin offering28 and on Rosh Hodesh it is written And

there shall be one goat as a sin offering to the LORD ( Numbers 28: 15).

27For the reasons why this physical connectedness is severed, see the Zohar Bereshit 20a for a version ofthis story told about the sun and the moon and also 47a and 48b for the same story told about the firstperson.28e.g. Numbers 29:5, 19.


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The Holy Blessed One said: bring an expiation for me because I

diminished the moon, since I caused him to enter the domain of his

friend.(Bereshit Rabba 6:1,4)

Returning, then, to the rabbinic sources which discuss the reasons for the

diminution of the moon, Midrash Genesis Rabba offers the reason that the moon caused

her own relegation by entering into the domain of the sun, that is, it was visible duringthe day. Therefore, even though it was Gods intention to have both of them in the sky

to provide light for the earth, the moon lost its parity by seeking to expand its influence

into the day. This explanation is straightforward, moralistic, and male oriented.

However, the last section of the midrash suddenly reverses the responsibility and places

it on God, who now admits causing the moon to enter the domain of the sun. Thisabrupt change is difficult to understand without reference to another source with a

slightly different version of this same story.

""":

":""....":.:?N.:?:.29:"30:.""""""..",".?"'""):(."

Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi pointed to an incongruity. It is written God

made the two great lights and it is written the greater light...and the

lesser light. The moon said before the Holy Blessed One: Master of the

universe, can two sovereigns use one crown? God said to her: Go anddiminish yourself. She said to God: Master of the universe, if what I said

to You was correct, why should I go and diminish myself? God replied:

Go and rule in the day and the night. She said to God: What gain is this?

Does a candle provide light at noon? God said: Go, and Israel will keep

track of the days and years through you. She said: It will be impossible

not to use the sun as well for keeping time, as it is written, They shallserve as signs for the set times -- the days and the years. Go, God replies,

because the righteous will share your name, Little Jacob, Little Samuel,

Little David. God saw that she was not appeased, so God said let them

bring an expiation for Me for diminishing the moon. This is what R.

)"(:29)"(:30


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Shimon ben Lakish said: Why is the goat of Rosh Hodesh different from

all the others in that it is offered for God? The Holy Blessed One said:

Let this be expiation for me for diminishing the moon. (Bavli, Hulin 60b)

In this version of the story, the reason why the sin offering of Rosh Hodesh is

different from all others is made very clear. Rather than faulting the moon for seeking

greater power, here God has shot the messenger. The moon has reported somethingobvious: it is difficult for two beings of equal power to share the same domain. She only

implies that something should be done about it and in no way deserves to bear

responsibility for her suggestion. Even more, in this version there is no hint that the

moon invaded the domain of the sun. Rather, God offers to her the option of being

visible during the day as one of the consolation prizes for not being able to shine witha light equal to that of the sun. Finally, after repeated efforts to justify the action of

diminishing her, God admits that this action has no justification and requires an

ongoing atonement - an admission that the current situation is in fact unfair, even if

necessary.

Applied to relationships between men and women, this text admits that there is a

deeper level of understanding, at least of behavioural psychology, in the feminine and

in women. It is often the one who notices the discrepancy who is asked to assume

responsibility for its rectification. Thus, no feminine inferiority is implied here (as it

was in the previous source) and the moon is only making a (painful) accommodation to

the (masculine) sun who apparently never notices the potential for conflict in the

original situation.

It is, however, in the Zohar and Zohar Hadash that the story is told in its most

amplified form. Here too, one can see a pattern of development, but this time its starting

point is far beyond that of the midrash, both in terms of respect for the moon and the

obvious connections between this story and the way men and women relate. What

follows then, are three separate references to the same story:

.,,",.."

",,","",

,",G",",

31As I have learned in committee work: whoever calls attention to something that needs to be done, chairsthe sub-committee.

I am grateful to Prof. Arthur Hertzberg for checking this text with me and confirming my suspicions thatthe translators either were using different versions or were disturbed enough by what the text actuallysays that they rearranged it in order to provide a more conventional message.32Meaning, be a separate entity providing wisdom for the lower worlds, known as foxes, which need it.


16/36


.""",K/PC

,,,,,,",,,,"","".,,,.

.,).(...,

God made the two great lights: made means that everything was as it

should be in terms of size and correctness. The two great lights. At first

they were bound together as one [i.e. equal, and therefore they did not

need each other]. This is the hidden meaning of the two names of God(YHVH and Elohim) taken as one, even though this is not revealed but in

a hidden way.

(I have translated this first paragraph following the Hebrew translationgiven in the . However, he clearly changes the text of the second

paragraph and the Soncino translation rearranges the order of the text.

What follows then, is my own translation of this text:)

The moon was not comfortable in relation to the sun, each was

embarassed by the other. The moon said,

Tell me, you whom I love so well; where do you pasture your

sheep? (Song of Songs 1:7)

The sun said,

Where do you rest them at noon? (Ibid.)

How can a small candle give light at noon?

(The moon said:) Let me not be as one who strays beside the flocks of

your fellows. (Ibid.)

How can I be in hiding (or so embarrassed)!

So, she diminished herself to become first among those below, as it is

written: If you do not know, O fairest of women, Go follow the tracks of

the sheep and graze your kids by the tents of the shepherds.God said to her: Go and diminish yourself.

From then on she had no light, except from the sun, even though at the

beginning they were connected to each other as one. Afterwards, she

33Another text, also from the Zohar Hadash, makes this equality more specific:,,,,","?".,",.,):",,(.',",


17/36


diminished herself, at all of her levels, even though she remains at their

head, for she no longer has significance apart from her husband. The

great light, this is the Divine name YHVH, And the small(er) light, this

is the Divine name Elohim, the last of all the levels, at the end of the

thought. At the beginning the feminine was inscribed above with the

letters of the Holy Name, particularly the fourth letter of the Name, but

afterwards she was diminished and called by the name Elohim.

Nevertheless, she (the feminine) continues to shine from all sides (that is,

from above as well).(Zohar Bereshit 20a)

What is crucial in this somewhat ambiguous section is that, at first, the sun and

moon were of equal stature, each complete and independent of the other. Yet, there was

something disturbing about this equality, apparently in the way it affected their love for

each other. The question she asks of him is less clear than the condescending way inwhich he responds. She seems to want to know where he spends his nights (hoping to

spend them together?) and he clearly is annoyed by her seemingly irrelevant presenceduring the day. It disturbs him that even a second dim light would share his time on

centre stage. Feeling devalued, she diminishes herself, retaining her fundamental power

but choosing to express it in a way which avoids confrontation with her lover and

competitor. And, it is God who then confirms the correctness of her response to the

situation. In this version, however, we are now seeing the suggestion that diminution in

the power of the moon (i.e. the feminine) is only apparent and not real.

,".'",,.,,,,,.

,.,,.,,

.,".,

",.,,.,

",",",".,,,,.,".

,",".,..


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",".,,",,,.

,.",".,,

,:,",(.,,.):"

It is written: God made the two great lights, etc. God made. At first,

the two lights were equal to each other, as the friends said. And we saidthat these two lights were bound one to the other in a single secret

meaning. They were weighted equally, so that both could be called

great, as we already said.

This is not because the moon was any greater in significance then than she

is now, but rather that all the time that the moon existed in this unity with

the sun then, because of him, i.e. the sun, then she is called with him

great. The tail of a lion is the lion and is called lion.

The moon said to the Holy Blessed One, Can one sovereign use two

crowns as one? Rather, each one needs to be separate.

God said to her: I see that you would rather be a head for foxes.34 Go and

diminish yourself, because even though you will become their head, in

diminishment you will still be more than you are now.

And this is what the moon meant by citing the verse, Tell me, you whom

I love so well; Where do you pasture your sheep? How can you leadyour world using two crowns at once? Where do you rest them at

noon? The moon is not worthy of giving light under those

circumstances, and it is impossible to lead the worlds using two crowns at

once, the sun and the moon, because the moon has no light at noon.

Therefore, it is impossible for You to use two crowns as one.

The Holy Blessed One said to her: I understand you, so go and diminish

yourself. If you do not know, O fairest of women, since it is you who

said that it is impossible for me to lead to world using two crowns as one,

go and diminish yourself and lead the foxes.Go follow the tracks of the sheep. Go out and lead those camps and

hosts below. Shepherd them, lead them, and be sovereign over everything

below, and lead each one in the way appropriate to him/her. Rule at

night. Definitely go out, diminish yourself, that is right for you. (Zohar

Hadash, Song of Songs 70:4ff)

34Which are usually associated with , the feminine.


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At one level, this text seems to say that the only reason the moon was ever called

great was because it was tied to the sun. Regardless of its relative significance to the

whole, a part of the whole is still known as the whole. Still, the Zohar does say that they

were valued equally, even though the moon somehow gains through being the head of

the foxes.35 And it is also the case that the moons argument is an interesting one: why

use two forces to accomplish a single end? Why not institute a division of labour which

gives each force a sphere of its own? Here again, the diminishment of the moon is more

apparent than real and seems to be easily negotiated between God and the moon. The

sun, consistently, never plays a role in these discussions. Again, there is the ascription ofsome greater level of understanding and sensitivity, even a special harmony with the

Divine will, to the moon, the feminine and, by extension women. This last text from the

Zohar for this section completes this reasoning and makes it obvious.

,,",",,,

,",,.

,,,,",",.)(."

God made the two great lights, this was a light and that was a light

(which means that the sun and moon were equally lights unto themselves

and this equality is not really affected by the diminishment of the moon).

Therefore, those lights that remained above are called , the lightsof light, and those which descended are called , the lights of fire

(which are the attributes of binah, tiferet and malchut which descended

into the feminine, and now F , the miniature presence, here

meaning the masculine, raises them back to him, together with the

feminine, and they are called the lights of fire....You must understand that

the meaning of this is not that the masculine is then confined only to the

two spheres ofketer and hokhma, nor is the feminine limited to binah,tiferet and malkhut, but they are both inclusive of each other.) These

qualities which descended rule during the six days of work and therefore,when Shabbat ends we make a blessing over a candle because that is

when they have permission to rule. (Which means that on Shabbat the

masculine and feminine are coupled in the greater way, face to face...and

as the Shabbat ends and the great coupling , face to face, of the masculine

and feminine stops, then the feminine is permitted to reveal her lights of

35See also Zohar Ber eshit 34a (Rav Yitzhak said) which cites the same verse.


20/36


fire.)...And when Shabbat leaves, the lights of fire are hidden, are not

revealed, and the lights of light rule, each one on its place. When do they

rule? From Saturday night to Friday night, and therefore they must

receive their light from that fire at the end of Shabbat. (ibid.)

Here, what was latent before is now manifest. Each body was a light unto itself,

and the moon is no less for having been diminished. The lights which havedescended into our reality, particularly the qualities of ,, (Binah, Tiferet

and Malkhut36), have not in reality separated from the higher, masculine qualities but

are rejoined and indeed each is included in the other. Their lights shine together always,

even if it seems that it is the masculine light shining by itself. This truth becomes

manifest each Shabbat, when masculine and feminine unite and then appear to separate

again at Havdalah. It is at that moment, symbolized by the multi-wick candle, that we

appreciate how the energy of the doer is possible only through the equally important

presence of the field. The lights of light can only shine as they do because of the

lights of fire, which empower them. Masculine and feminine, sun and moon, men and

women, subject and field, all are one. The Genesis story of an unequal partnershipbetween the energies is a chimera, smoke and mirrors which allow the duality of this

world to come into being only to be reintegrated into a supernal harmony and unity.

The major difficulty in accepting these texts is that they still justify a role for the

feminine, and women, which is hidden. This retains a conventional Jewish effort which

rationalizes the role of the women as powerful, but invisible, people who manipulate

from behind the curtain. If these were the only available sources, then they would not

go far enough to lay a foundation on which we could build something appropriate for

our own time and we would be forced to create something new without reference to our

tradition and its values.

Fortunately, however, this is not the case. There exist at least three sources which

indicate that the explanations given to the apparently unequal nature of the masculine-

feminine relationship are to be understood as explaining only why the current situation

has existed thus far. They suggest that the explanations are not be to be taken as

absolute, but as intermediate steps on the way to a radically different future.

The first of these combines a biblical verse with a rabbinic commentary as follows:

/P

)":(.'),(..

And the light of the moon shall become like the light of the sun, and the

light of the sun shall become sevenfold, like the light of the seven days,

36The word appears twice in the verse from Zechariah which the Zohar sees as pointing to a unity

between opposites. The use of the word to label day one, when duality first appears, as opposed tosaying the first day, reinforces the idea that two is only another manifestation of unity.


21/36


when the LORD binds up His peoples wounds and heals the injuries it

has suffered. (Isaiah 30:26)

As the light of the sun. Her light will shine like that of the sun. (Mtsudat

David, ad locum)37

This vision for the end of days is expressed in a different way in the conclusion of

the following passage from the Zohar:

,"'",",","",.,

,,,,,,,,,,,.,""

.,,,,,,,,",'",,,""",,"):(.",

All the supernal shining lights, shine in this expanse of the sky in order

to form the appropriate images below. As it is written: And God set them

in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth, to dominate the day and

the night. The rule of these two lights, this is the rule as it should be.

The great light rules by day, the small light rules at night. From this we

learn this secret, that the masculine dominates during the day, to fill the

house with everything that is needed, meat and grains. When night falls,the feminine takes everything, and only the feminine dominates in the

home, since this is her time to rule, as it is written: She rises while it is

still night, and supplies provisions for her household (Proverbs 31:15),

she and not he. The masculine rules by day, the feminine by night.

The greater light - this is the sun, and it has twelve gates and twelve

hours, and the sun has dominion over the day. The lesser light - it also

has twelve gates and is the moon whose dominion is at night which also

has twelve hours. Therefore it is said: In that day there shall be one God

with one name (Zechariah 14:9). The sun and his twelve gates become

37Nosson Scherman, The Complete Artscroll Siddur (Sefard) (Brooklyn; Mesorah Publications, 1985), p.652. The last verse quoted in the section is from Hosea 3:5.


22/36


the thirteen attributes of mercy. The night, (which is the) moon, with her

twelve gates also make thirteen. Sun and moon become one, night and

day become one, and that is why it is written And there was evening and

there was morning, a first day.38 The secret of this unity occurs only

above (beyond duality). (Zohar Bereshit 20b)

Finally and most directly, is the following selection from the liturgy for ,the monthly sanctification of the new moon:

'.'".."

May it be Your will, Adonai my God and God of my ancestors, to fill the

flaw of the moon that there be no diminution in it. May the light of the

moon be like the light of the sun and like the light of the seven days of

creation, as it was before it was diminished, as it is said: The two greatluminaries. And may there be fulfilled upon us the verse that is written:

They shall seek Adonai, their God, and David, their king. Amen.39

This liturgy is found in every traditional siddur in this form. Almost

unconsciously, the idea entered the mainstream that an indication of the messianic

future arriving is the resumption of a publicly visible equality between men and

women. It is plausible to assert that there exists a powerful stream within Jewish

tradition which recognized the imbalance between men and women as temporary, a

transitional step between early innocence and a redemption which would restore a

pristine harmony.

We are now on the verge of understanding the special covenant carried by Jewish

women on behalf of us all. There is an understanding we have with God that certain

conditions which were envisioned at the beginning of creation but were unable to come

into immediate existence, will indeed manifest as this phase of history nears

completion. Part of this promise is the re-emergence of a visible equality between men

and women, just as other parts of this promise envision a new harmony among peoples,an end to war, and universal recognition of God. Our usual expression of this aspiration

is the daily remembering of the Exodus, the miraculous beginning of our own

redemption which leads to the universal redemption. The special way in which we givethis focus is through the observance of the pilgrimage festivals whose dates are set by

observance of the new moon.

":'"."

38As is implied both in Psalm 66 and in the first of the two blessings recited prior to the Shma each day.The sun shines on the righteous and wicked equally and is a function of a Divine mercy which isavailable to everyone.39Cited from Getsel Ellinson, , p. 93


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"."".)":"(..... ,(.):

God said, Let there be lights. Rabbi Yohanan began: He made the

moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows when to set. (Psalm 104:19).

Rabbi Yohanan said: Only the sun was created to bring light. If so, whywas the moon created? For the seasons, so that the months and years will

be sanctified on her cycle....(Bereshit Rabbah Ch. 6:1)


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Rosh Chodesh

The sun provides daily light and warmth. Yet this light shines day after day

without a particular spiritual significance.40 The moon, on the other hand, guides the

sanctification of time. Its phases provide the benchmarks which allow us to schedule

our sacred observances, marking the cycles which take us around the year, spiraling

through history from darkness to light and from slavery to redemption. We arecovenanted with God to walk in purity for the sake of our children, to observe halachah

in acknowledgment of creation, and to celebrate both in memory and in anticipation of

redemption. The gateway to these sacred cycles linking past and future is Rosh Hodesh,

the new moon observance and celebration.

:.:,,("".):

:.".,.

?.,.--)("":)(.,

Aaron thought to himself. If I tell them to give me silver and gold, theywill immediately bring them. Instead, I will tell them to bring me the

earrings which belong to their wives and daughters and the whole matterwill end. As it is indicated by the way the verse is written: Aaron said to

them, Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your

sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me (Exodus 32:2).

The women heard, didnt agree and refused to give their jewelry to their

husbands. Rather, they said to them: We refuse to obey you if your

purpose is to make a calf (idol) and abomination which has no power to

save. God then gave them their reward in this world in that women guardthe new moons more than men, and God gave them a reward in the world

to come that they will be renewed as are the months.

The men saw that the women were refusing to obey them and give their

earrings to their husbands. What did they do? Until that moment the men

were wearing earrings like Arabs. They took the earrings from their own

ears and gave them to Aaron, as it is written: And all the people (men)

40Eliahu Kitov, Sefer Hatodaah, (Jerusalem, A Publishers) p. 175 (translation mine).


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took off the gold rings that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron

(ibid. 3).-- it doesnt say here the rings in their wives ears, but in their

(own) ears. (Pirkei DRabbi Eliezer Ch. 45)41

This well known midrash provides the link we have been waiting for. If the

holidays represent our commitment to a future different than our now, and rosh hodesh

represents the gateway to those holidays, then here the special relationship betweenwomen and rosh hodesh is established. An observance which was to have been given

equally to men and women is now given over more to the women than the men. While

the covenant itself remains the property of the entire people, its gateway ritual is now to

be guarded primarily by the women.

In this context it is interesting to note the following in relation to Hannukah:

At that time, in the days of the Hasmoneans and shortly thereafter, the

essence of Hannukah was in the celebration of the miraculous military

victory, in the destruction of the wicked and the repeal of their decrees

against Shabbat observance, against sanctifying to the new month whichleads to the loss of the holidays. and against circumcisions.42

Here, the three covenants mentioned are all included. The one, circumcision,

which is carried by men; Shabbat, which is to be guarded equally by men and women,and rosh hodesh, which has the special connection to women.

Nor is this transfer limited only to a midrash, a homiletic text. The observance ofrosh hodesh by women as a special day, a holiday for them but not for the men, is

codified in halakhic sources.

43"):'(""):( "44.""'"'"""

"RST":41

,-,::42

.,-,43The exact quote reads as follows: But what of the New Moon which is called a festival, let the completeHallel be said on it? - [New Moon] is not sanctified as to [prohibition of] labour, as it is written: Ye shallhave a song as in the night when a feast is hallowed (Isaiah 30:29), i.e. only the night sanctified towards afestival requires a song, but the night which is not sanctified towards a festival does not require a song.(Soncino translation, Kodashin, Vol. 3, p. 57).44In fact, this reference is incorrect. Its significance is discussed in the Bet Yosef and the Bayit Hadash. Thecorrect source is Hagigah 18a (see below).


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"...."

)",,(

We read in chapter two (of the tractate Arakhin) that it is not forbidden to

work on Rosh Hodesh45 and this is reiterated in the first chapter of Moed

Katan46 that Rosh Hodesh demonstrates that there can be both a Musafsacrifice and permission to work on the same day. In the tractate Megillah

(22a) we find that Rosh Hodesh and Hol Hamoed are referred to as

examples of days when the people do not miss work. This implies that it

is forbidden to work on Rosh Hodesh since it says that they dont miss

work by staying longer in the synagogue. They did decide to add one

(aliyah) and call four to the Torah. This change was instituted because ofthe women, since women do not work on that day. And this we find also

in the Yerushalmi, The custom for those women who do not work on

Rosh Hodesh is to be honoured. It is also found in Pirkei DRabbi Eliezer,

Chapter 45 that since the wives refused to give their jewelry to their

husbands in the episode of the Golden Calf, therefore God gave them

their reward that they guard Rosh Hodesh more than the men. And I

heard a reason for this from my brother Rabbi Yehudah, that since the

holidays (the set times) correspond to the patriarchs...and the twelve new

moons which are also called holidays (or are known as set times)

correspond to the twelve tribes and when they sinned with the calf they

were taken from them and given to the(ir) women as a reminder that theydid not participate in this sin. (Tur, Orah Hayim, Hilkhot Rosh Hodesh)

""""')-:,(""""'"),(."

45lit on the day of the incident (JPS, p. 451)46The complete texts of the Rashi and Tosafot are as follows:

,....,-:"",",.:"".:""),("":-:,:!,:.,


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There is a difficulty for our rabbi since he quoted the section in Megillah

that Rosh Hodesh is a day when the people do not lose work time by

remaining longer in the synagogue, since it would follow then that work

should be prohibited. He resolved this difficulty by limiting the

prohibition on work to women but that men may work. The Baraita

quoted in Megillah should really read a day when there is not so much

work time lost, such as Rosh Hodesh on which women do not work.

This is how Rashi understood this text and he brought a proof text that

women are forbidden to work on Rosh Hodesh from the verse Jonathansaid to him, Tomorrow will be the new moon; and you will be missed

when your seat remains vacant. So the day after tomorrow, go down all

the way to the place where you hid the other time (I Samuel 20:18-19).

The Aramaic translation of Jonathan for the other time is on a

weekday. There, this is referring to Rosh Hodesh since he said to him

Tomorrow will be the new moon and he is calling the day before the

day of Maaseh (activity). Therefore I say that Rosh Hodesh itself is not aday of activity. The Tosafot also write there in Megillah that men may

work on Rosh Hodesh but women are forbidden to work. The Mordechai

also agrees.

It is especially interesting to note the final words quoted above, those of the

Tosafot. They state openly that while men are permitted to work on Rosh Hodesh,

women are actually forbidden to work on that day!


28/36


Women are the guardians of the covenant of sacred cycles as men are the

guardians of the covenant of our survival. The ceremony Hanna and I developed, whichborrows elements from some which preceded ours, is based on this assumption. It is

meant to be celebrated at home, in an evening during the waxing of the moon (and

perhaps in conjunction with havdala). It begins with an invitation to Elijah the prophet

to join us now as he has traditionally been present at circumcisions. Its narrative is the

story of the creation of the sun and moon, used, as we have seen, as a metaphor for the

relationship between men and women. It rejoices that we have finally arrived at the

moment for the revelation of the feminine. Its ritual is not limited by the procreative

focus of the Brit of Avraham and so we speak of the awakening of the five senses, of the

entire body, mind and soul, which must function in harmony in order to truly guard

and celebrate the sacred cycles of body and people. We wash the babys hands in rain

water, which connects heaven and earth. And we conclude with a naming whose form

is ancient, part of the Sephardic , the order of the joy of (welcoming) the

daughter, and with a song. The ceremony is gentle and, being without physical

discomfort, can often take much longer than the welcome we give a boy. It is almost as

though the extra time, the slower pace, is a lingering in a present too long denied.


29/36


GUARDIANS OF THE SACRED CYCLES

A WOMENS COVENANT AND NAMING CEREMONY

This ceremony is an expression of the ever-unfolding song and spirit of woman,

as she reclaims her space within the rituals and practices of the Jewish people.

(An honored person brings the child in as everyone says:)

Broochah hah-bahah bshaym Ahdonai

Broochah Hah-bahah

Welcome Woman-Child

Newborn guardianof the sacred gift

of cycles and seasons.Within and all around you,

be witness to the rhythms of

surrender and renewal

faith and love

knowledge and intuition

as you awaken

to the indwelling presence ofShekhina

We welcome youinto the world

into your family

into your people

May you know from your early days

how we dance through the spiral of

dark and light

slavery and freedom

wandering and revelation

planting and harvestnew moons and full moons

returning always to the luminous now

within the timeless refuge ofShabbat


30/36


Elijah the Prophet, , is known as the guardian of young children and his spirit iswelcomed at the covenant whose sign is circumcision, at the Pesah Seder, at the weekly Havdalah

ceremony, and today, at the covenant of sacred cycles. The presence of Elijah at this ceremony

bids us look through the life of one child to the continuity, hope and fulfillment of creation.

(An empty chair with a pillow on it is set aside for Elijah the Prophet.

The child is placed on the pillow.)

Zeh hah-keesay shel Eliyahu hah-nahvee zahchoor lah-tov

This is the seat of Elijah the Prophet, whose presence opens the gates of blessing.

A is a covenant, a promise, an agreement between human beings and God. It is usuallymarked by a symbol that reminds us of this agreement. Every time we see a rainbow in the sky

we remember that God promised Noah not to destroy the earth by a flood again. Gods covenant

with Abraham and Sarah, regarding the holiness of procreation, is marked by circumcision. And

the womens covenant of the sacred rhythms of life is represented by the moon-white sliver ofShekhinas return.

In the beginning, sun and moon were created equal, two great lights in the sky.

But the moon was diminished,

to receive and reflect the radiance of the sun.The Holy Ancient One promised that one day

the fullness of the moon would be restored.

There is a very old story that

when the Children of Israel left Egypt,

God gave them a gift -

no longer slaves,

they could observe the moon cycles

and celebrate the sanctity of time.

Rosh Hodesh Song Exodus 12:2 Hanna Tiferet

Hah-chodesh hah-zeh lah-chem rosh chodahsheem Reeshon hoo lahchem l-chodshay hah-shahnah

I give to you the circle of the seasons round the sun

And by the cycles of the moon youll know which month has come.

You can make time sacred when you measure it with care.

Tell your stories, sing your songs, and gather close in prayer

Nisan Iyar Sivan Tamuz Av Elul Tishri Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Sh'vat Adar


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But when they stood at the mountain of Sinai

after seeing sounds

and hearing vision

the men took off the gold rings that were in their ears (Ex. 32:1-3)

to make a calf of gold.

So the moon watch of Rosh Hodesh

was entrusted to the women

for all time.

By observing the new moon festival,

women became guardians of sacred time.

As they watched the light of the moon

expand and diminish,

in harmony with the ebb and flow

of the cycles within their own bodies,

they welcomed Shabbat and holydayswith light,

ever mindful

of the gifts of heaven and earth

Today we announce the birth of our new daughter (and sister),

welcoming her into the covenant that our mothers have guarded for so long.

(The parents recite the traditional Sheheheyanu blessing:)

.'Bahrooch ahtah Ahdonai Elohaynoo melech hah-olahm

shehecheyahnoo v-keeymahnoo v-heegeeahnoo lah-zmahn hah-zeh.

Let us bless the Source of All who has given us life, sustained us,

and brought us to this wondrous moment.


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AWAKENING OF THE FIVE SENSES

The ritual part of the ceremony honors each of the five senses, to awaken the child to the

simple and precious experiences of dwelling in physical form. Each element is accompanied by a

(blessing) or (verse) to connect it to the Creator. May her parents guide her andremind her that everything comes from God.

1. SIGHT:

Jewish women have been guardians of the light, kindling the spiritual flame for home

and community since ancient times. With every Shabbat and holy day we remember the

spark of spirit within and manifest its beauty and wonder through lighting the fire of

enlightenment, love, and peace.

1. (If the ceremony is being done as part of Havdalah, the mother lights a

multi-wicked candle before the ceremony and when the time comes saysthe following blessing:)

.'Bahrooch ahtah Ahdonai Elohaynoo melech hah-olahm boray moray hah-esh.

Let us bless the Source of All who creates the lights of the fire.

2. (When we name a baby on Shabbat, we light two 24 hour candles on

Friday in the room where the ceremony is to take place. Instead of a

blessing, the mother says the following verse from the morning service:)

,V-hahayr aynaynoo btorhatechah v-dahbayk libaynoo b-mitsvotechah

May your eyes be enlightened by the Torah and your heart be drawn to kind deeds.

3. (When we name the baby on Rosh Chodesh, the mother lights a special

candle and says or sings the candlelighting blessing for the new moon.)

Rosh Chodesh Candlelighting (words by Marcia Falk, music by Linda Hirschhorn)

Or chahdahsh, mahor kahdmon New moon, ancient light

tinahsay nahfshee aylechah may my spirit rise to you

)( bi-shmay chodesh (name) in (name of month)s sky.


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4. (When we name the baby on a weekday the mother lights two candles

and says the following blessing:)

Broochah aht Shcheenah You abound in blessings, Shcheenah

aym kol chai Mother of all Life

Ahsher kayrahvtahnoo who has brought us near

el lvahvaych to Your heart

V-hizmintahnoo and invited us

l-hahdleek nayr to kindle the lights

shel Simchah of Simchah.

2. TASTE:

The fruit of the vine is a symbol of abundance and joy. We share wine at every holiday,

savoring the sweet taste and wishing each other a (lhayyim), a good life.

(The baby is given a taste of wine or grape juice and the following is said by the fatheror close relative:)

.'Bahrooch ahtah Ahdonai Elohaynoo melech hah-olahm boray pree hahgahfen.

Let us bless the Source of Life, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Kos Miriam is a new tradition that was begun in a womens circle in

Boston. We designate a special cup for pure spring water from the well of

Miriam and honor the basic element of life. We also dedicate ourselves topreserving our environment so that our childrens children will have pure

water to drink.

Zot kos Miryam, kos Mahyim Chahyeem zaycher l-mahahsay vraysheet

This is the Cup of Miriam, the Cup of Living Waters.

Let us remember the wonders of creation.

Nvahraych et Eyn Hah-chahyeem she-nahtnah lahnoo Mahyim Chahyeem

Let us bless the Source of Life who has given us living waters.

Bahrooch ahtah Ahdonai Elohaynoo melech hah-olahm

she-hahkol nihyeh bi-dvahro

Let us bless the Source of All by whose word everything is created.


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3. SMELL:

The sense of smell unifies us with our breath and reminds us of the soul.

As we breathe in, we receive the gift of life and inspiration. As we breathe

out, we relax and let go so that we can receive again and again.

(The child is offered fragrant flowers to smell and this blessing is said:)

.'Bahrooch ahtah Ahdonai Elohaynoo melech hah-olahm boray isvay bsahmeem

Let us bless the Source of All who creates the flowers of the field.

It is customary to plant a tree when a child is born whose branches will be used as the huppah

poles for the wedding. This is a wonderful time to plant a fruit tree, a flowering shrub, or

perennial flowers that will grow with the child.

4. TOUCH:

HAND AND/OR FOOT WASHING(for which we gather rain, lake, river, sea water, or bottled spring water)

The water of life flows from the Shekhina, Mother of Life. It is the symbol of

womanspirit, emotions, dreams, compassion, and intuition. The element of water

connects and nurtures heaven and earth, as rain falls from the clouds and returns, and

ocean waves rise with the tides in response to the phases moon. As we dip into theliving waters, our simple and pure beginnings wash over us.

(The childs hands and/or feet are washed, using a bowl, a cup, and a towel and this

blessing is said:)

.'Bahrooch ahtah Ahdonai Elohaynoo melech hah-olahm

ahsher kidshahnoo b-mitsvotahv v-tzivahnoo ahl ntilaht yahdahyim.

Let us bless the Source of All who brings us close to holinessthrough the mitzvah of washing and raising the hands.

With the purifying water from the Garden of Eden we wash and welcome

you into the Jewish people and the covenant between God and women,

guarding the sacred cycles of time. May you remember and return often

to the pure spring of life and immerse yourself in truth, joy, and hope.


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THE NAMING

,,,

.

May God who blessed our mothers

Sarah, Rebekkah, Rachel, and Leah

Miriam the prophet and AvigayilEsther the queen, daughter of Avihayil

bless this beautiful little girl

and let her name be called in Israel

daughter of and

at this favourable moment of blessing.May she be raised in health, peace, and tranquility

To study Torah

To stand under the Huppah

To do good deeds.

May her parents merit to see her happyblessed with children, wealth, and honour

peaceful and content in their old age

May this be Gods will. Amen.

(adapted from Seder Zeved ha-Bat, Sephardic ritual)


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5. SOUND:

The nicest sounds we know are those of songs. Is there a melody you sang during her

birth? Does she have a favorite lullaby? Is there a song in the Torah portion, or the

liturgy, or the Psalms that speaks to her name or spirit?

(The following blessing may be said by grandparents or siblings:)

.Bahrooch ahtah Ahdonai Elohaynoo melech hah-olahm shomayah tfillah'Let us bless the Source of All, who listens to prayer from the heart.

A wish: May the sound of blessing flow through your ears and fill your

heart, reminding you of the song of the angels and the blessing of the

Holy One, from whom you so recently came.

Recite Shma with the girls name inserted in the place of Yisrael.

Then the traditional Shma is said all together.

----

Shmah Yisrahayl, (Adonai)YAH Elohaynoo (Ahdonai)YAH Echahd

(At this moment, the parents tell the story of the name they have given

their daughter and what it means to them. Then they recite the following

blessing:)

'

.Bahrooch ahtah Ahdonai Elohaynoo melech hah-olahm

ahsher kervahnoo lah-ahvodahto

v-nahtahn lahnoo l-hahchnees et beetaynoo b-vreet shomrot hah-machzoreem.

Let us bless the Source of All who has brought us close through the gift of

our daughter so that we might bring her into the covenant of the

Guardians of the Sacred Cycles.

(The Priestly blessing is said by the rabbi and the naming certificate

given.)

When the Baal Shem Tov was asked why people love children so much,

he answered that a child is a human being who is still very close to

creation. And since there was so much ecstasy at creation, it still shows in

the child.

(The ceremony can conclude with the song sung earlier,

moon; white sliver of shechina's return

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