Naming a girl (Zeved Habat)
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The birth of a girl is most welcome but it is not celebrate like the birth of a baby boy, partly because circumcision is prescribed in the Torah while no equivalent ceremony is stipulated in Jewish law.
News relating to the birth of a girl
spread in the community quickly. A newborn girl is greeted with ‘mazal tov’ (good luck). Sometime after
the actual birth, a ritual of naming the girl (zeved habat) takes place at the
parents’ home. Friends and relatives are invited to the ceremony. The girl is
dressed elegantly and handed to a learned person, often a family member, or a
rabbi who holds her in his arms or on his lap and recites adapted passages
borrowed from the Bible:
‘Yaa’lat
hen yonati behagveh hasela’
Ahat hi
yonati
Vayevarcu
et Rivka
Vayomeru la ahotenu at
Hayi le alfeh revava
Veyirash zare’c et shaar soneav
Beautiful is my dove in the clefts of the rock (Song of Solomon 2:14)
Unique is my dove
And they blessed Rebekah
And told her: you are our sister
May you be mother of thousands and millions
May your descendents overcome their enemies (Genesis 25:60)
Then the girl is blessed and her given name is inserted in the blessing.
He who blessed our matriarchs Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah, as well as Miriam the prophetess, Avigail, Queen Esther, He shall bless this fine girl who shall be named (Name here), in good luck and blessedness and good health and peace. May here parents live a long life and witness her happiness. Amen.
Subsequently, the congregation joins in chants (piyutim). Women sounds cries of joys (zegharit) from time to time and the congregation shares a meal.
Nowadays, depending on economic status and well-being, some families celebrate naming a girl on scales similar to circumcision. Sometimes, celebrations take place in a synagogue rather than in a private home. More recently, celebrations have been taking place in celebration halls in hotels or other locations.
Note: For typical chants (piyutim), see Lugassi J. Sefer Simha ve Sasson.