Name ceremony

(ה) וַיּוֹצֵ֨א אֹת֜וֹ הַח֗וּצָה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַבֶּט־נָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָה וּסְפֹר֙ הַכּ֣וֹכָבִ֔ים אִם־תּוּכַ֖ל לִסְפֹּ֣ר אֹתָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ כֹּ֥ה יִהְיֶ֖ה זַרְעֶֽךָ׃

Genesis 15:5

(5) He took him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He added, “So shall your offspring be.”

בראשית כ״ב:ט״ו-י״ח

(טו) וַיִּקְרָ֛א מַלְאַ֥ךְ ה' אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֑ם שֵׁנִ֖ית מִן־הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ (טז) וַיֹּ֕אמֶר בִּ֥י נִשְׁבַּ֖עְתִּי נְאֻם־ה' כִּ֗י יַ֚עַן אֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשִׂ֙יתָ֙ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה וְלֹ֥א חָשַׂ֖כְתָּ אֶת־בִּנְךָ֥ אֶת־יְחִידֶֽךָ׃ (יז) כִּֽי־בָרֵ֣ךְ אֲבָרֶכְךָ֗ וְהַרְבָּ֨ה אַרְבֶּ֤ה אֶֽת־זַרְעֲךָ֙ כְּכוֹכְבֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְכַח֕וֹל אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־שְׂפַ֣ת הַיָּ֑ם וְיִרַ֣שׁ זַרְעֲךָ֔ אֵ֖ת שַׁ֥עַר אֹיְבָֽיו׃ (יח) וְהִתְבָּרֲכ֣וּ בְזַרְעֲךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל גּוֹיֵ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ עֵ֕קֶב אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁמַ֖עְתָּ בְּקֹלִֽי׃

Genesis 22:15-18

(15) The angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven, (16) and said, “By Myself I swear, the LORD declares: Because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your favored one, (17) I will bestow My blessing upon you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the sands on the seashore; and your descendants shall seize the gates of their foes. (18) All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, because you have obeyed My command.”

בראשית כ״ו:ד׳-ה׳

(ד) וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֤י אֶֽת־זַרְעֲךָ֙ כְּכוֹכְבֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְנָתַתִּ֣י לְזַרְעֲךָ֔ אֵ֥ת כָּל־הָאֲרָצֹ֖ת הָאֵ֑ל וְהִתְבָּרֲכ֣וּ בְזַרְעֲךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל גּוֹיֵ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (ה) עֵ֕קֶב אֲשֶׁר־שָׁמַ֥ע אַבְרָהָ֖ם בְּקֹלִ֑י וַיִּשְׁמֹר֙ מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֔י מִצְוֺתַ֖י חֻקּוֹתַ֥י וְתוֹרֹתָֽי׃

Genesis 26:4-5

(4) I will make your heirs as numerous as the stars of heaven, and assign to your heirs all these lands, so that all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your heirs— (5) inasmuch as Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge: My commandments, My laws, and My teachings.”

The prominence of the stars, on the other hand, is indicative of the special mission of each individual. This metaphor refers to the potential for greatness that each member of the Jewish people acquired at Mount Sinai.

These special goals are a function of each individual’s efforts, deeds, and Torah study. This level is based on the revelation of Torah and mitzvot at Mount Sinai. The Midrash teaches that when Israel promised to obey the laws of the Torah, the angels tied two crowns to the head of every Jew. These spiritual crowns reflected the greatness of each individual; every Jew was a prince, bearing his own unique crown of holiness.

Rav Kook, Adapted from Midbar Shur, pp. 110-121

תהילים קמ״ז:א׳-ד׳

(א) הַ֥לְלוּ יָ֨הּ ׀ כִּי־ט֭וֹב זַמְּרָ֣ה אֱלֹקֵ֑ינוּ כִּֽי־נָ֝עִים נָאוָ֥ה תְהִלָּֽה׃ (ב) בּוֹנֵ֣ה יְרוּשָׁלִַ֣ם ה' נִדְחֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל יְכַנֵּֽס׃ (ג) הָ֭רֹפֵא לִשְׁב֣וּרֵי לֵ֑ב וּ֝מְחַבֵּ֗שׁ לְעַצְּבוֹתָֽם׃ (ד) מוֹנֶ֣ה מִ֭סְפָּר לַכּוֹכָבִ֑ים לְ֝כֻלָּ֗ם שֵׁמ֥וֹת יִקְרָֽא׃

Psalms 147:1-4

(1) Hallelujah. It is good to chant hymns to our God; it is pleasant to sing glorious praise. (2) The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem; He gathers in the exiles of Israel. (3) He heals their broken hearts, and binds up their wounds. (4) He reckoned the number of the stars; to each He gave its name.

ישעיהו מ׳:כ״ו

(כו) שְׂאוּ־מָר֨וֹם עֵינֵיכֶ֤ם וּרְאוּ֙ מִי־בָרָ֣א אֵ֔לֶּה הַמּוֹצִ֥יא בְמִסְפָּ֖ר צְבָאָ֑ם לְכֻלָּם֙ בְּשֵׁ֣ם יִקְרָ֔א מֵרֹ֤ב אוֹנִים֙ וְאַמִּ֣יץ כֹּ֔חַ אִ֖ישׁ לֹ֥א נֶעְדָּֽר׃ (ס)

Isaiah 40:26

(26) Lift high your eyes and see: Who created these? He who sends out their host by count, Who calls them each by name: Because of His great might and vast power, Not one fails to appear.

יְבָרְכֵךְ ה וְיִשְׁמְרֵךְ.

יָאֵר ה פָּנָיו אֵלַיִךְ וְיִחָנֵּךְ.

יִשָּׂא ה פָּנָיו אֵלַיִךְ וְיָשֵׂם לָךְ שָׁלוֹם׃ (כמו במדבר ו:כד-כו)

For a female:

May Ad-nai bless you and protect you!
May Ad-nai shine His face upon you and be gracious towards you!
May Ad-nai lift His face up to you, and bring you peace!

במדבר ו׳:כ״ד-כ״ו

יְבָרֶכְךָ֥ ה' וְיִשְׁמְרֶֽךָ׃

יָאֵ֨ר ה' ׀ פָּנָ֛יו אֵלֶ֖יךָ וִֽיחֻנֶּֽךָּ׃

יִשָּׂ֨א ה' ׀ פָּנָיו֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְיָשֵׂ֥ם לְךָ֖ שָׁלֽוֹם׃

Numbers 6:24-26

For a male:

May Ad-nai bless you and protect you! May Ad-nai deal kindly and graciously with you! May Ad-nai bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!

מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ (אִמּוֹתֵינוּ)

שָׂרָה וְרִבְקָה

רָחֵל וְלֵאָה

וּמִרְיָם הַנְּבִיאָה

וַאֲבִיגַיִל

וְאֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה בַּת אֲבִיחַיִל

הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת הַאִשָׁה הַזּאֹת

וְיִקָּרֵא שְׁמָהּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל [פְּלוֹנִית]

בְּמַזַּל טוֹב וּבְשַׁעַת בְּרָכָה.

וְכֵן יְהִי רָצוֹן

וְנאֹמַר אָמֵן׃

May the one who blessed (our foremothers):
Sarah and Rivkah,
Raḥel and Leah,
and the prophet Miriam
and Avigayil
and Queen Esther, daughter of Aviḥayil —
may Hashem bless this woman
and let her name in Yisra’el be …

[insert name here]
with good luck and in a blessed hour;
and so may it be your will,
and let it be said, Amen!”

מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ (אֲבוֹתֵינוּ)

אַבְרָהָם, יִצְחָק, וְיַעֲקֹב

מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן

יוֹאָב בֶּן־צְרוּיָה

וּמׇרְדְּכַי בֶּן־יָאִיר

הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת הַאִישׁ הַזֶּה

וְיִקָּרֵא שְׁמוֹ (בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל) [פְּלוֹנִי]

בְּמַזַּל טוֹב וּבְשַׁעַת בְּרָכָה.

וְכֵן יְהִי רָצוֹן

וְנאֹמַר אָמֵן׃

May the one who blessed (our forefathers):
Avraham, Yitsḥak, and Ya’akov
Moshe and Aharon
Yoav ben Tsruyah
and Mordekhai ben Yair —
may Hashem bless this man
and let his name in Yisra’el be … [insert name here]
with good luck and in a blessed hour;
and so may it be your will,
and let it be said, Amen!”

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה

ה׳ אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ

מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם

שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ

וְקִיְּמָנוּ

וְהִגִּיעָנוּ

לַזְּמַן הַזֶּה׃

Blessed are you

Ad-nai our God,

cosmic majesty,

who has kept us alive,

and has preserved us,

and enabled us

to reach this season.

With thanks to The Open Siddur Project

The original ceremony can be found at:

https://opensiddur.org/prayers/for-the-service/torah-reading/mi-sheberakh-on-receiving-a-hebrew-name-as-an-adult/

מי שברך על קבלת שם עברי | Mi Sheberakh on Receiving a Hebrew Name as an Adult” is shared by Aharon N. Varady with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.