Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Tefillin...

Today, 13 years less 30 days (in the lunar calendar) - Matan was born. And today, on Lag Ba'Omer, he put on tefillin for the very first time.

Me with Matan and Yirmi (and a head covering). And, believe me, it's just the way I'm standing...

My dad with Matan, after shacharit, taking off the tefillin.



After shul, most of us went for breakfast and I even gave a very short speech - now translated to English (only because I never give any speeches at all, so if I've already written something, I may as well share it):

I chose to speak about “Shma Yisrael”.

Shma Yisrael” is the first prayer I taught my children. Every night before they went to sleep, I made sure to say the first line with them. As soon as they were able to say that, we went on to the second line and then I taught them to sing the whole first paragraph, just as my parents taught me.

Shma Yisrael is unique in that it includes rules about when to say it, “teach them diligently to your children and speak of them while you sit in your home, while you walk on the way, when you retire and when you arise” and about the places where we should put the passages, “You shall bind them as a sign upon your arm, and they shall be for a reminder between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates.”

As young children, only parts of this can be fulfilled – “speak of them while you sit in your home, while you walk on the way, when you retire and when you arise”. Later on, one can fulfill, “You shall bind them as a sign upon your arm, and they shall be for a reminder between your eyes.” (Putting on tefillin) – which is what Matan has begun to do today.

Matan, I hope that in the future, as you grow, you will be able to fulfill more and more of the words of Shma, to “write them upon the doorposts of your house” and, when the time comes, also to “teach them diligently to your children”.

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I think (hope) it sounded better in Hebrew :-)

Thank you once again to all who joined us today!!!

7 comments:

Kelli Brown said...

Thanks so much for having us with you on this special day. And mazal tov to Matan!

projgen said...

It sounds beautiful in English. The Shma is also one of those things I think about in regards to infertility. I try to find ways to reframe "teach them diligently to your children."

It's especially beautiful when someone who's been in the "world" gets to speak on those words to her own child as he faces adulthood.

Mazal tov :)

AwkwardMoments said...

what a beautiful celebration. Congrat to your family on this special day.

Leah Goodman said...

Mazal Tov Matan!

Sara said...

Mazel tov to Matan!

Linda said...

Okay, this is my third attempt at leaving this comment!

Mazel tov, Matan! What a special day. You must be so proud, Rachel!

Those scriptures are special to me too, even though I'm not Jewish. Sam has a mezuzah on his nursery door for that reason. :-)

xo
Flicka

Bea said...

I am very late in putting my comment here, but wanted to say it sounded pretty good in English to me!

Bea