The blessing is three-fold and can be worded in many ways. That the child should be blessed with...
- Torah
- Chuppah
- Ma'asim Tovim
Torah represents Jewish learning. The chuppah symbolizes a good marriage. Ma'asim tovim means good deeds; in other words, to grow up to be a mensch.
You can see and hear this blessing in many places, from birth announcements to bar mitzvah celebrations. It's always an appropriate blessing to give new parents, if you're not sure what else to say! (But it certainly sounds more natural written than when you say it out loud.)
Can you share this blessing in Hebrew? :)
ReplyDeleteWelcome back, btw!
The original source is from after a bris, when the custom is to bless the baby by saying כשם שנכנס לברית כך יכנס לתורה לחופה ולמעשים טובים. (Literally translated as "Just as you entered into [the covenant of] circumcision, so shall you enter Torah, Chuppah, and Maasim Tovim).
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard a standardized text for a regular bracha; I'd probably use something like יהי רצון שתזכה ליכנס לתור... (May it be [His] will that you merit to enter Torah...).
Why maasim tovim comes last is left as an exercise for the reader.