M
any interfaith/Jewish weddings include the seven blessings[i]. I was recently asked to officiate a ceremony, with a Secular Humanistic non-theistic Hebrew/English version of the Seven Blessings. I searched for a Hebrew version (I found only one or two), and nothing I found felt right, so I resolved to write one myself. It was important to me to preserve most of the original words, which would give it a traditional feel, and enable me to chant the blessings in the traditional tune. I also decided to try to write in a way that each of the six blessings (the seventh is the standard blessing over the wine) would parallel one of the six principles of the Humanist Manifesto III[ii].
#1
Baruch hamaskil ba’adam hamaiveen sheha’olam lo nivra lichvodo.
Praised be the enlightened one amongst humans, who understands that the world was not created for him.
The traditional blessing blesses the deity for creating everything for his glory; humans are not the reason for creation. Humanists agree with the latter. The first Manifesto principle states that, “knowledge of the world is derived by observation, experimentation, and rational analysis”. It is these very tools that have made it clear that the vast Universe, was not created, and certainly not with us in mind.
#2
Baruch hamodeh al yitzeerat ha’adam.
Praised be the one who is thankful for the evolution of humans.
The traditional blessing thanks the deity for creating humans. The second Manifesto principle states that “humans are an integral part of nature, the result of unguided evolutionary change.” This does not belittle our existence. On the contrary, our existence is something that Humanists celebrate and marvel at, feeling lucky to be alive in such a wondrous world. Hebrew does not have a word for evolution, so I preserved the word, yatzar, which does not have a definite ex nihilo tone to it.
#3
Baruch ha’ohev kol ha’adam kitzalmo kitzelem dimoot tavneeto ki’ezro kol echad vi’echad. Baruch hamodeh al yitzeerat ha’adam.
Praised be the one, who loves all humans as one’s self, as one’s very own self, and loves every human as one loves one’s spouse. Praised be the one who is thankful for the evolution of humans.
The traditional blessing thanks the deity for creation in his image, the Mosaic rationale for according each human respect. The third Manifesto principle states that, “Humanists … are committed to treating each person as having inherent worth and dignity”. The Humanist sees no need to ground respect for fellow humans in anything beyond the Golden Rule. We treat everyone, as we would want to be treated or want our loved ones to be treated. The Hebrew word tzelem, in this context, means “himself”, rather than “his image”.[iii]
#4
Let the barren (city) be joyful and exulted at the ingathering of her children into her midst in gladness. Praised be the one who shares in the gladness of Zion at the return of her children.
The fourth traditional blessing prays the barren Israel/Jerusalem, will one day (anthropomorphically) rejoice in the Jewish People’s return.[iv] The fourth Manifesto principle tells us that meaning is not imposed by the deity. We “animate our lives with a deep sense of purpose, finding wonder and awe in the joys and beauties of human existence, its challenges and tragedies.” We can derive meaning from human history and culture. As Jews, we are proud that we rose from the ashes, and fulfilled the “2000 year old hope”, returning to Israel, which serves as a beacon of democracy and Jewish culture.
#5
Same’ach nisamach re’eem ha’ahuveem kiseemchat gan eden meekedem. Baruch misame’ach chatan vikalah.
Let us gladden the loving couple, (so they may enjoy gladness) like the legendary gladness of paradise. Praised be the one, who gladdens the bridegroom and the bride[v].
The fifth traditional blessing implores the deity to gladden the couple, as he gladdened Adam and Eve. The Humanistic blessing is explicit about the non-factual nature of this couple, but still embraces the idea of two people feeling like they were made for each other. The fifth Manifesto principle reminds us that, “humans are social by nature and find meaning in relationships.” The peak of human relationships is that of true lovers. The ending of #5-6 emphasizes that it is we who should gladden the couple.
Praised be those who increase, joy and gladness, bridegroom and bride, exultation, song, pleasure and delight, love and brotherhood, peace and friendship. May there soon be heard, all over the world, as in the cities of Judea and as in the streets of Jerusalem, the sound of joy and the sound of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the happy shouting of bridegrooms from their weddings and of young men and women from their song filled feasts. Praised be the one, who causes the bridegroom and bride to be glad together.
The sixth traditional blessing thanks the deity for creating happiness, and implores him to hasten the day, where liberty may return to Israel, so weddings may regularly occur thereii. The sixth Manifesto principle also discusses happiness and liberty. It tells us that, “working to benefit society maximizes individual happiness”, and that we must “minimize the inequities of circumstance and ability… so that as many as possible can enjoy a good life.” To get there we must, “uphold the equal enjoyment of human rights and civil liberties.” The return of our own right of self determination as Jews, coupled with Israel’s democratic nature, inspire us to work towards a world where all people live happy and free.
I hope these blessings will enhance future wedding celebrations. In the words of the Manifesto, may we be “guided by reason, inspired by compassion, and informed by experience”, and, through that “live life well and fully.”
Communicate directly with Rabbi David Gruber, the author of this article. Ask questions, send suggestions, comments, engage in conversation, or perhaps you would like to submit a project.
Click Here to ask a question, send a comment, or proposal.
Misplaced political correctness is hampering efforts to halt forced marriage in the UK, according to a major new report “Ending Forced Marriage “ by the think tank, Demos. The report forms part of the “ Because I am a Girl “ c
Plus size wedding gown, shopping doesn’t have to be traumatic. Shopping for your plus size wedding gown can be so much easier if you know in advance which styles will flatter you. Dress Slimmer on your Wedding Day with Body Fit and Style. The f
A lovely evening gown or wedding dress can be made even more stunning with the right accessories. In fact, on OK dress and be made beautiful with the right jewelry or shoes or other piece. It’s not about hiding your features or dress. You don&r
Even though you’ve stocked up on all the most recent bridal publications you can find, it seems that they don’t really help you in organizing and planning your own wedding. Sure, there’s a multitude of pages gorgeous
Weddings are a very expensive business. Currently, the average wedding cost can range from $20,000 to $25,000, and that’s just for the ordinary type weddings. The cost can easily go up from there depending on the amount of "
A wedding guest book allows your guests to write personal messages of good luck and wishes to you both. They make a wonderful keepsake of your wedding day. Aside from the traditional paper wedding
Meanings and associations are applied to many things - flowers, gemstones and colors. So when it comes to choosing your wedding colors, do you know what your choices are actually implying? Here are some examples about how different cultures and
Beach weddings have become very popular over the last few years & designing your beach wedding reception can be a lot of fun. The seaside & the beach all offer much by way of inspiration for your rece
The extravagance and glitz of an Indian wedding is sure to enthrall all those witnessing the sacred ceremony. The over indulgence of relatives, friends and families makes the Indian wedding a not-to-be missed event which involves a lot of traditions,
The autumn season gives so much inspiration in terms of color & motifs, so when it comes to your fall wedding invitations you needn’t look far for inspiration. No matter what the style of your wedding - for
With guests from Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Thailand and the U.S. present, Nad and Alex’s wedding was easily one of the most cosmopolitan I had ever officiated. With a fairly traditional inclusive Jewish ceremony, bookende
One of the most unique weddings I have officiated was Shreeti and Jon’s. I co-officiated with Shreeti’s family’s lay pundit (Hindu priest), Jaysurya ("Jay") Upadhyaya. It was fascinating to see how these two faiths, one We
Many interfaith/Jewish weddings include the Seven Blessings[i]. I was recently asked to officiate a ceremony, with a Secular Humanistic non-theistic Hebrew/English version of the Seven Blessings. I searched for a Hebrew version (I found only one or t
I recently officiated at a ceremony, where both Presidents Bush and their First Ladies were in attendance. They hardly ever attend private events, so this was very special for everyone who was in attendance. My wife, Liat, and I wondered if we would
Study after study shows that at least 50% of American Jews are marrying non-Jews. Thankfully, this has caused the liberal wings of Judaism - the Reform and Reconstructionist movements, and to some extent the Conservative movement - to become much mor
Syndication
tweet
PDF version
Printable version
Publisher HTML version
Discussions (0)
Email Article
Post New Comment