Bar Mitzvah Blessing
יַעֲלֶה חֲתַן בַּר מִצְוָה, בְּתוֹךְ קְהַל עַם אֱמוּנָי. לִקְרוֹא בְסֵפֶר תּוֹרַת יְיָ: לִקְרוֹא בְסֵפֶר תּוֹרַת יְיָ: צוּר יִשְׂרָאֵל קְדוֹשׁוֹ, יָאֵר פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ. בְּתוֹרָתוֹ תָּמִיד תֶּהְגֶּה, בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וְחֵילֶךָ. הַשְׁלֵךְ עַל יְיָ יְהָבְךָ, וְהוּא יְכַלְכְּלֶךָ. תִּשָּׂא בְרָכָה מֵאֵת יְיָ: תִּשָּׂא בְרָכָה מֵאֵת יְיָ: חֲזַק וֶאֱמַץ מְאֹד, לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכָל הַתּוֹרָה. יֵצֶר טוֹב נִלְוָה עִמָּךְ, וּנְשָׁמָה קְדוֹשָׁה וּבָרָה. מִשְׁנָתָךְ תְּהֶא סְדוּרָה, עֲרוּכָה בַכֹּל וּשְׁמוּרָה. תִּגְמוֹר וְתִשְׁמוֹר דַּרְכֵי יְיָ: תִּגְמוֹר וְתִשְׁמוֹר דַּרְכֵי יְיָ: קוּם חֲתַן בַּר מִצְוָה לִקְרוֹא בַתּוֹרָה, קוּם בִּמְהֵרָה. וְחָזַקְתָּ וְהָיִיתָ לְאִישׁ, בַּעֲבוֹדַת אֵל גָּדוֹל וְנוֹרָא. יִפְרַח בְּיָמֶיךָ צַדִּיק, וְיִבָּנֶה בֵית הַבְּחִירָה. בָּרוּךְ הַבָּא בְּשֵׁם יְיָ:
Explanation For The blessing
"At the age of 13 [a son is to assume] the commandments" (Mishnah, Avot V, 21)
In Judaism, the coming of age, the Bar Mitzvah means taking responsibility.
The significance of the mitzvoth is the assumption of responsibility: some of the duties are between man and man, such as offering help to others and respecting one's parents, while others involve the relationship between man and God, including; various mitzvoth, religious rites and other obligations.The responsibilities can be divided into two categories: thoughts and faith and responsibility for one's actions.
The first and most obvious mitzvah, usually emphasized in Jewish communities throughout the world is the commandment of tefillin, expressing the newly assumed personal responsibility over the world of thought and action.
The commandment of tefillin is comprised of two parts: arm (usually worn on one's left arm, close to the heart) and forehead.
Laying the tefillin on one's arm, in close proximity to the heart, expresses the control an adult is expect to exercise on his actions, guiding them towards what is good and just and binding his heart with God.
Laying the tefillin on one's forehead symbolizes an adult's developing ability to guide his thoughts in positive directions and connect his brain with its greater source.
The tefillin are considered a "sign" that connects us with our creator: "And it shall be for a sign upon your hand". Thus, from the age of 13 and a day onward, every Jewish man is obligated to wear the "sign" once a day.
In addition to the tefillin, the young man is also called to say the Torah blessing (Aliyah to the Torah) in synagogue. The Torah serves as the People of Israel's ID card, and the 'ascent' to the Torah thus marks the continuation of a generation-long Jewish history.
The Ascent to the Torah and the reading of the Torah portion symbolize the young man's partnership in the adult community and adds another link to the long historical chain that has endured thanks to the entrance of new generations of men.
The liturgical poem was written by Rabbi Yitzchak Ratzabi, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch.
