Rejoicing in a Daughter (Simchat HaBat)
Daughter יַעֲלָה יַעֲלָה בּוֹאִי לְגַנִּי.הֵנֵץ רִמּוֹן פָּרְחָה גַּפְנִי. יָבוֹא דוֹדִי יָחִישׁ צְעָדָיו.וְיֹאכַל אֶת פְּרִי מְגָדָיו.אִם יְדִידִי אָרְכוּ נְדוּדָיו.אֵיךְ יְחִידָה אֵשֵׁב עַל כַּנִי: שׁוּבִי אֵלַי אַתְּ בַּת אֲהוּבָה.שׁוּבִי אַתְּ וַאֲנִי אָשׁוּבָה.הִנֵּה עִמִּי זֹאת אוֹת כְּתוּבָה.כִּי בְּתוֹכֵךְ אֶתֵּן מִשְׁכָּנִי: רֵעִי דּוֹדִי נַפְשִׁי פָּדִיתָ.וּלְרָעְיָה אוֹתִי קָנִיתָ.עַתָּה לִי בֵין עַמִּים זֵרִיתָ.וְאֵיךְ תֹּאמַר דוֹד אֲהַבְתָּנִי: אֲיֻמָּתִי לְטוֹב זֵרִיתִיךְ.וְלִתְהִלָּה וּלְטוֹב שָׂרִיתִיךְ. כִּי אַהֲבַת עוֹלָם אֲהַבְתִּיךְ.שִמְחִי כִּי יְשוּעָתֵ אָנִי: לוּ יְהִי כִדְבָרְךָ יְדִידִי.עַתָּה מַהֵר תֶּאְסֹף נְדוּדִי.וּלְתוֹךְ צִיּוֹן נְחֵה גְדוּדִי.וְשָׁם אַקְרִיב לָךְ אֶת קָרְבָּנִי: חִזְקִי רַעְיָה חִכֵּךְ כְּיֵין טוֹב.כִּי צִיץ יִשְׁעֵ רַעֲנָן רָטֹב. וּלְצָרַיִךְ אֶכְרוֹת וְאֶחְטֹב.וְחִישׁ אֶשְׁלַח לָךְ אֶת סְגָנִי:Explanation For The blessing
"Ascend, ascend to my garden" writes Israel Nagara, the great sixteenth-century poet.
Much like the Song of Songs, this liturgical poem is an allegory for the relations between God and the People of Israel. The man (God) converses with his beloved wife (the People of Israel).The wife expresses her sorrow: "How shall I lie on this bed alone?" and accuses the man: "You have chosen me from all others, and can you claim to love me?!" The lover tries to explain that the deed was done in good will.
The dialogue between the lover and the graceful woman continues, with the husband telling his wife: "Come to my garden", and she responds: "Come to me, my lover". Who will take the first step? Who will open the door? "Return to me, beloved daughter – return to me and I shall come back to you". You must approach us, replies the woman and we shall return to you. The man understands the significant rift with his wife and is willing to take the first step to enable the encounter – "strengthen your lap like good wine and I shall send my deputy". Rabbi Nagra thus decides to narrow the gap and bring the man into the woman's world. It is the king from the marble castle who calls the woman into the garden, the vineyard and the pomegranate so familiar to her, uniting all worlds and bringing the impossible love between the king and the girl of the garden closer than ever.
Therefore, with a small and delicate step, Nagra allows the meeting to take place, enabling love and unity. This is the perfect bliss of a newly born girl, and the song is hence sung in many communities upon the birth of a daughter.
