Tkhine: prayers written for Jewish women, by Jewish women, originally dating from the 17th century and now being reclaimed as a source of feminine influence and divinity in modern Jewish life.
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“Welcome, welcome to this breathtaking world. We have been waiting for you. Waiting to see your beautiful face, to hear the sound of your cry, to kiss you, hold you, rock you. You are the fruit of our love, of our hearts, of our souls.”
– Naomi Levy, A Prayer When a Child is Born
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It is late and the tree frogs croon, the night air thick as the stars burst through the haze of the moon. Your cries were soothed in the arms of your father as he prepared for bed, a day awaiting him that for many years, we dreamed might not ever arrive.
You nursed at my breast, your eyes shining even in the darkness of the room, always looking, always searching, always taking it all in. For days now you’ve fought sleep and I suspect it’s because you’re so afraid to miss a moment of this beautiful, marvelous world.
You are a wonder to behold, a perfect creation of faith, science and love: a miracle, a blessing, a gift. All of these wondrous elements came together at once such that you were created and born into this precise moment in time, at this precise place in the world, a birthright of uniqueness set aside just for you. We are humbled to be the caregivers of your moment in this time in the world, in our lives right now.
You’ve shown us and everyone who loves you just how much of a fierce warrior you are as you shouted your way into this world, set upon your own schedule. You continued that fight through a terrifying illness, one that leaves many other parents devastated and bereft. We got very lucky in so many ways, from the skilled hands of the neonatologists and nurses who took care of you to your brave, courageous spirit, even in a body so tiny and fragile. We are so proud of you and humbled by your strength.
In the morning, you will enter into covenant with Adonai, just as I entered into a covenant with Adonai six years ago. I emerged from my mikveh as Miryam bat Avraham v’Sarah – Miriam, daughter of Abraham and Sarah. In the morning, you will emerge from your b’rit milah as Yosef ben Aryeh v’Miryam ha-Levi – Joseph, son of Arieh and Miriam, of Levite lineage.
In the mikveh, I dreamed of you. As I was born into my Jewish identity, I dreamed of your birth, this child that has lived in my heart, this child for whom my heart – like Hannah’s and Ssrah’s and Rebecca’s and Rachel’s hearts – ached for so long.
And now, you are here at this precise moment in time.
How wondrous.
Get some sleep, little Judah, my little warrior, for you have a big day ahead of you: the first day of the rest of your Jewish life. I am honored to be present to witness this second birth just as I was honored to birth you through blood and transformative pain.
I am grateful for your continued strength and bravery.
I am blessed to have you as my son and to be called your mother.
It is an honor and a gift, one I receive with utmost gratitude and humility.
Thank you Adonai, for remembering me as you remembered Hannah, Sarah, Rebecca and Rachel.
Thank you for the answered prayer that is our son.
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“As the covenant is sealed on his body, look upon him with mercy. May his pain be brief, may he heal quickly, and may his cries reach the heavens as prayers for a long, blessed life.”
– Renee S. Septimus, Techine for a Brit
