Shehecheyanu
Encyclopedia
The Shehecheyanu blessing
is a common Jewish prayer said to celebrate special occasions. It is said to be thankful for new and unusual experiences. The blessing has been recited by Jews for nearly 2000 years. It comes from the Talmud
(Berachot 54a, Pesakhim 7b, Sukkah 46a, etc.)
Some have the custom of saying it at the ceremony of the Birkat Hachama, which is recited once every 28 years in the month of Nissan/Adar II.
It is not recited at a circumcision, since that involves pain, nor at the Counting of the Omer, since that is a task which does not give pleasure (and causes sadness at the thought that the actual omer ceremony cannot be performed because of the destruction of the Temple).
Some traditions dictate saying "lizman" rather than "lazman" ("to [this] season"), this follows the ruling of the Mishnah Berurah
and Aruch Hashulchan
, following Magen Avraham
, and is followed by Chabad, but this seems to be a minority usage and is contrary to usual Hebrew usage.
was publicly read in Tel Aviv
on May 14, 1948, before the expiration of the British Mandate at midnight
. After the first Prime Minister of Israel
, David Ben-Gurion
, read the Declaration of Independence, Rabbi Fishman
, recited the Shehecheyanu blessing, and the Declaration of Independence was signed. The ceremony concluded with the singing of "Hatikvah
."
Avshalom Haviv
finished his speech in court on June 10, 1947, with the Shehecheyanu blessing.
There is a common musical rendition of the blessing composed by Meyer Machtenberg, an Eastern European choirmaster who composed it in United States in the 19th century.
Blessing
A blessing, is the infusion of something with holiness, spiritual redemption, divine will, or one's hope or approval.- Etymology and Germanic paganism :...
is a common Jewish prayer said to celebrate special occasions. It is said to be thankful for new and unusual experiences. The blessing has been recited by Jews for nearly 2000 years. It comes from the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
(Berachot 54a, Pesakhim 7b, Sukkah 46a, etc.)
Recitation
The blessing of Shehecheyanu is recited in thanks or commemoration of:- Generally, when doing or experiencing something that occurs infrequently from which one derives pleasure or benefit.
- The beginning of a holiday, including PassoverPassoverPassover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
, ShavuotShavuotThe festival of is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan ....
, Rosh HashanahRosh HashanahRosh Hashanah , , is the Jewish New Year. It is the first of the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im which occur in the autumn...
, Yom KippurYom KippurYom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...
, SukkotSukkotSukkot is a Biblical holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei . It is one of the three biblically mandated festivals Shalosh regalim on which Hebrews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem.The holiday lasts seven days...
, Simhat Torah and Hannukah, but not holidays commemorating sad events, such as Tisha B'av. - The first performance of certain mitzvotMitzvahThe primary meaning of the Hebrew word refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God...
in a year, including sitting in a sukkahSukkahA sukkah is a temporary hut constructed for use during the week-long Jewish festival of Sukkot. It is topped with branches and often well decorated with autumnal, harvest or Judaic themes...
, eating matzahMatzoMatzo or matzah is an unleavened bread traditionally eaten by Jews during the week-long Passover holiday, when eating chametz—bread and other food which is made with leavened grain—is forbidden according to Jewish law. Currently, the most ubiquitous type of Matzo is the traditional Ashkenazic...
at the Passover SederPassover SederThe Passover Seder is a Jewish ritual feast that marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. It is conducted on the evenings of the 14th day of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, and on the 15th by traditionally observant Jews living outside Israel. This corresponds to late March or April in...
, reading the megillahMegillahMegillah may refer to:Bible:*The Scroll of Esther , read on the Jewish holiday of Purim.*Megillat AntiochusRabbinic literature:*Tractate Megillah in the Talmud....
, or lighting the candles on Hannukah - Eating a new fruit for the first time since Rosh HashanahRosh HashanahRosh Hashanah , , is the Jewish New Year. It is the first of the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im which occur in the autumn...
-
- (normally said before the blessing over the fruit, but some customarily say it afterwards)
- The fruit must be fresh, not dried
- Seeing a friend who has not been seen in thirty days
- Acquiring a new home, or significant new articles of clothing or utensils, such as a new suit
- The birth of a child (but not at the circumcision)
- A pidyon habenPidyon HaBenThe Pidyon HaBen, or Redemption of the first born son, is a mitzvah in Judaism whereby a Jewish firstborn son is redeemed by use of silver coins from his birth-state of sanctity....
ceremony - During a ritual immersion in a mikveh as part of a conversionConversion to JudaismConversion to Judaism is a formal act undertaken by a non-Jewish person who wishes to be recognised as a full member of the Jewish community. A Jewish conversion is both a religious act and an expression of association with the Jewish people...
Some have the custom of saying it at the ceremony of the Birkat Hachama, which is recited once every 28 years in the month of Nissan/Adar II.
It is not recited at a circumcision, since that involves pain, nor at the Counting of the Omer, since that is a task which does not give pleasure (and causes sadness at the thought that the actual omer ceremony cannot be performed because of the destruction of the Temple).
Text
| Hebrew | English | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Blessed are You, L-rd | Baruch atta Adonai | |
| our G-d, Ruler of the Universe, |
Eloheinu melekh ha'olam | |
| who has granted us life, sustained us | she-ecḥeyanu ve'qiye'manu | |
| and enabled us to reach this occasion. |
va'higiy'anu laz'man hazeh. |
Some traditions dictate saying "lizman" rather than "lazman" ("to [this] season"), this follows the ruling of the Mishnah Berurah
Mishnah Berurah
The Mishnah Berurah is a work of halakha by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan , also colloquially known by the name of another of his books, Chofetz Chaim "Desirer of Life."...
and Aruch Hashulchan
Aruch HaShulchan
Aruch HaShulchan is a chapter-by-chapter restatement of the Shulchan Arukh...
, following Magen Avraham
Avraham Gombiner
Abraham Abele Gombiner , known as the Magen Avraham, born in Gąbin , Poland, was a rabbi, Talmudist and a leading religious authority in the Jewish community of Kalish, Poland during the seventeenth century. His full name is Avraham Avli ben Chaim HaLevi from the town of Gombin...
, and is followed by Chabad, but this seems to be a minority usage and is contrary to usual Hebrew usage.
Modern history
The Declaration of Independence of the State of IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
was publicly read in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
on May 14, 1948, before the expiration of the British Mandate at midnight
Midnight
Midnight is the transition time period from one day to the next: the moment when the date changes. In the Roman time system, midnight was halfway between sunset and sunrise, varying according to the seasons....
. After the first Prime Minister of Israel
Prime Minister of Israel
The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and the most powerful political figure in Israel . The prime minister is the country's chief executive. The official residence of the prime minister, Beit Rosh Hamemshala is in Jerusalem...
, David Ben-Gurion
David Ben-Gurion
' was the first Prime Minister of Israel.Ben-Gurion's passion for Zionism, which began early in life, led him to become a major Zionist leader and Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946...
, read the Declaration of Independence, Rabbi Fishman
Yehuda Leib Maimon
Yehuda Leib Maimon was an Israeli rabbi, politician and leader of the religious Zionism movement, originating from Bessarabia.-Biography:Born in 1875 in Mărculeşti, Bessarabia , Maimon studied in a number of yeshivot and received rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein, the author of...
, recited the Shehecheyanu blessing, and the Declaration of Independence was signed. The ceremony concluded with the singing of "Hatikvah
Hatikvah
"Hatikvah" is the national anthem of Israel. The anthem was written by Naphtali Herz Imber, a secular Galician Jew from Zolochiv , who moved to the Land of Israel in the early 1880s....
."
Avshalom Haviv
Avshalom Haviv
Avshalom Haviv , was a pre-Jewish state Irgun underground member and one of the 12 Olei Hagardom tried by the British Mandate courts and sentenced to death by hanging at Acre Prison.-Childhood and adolescence:...
finished his speech in court on June 10, 1947, with the Shehecheyanu blessing.
There is a common musical rendition of the blessing composed by Meyer Machtenberg, an Eastern European choirmaster who composed it in United States in the 19th century.
Media
- MP3 file - Shehecheyanu blessing from VirtualCantor.com
- Sheet music for Shehecheyanu