Blessing for my daughter at her Bat Mitzvah
When we finished tying your tzitzit you took the most important step of becoming a Bat Mitzvah. It was not the act of tying the fringes; it was the moment when you realized that it was yours. Truly yours — not just as a possession, but something beyond that. You made it yours by the work you put in and by connecting each knot to your hopes and dreams, to the things you are grateful for, and to your own understanding of what it means to be a Jewish adult. I made this tallit for you last summer with your dad, but it is you who completed it. Today we will literally hand you the Torah, passing on our values to you, but it is up to you what you will do with it. Just like your tallit, you will make Judaism your own. The painted corners of your tallit represent the journey our ancestors took to the Promised Land, as well as your own journey; these are my blessings for you at this stage in your life’s journey. May you always be able to articul