Before Yom Kippur, on Erev Yom Kippur, there is an important tradition – before going to the synagogue, to bless one’s children with a special bracha that can be found in the Yom Kippur machzor. This moment holds particular power. In this blessing, we ask the Almighty to grant children good midot (character traits), health, luck, wisdom, and happiness.
This prayer not only asks for blessings but also erases any curses or bad words spoken against the children. It is important to note that the blessing can be recited by either the mother or the father, emphasizing the importance of each parent’s role in providing spiritual support to their children on this sacred day.
Before the bracha, place your right hand on the child’s head and say:
For boys
Yesimekha Elohim ke’Efrayim vekhiMenashe.
Yevarekhekha Adonai veyishmerekha; ya’er Adonai panav elekha viĥuneka; yisa Adonai panav elekha veyasem lekha shalom.
Vihi ratzon milifnei Avinu shebashamayim sheyiten belibekha ahavato veyirato, vetihyeh yirat Adonai al panekha kol yamekha shelo teĥeta, vihi ĥeshkekha beTorah uvmitzvot. Einekha lenokhaĥ yabitu, pikha yedaber ĥokhmot, velibekha yehgeh eimot, yadekha ya’asku vemitzvot, raglekha yarutzu la’asot retzon Avikha shebashamayim. Yiten lekha banim uvanot tzadikim vetzidkaniyot osekim baTorah uvamitzvot kol yemeihem, vihi mekorkha barukh. Veyazmin lekha parnasatekha beheter uvnaĥat uvrevaĥ metaĥat yado ha’reĥava velo al yedei matnat basar vadam, parnasa shetihyeh panui la’avodat Hashem, vetikatev veteĥatem leĥayim tovim va’arukim betokh kol tzadikei Yisrael, amen.
יְשִׂמְךָ אֱלֹהִים כְּאֶפְרַיִם וְכִמְנַשֶּׁה
יְבָרֶכְךָ אֲדֹנָי וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ, יָאֵר אֲדֹנָי פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וִיחֻנֶּךָּ, יִשָּׂא אֲדֹנָי פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם.
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלִפְנֵי אָבִינוּ שֶׁבַּשָׁמַיִם, שֶׁיִתֵּן בְּלִבְּךָ אַהֲבָתוֹ וְיִרְאָתוֹ, וּתְהֵא יִרְאַת הַשֵׁם עַל פָּנֶיךָ כָּל יְמֵי חַיֶיךָ שֶׁלֹּא תֶחֱטָא, וִיהֵא חֶשְׁקְךָ בַּתּוֹרָה וּבַמִצְוֹת.
עֵינֶיךָ לְנֹכַח יַבִּיטוּ, פִּיךָ יְדַבֵּר חָכְמוֹת, וְלִבְּךָ יֶהְגֶּה אֵימוֹת, יָדֶיךָ תִּהְיֶינָה עוֹסְקוֹת בְּמִצְוֹת, רַגְלֶיךָ יָרוּצוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹן אָבִיךָ שֶׁבַּשָׁמַיִם.
וְיִתֶּן לְךָ בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת צַדִּיקִים וְצִדְקָנִיוֹת עוֹסְקִים בַּתּורָה וּבְמִצְוֹת כָּל יְמֵיהֶם.
וִיהִי מְקוֹרְךָ בָּרוּךְ, וְיַזְמִין לְךָ פַּרְנָסָתְךָ בְּהֶתֵּר וּבְנַחַת וּבְרֶוַח מִתַּחַת יָדוֹ הָרְחָבָה וְלֹא עַל יְדֵי מַתְּנַת בָּשָׂר וָדָם, פַּרְנָסָה שֶׁתְּהֵא פָּנוּי לַעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵׁם.
וְתִכָּתֵב וְתֵּחָתֵם לְחַיִּים טוֹבִים וַאֲרֻכִּים בְּתוֹךְ כָּל צַדִּיקֵי יִשְֹרָאֵל, אָמֵן.
Translation:
“The Lord shall bless you, and keep you. The Lord shall shine His countenance toward you, and be gracious to you. The Lord shall lift His countenance to you, and grant you peace” (Numbers 6:24–26).
May it be the will of our Father in heaven, that He instill in your heart His love and reverence. May the fear of HASHEM be upon your face all your days, in order that you not sin. May your craving be for the Torah and the commandments. May your eyes gaze toward truth; may your mouth speak wisdom; may your heart meditate with awe; may your hands engage in the commandments; may your feet run to do the will of your Father in heaven. May He grant you righteous sons and daughters who engage in the Torah and the commandments all their days. May the source of your posterity be blessed. May He arrange your livelihood for you in a permissible way, with contentment and with relief, from beneath His generous hand, and not through the gifts of flesh and blood; a livelihood that will free you to serve HASHEM. And may you be inscribed and sealed for a good, long life, among all the righteous of Israel. Amen.
For girls
יְשִׂימֵךְ אֱלֹהִים כְּשָׂרָה רִבְקָה רָחֵל וְלֵאָה.
Yevarekhekha Adonai veyishmerekha; ya’er Adonai panav elekha viĥuneka; yisa Adonai panav elekha veyasem lekha shalom.
Vihi ratzon milifnei Avinu shebashamayim sheyiten belibekh ahavato veyirato, vetihyeh yirat Adonai al panayikh kol yamayikh shelo teĥeti, vihi ĥeshkekh beTorah uvmitzvot. Einayikh lenokhaĥ yabitu, pikh yedaber ĥokhmot, velibekh yehgeh eimot, yadayikh ya’asku vemitzvot, raglayikh yarutzu la’asot retzon Avikh shebashamayim. Yiten lakh banim uvanot tzadikim vetzidkaniyot osekim baTorah uvamitzvot kol yemeihem, vihi mekorekh barukh. Veyazmin lakh parnasatekh beheter uvnaĥat uvrevaĥ metaĥat yado ha’reĥava velo al yedei matnat basar vadam, parnasa shetihyi penuya la’avodat Hashem, vetikatevi veteĥatemi leĥayim tovim va’arukim betokh kol tzadikei Yisrael, amen.
יְשִׂימֵךְ אֱלֹהִים כְּשָׂרָה, רִבְקָה, רָחֵל וְלֵאָה
יְבָרֶכְךָ אֲדֹנָי וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ, יָאֵר אֲדֹנָי פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וִיחֻנֶּךָּ, יִשָּׂא אֲדֹנָי פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם.
וִיהִי רָצוֹן מִלִּפְנֵי אָבִינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם, שֶׁיִּתֵּן בְּלִבֵּךְ אַהֲבָתוֹ וְיִרְאָתוֹ, וְתִהְיֶה יִרְאַת ה’ עַל פָּנַיִךְ כָּל יָמַיִךְ שֶׁלֹּא תֶחֶטְאִי, וִיהִי חִשְׁקֵךְ בְּתוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת. עֵינַיִךְ לְנֹכַח יַבִּיטוּ, פִּיךְ יְדַבֵּר חָכְמוֹת, וְלִבֵּךְ יֶהְגֶּה אֵימוֹת, יָדַיִךְ יַעַסְקוּ בְמִצְוֹת, רַגְלַיִךְ יָרוּצוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹן אָבִיךְ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם. יִתֶּן לָךְ בָּנִים וּבָנוֹתצַדִּיקִים וְצִדְקָנִיּוֹת עוֹסְקִים בַּתּוֹרָה וּבַמִּצְוֹת כָּל יְמֵיהֶם, וִיהִי מְקוֹרֵךְ בָּרוּךְ, וְיַזְמִין לְךָ פַּרְנָסָתֵךְ בְּהֶתֵּר וּבְנַחַת וּבְרֶוַח מִתַּחַת יָדוֹ הָרְחָבָה וְלֹא עַל יְדֵי מַתְּנַת בָּשָׂר וָדָם, פַּרְנָסָה שֶׁתִּהְיִי פְּנוּיָה לַעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם, וְתִכָּתְבִי וְתֵחָתְמִי לְחַיִּים טוֹבִים וַאֲרֻכִּים בְּתוֹךְ כָּל צַדִּיקֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אָמֵן.
Translation:
“The Lord shall bless you, and keep you. The Lord shall shine His countenance toward you, and be gracious to you. The Lord shall lift His countenance to you, and grant you peace” (Numbers 6:24–26).
May it be the will of our Father in heaven, that He instill in your heart His love and reverence. May the fear of HASHEM be upon your face all your days, in order that you not sin. May your craving be for the Torah and the commandments. May your eyes gaze toward truth; may your mouth speak wisdom; may your heart meditate with awe; may your hands engage in the commandments; may your feet run to do the will of your Father in heaven. May He grant you righteous sons and daughters who engage in the Torah and the commandments all their days. May the source of your posterity be blessed. May He arrange your livelihood for you in a permissible way, with contentment and with relief, from beneath His generous hand, and not through the gifts of flesh and blood; a livelihood that will free you to serve HASHEM. And may you be inscribed and sealed for a good, long life, among all the righteous of Israel. Amen.
