This one is for women and girls only. According to the Jewish laws of modesty, girls and women only sing in front of a female audience.
The following is a song that my daughter Yehudis Yaffa and I wrote in honor of her Bas Mitzvah.
Click on the image below to listen to a section of us singing it at her Bas Mitzvah, less than two weeks ago...
Here are the words:
Bas Mitzvah Song
Swaying gently in my arms
My baby sleeps so peacefully
I softly sing to her and tell her
Yehudis Yaffa - now you will be
With your new name you have
A holy spark from Above
Unaware of the world you're in
Showered by affection and love
Na na na....
Chorus:
Soon I’ll be older
And deep within me
My flame will dance and shine
A part
Of Hashem
My neshama, my soul will be mine
I will reach
I will teach
I will kindle other flames
I will overcome
The darkness
And Glorify His name
Walking side by side together
I lovingly hold her hand
Her first day of school is here
I look on as she skips off with her friends
More aware of the world she's in
Friendships she begins to form
Caring for the feelings of others
Her neshama is more a part of her
Na Na…
Chorus:
Soon I’ll be older
And deep within me
My flame will dance and shine
A part
Of Hashem
My neshama, my soul will be mine
I will reach
I will teach
I will kindle other flames
I will overcome
The darkness
And Glorify His name
Filled with nachas and with pride,
I see her blossom on her own
Her Bas Mitzvah now approaching
I marvel at how she has grown
With her talents and her friendly smile
She warms the heart of another.
An inspiring leader of tomorrow
I’m humbled to be her mother
Na Na…
Chorus #2:
Now I am older
And deep within me
My flame can dance and shine
A part
Of Hashem
My neshama, my soul is mine
And soon will be
A world of peace
We'll see that G-dly flame
Forever gone
will be the darkness
As we glorify His name.
Click the above image to see part of the song peformed, and click here for the ending.
Below are my daughters words she spoke before we sang the song:
A few months ago, my mother and I wrote a song together which we look forward to singing tonight. Before we sing, I want to share with you the thoughts that inspired this song.
The soul up in Heaven waits for its turn to come down into a body and fulfill its mission here on earth.
When a baby is first born – their soul begins the journey into the body.
At first, a newborn is quite selfish – thinking only about him or herself.
I think about my baby brother Menachem – who wakes up my mother each night, not bothered by the sleep she is missing, each time he needs to nurse; his G-dly soul is not completely within him.
But as the baby grows and becomes a toddler, as the soul continues to go more completely into the body, he or she slowly starts to be aware of the world around him!
I see this with my other siblings!
I see how my two-year-old sister Devorah Leah, can say “sorry” when she did something wrong.
And then I see my five-year-old sister Menucha- when she says sorry, she truly means it!
And then I see my six-year-old-sister Bracha Leba, who can actually hold herself back from doing something wrong in the first place!
As a girl's G-dly soul continues to enter her body, she is increasingly able to think about others.
The older she gets, the more she can be in touch with spirituality and her own soul.
And then, as she reaches Bas Mitzvah, a girl can really feel that urge within her to grasp things that are deeper, that are more meaningful; she starts to question, and wants to understand.
She is aware of her actions and wants to make good choices.
She understands that she is now able to shift her focus from her own wills and wants, and dedicate her life to the will of Hashem, to lead a most meaningful life possible, infused with spirituality.
Thinking about the world outside ourselves; G-d's desires, others' needs.
At the age of Bas Mitzvah, the soul is completely and entirely in her body. The soul is hers.
This past Tuesday was my 12th birthday.
From that day – my soul became completely mine!
I now have the ability to truly make a difference.
I now can reach out to others and bring light to this world.
I can now utilize the power of my soul to the fullest!
Thanks to my soul, I have the ability to be aware of Hashem, myself and others; I am able to live a life of purpose and meaning.