Upsherin: Encyclopedia II - Upsherin - Basic principles

Upsherin - Basic principles

Just as a tree grows tall and with time, produces fruit, so it is hoped that a little boy will grow in knowledge, good deeds and, eventually have children of his own. Therefore, just as the Torah says that if you plant a tree, all fruits that grow during the first three years are off-limits, so, too, some Jews leave a child’s hair alone during the first three years and do not cut it at all.

Traditionally, after his upsherin, a little boy would enter school and formal Torah education. He would begin donning a kippah (if not already wearing one) and tzitzit. He will learn blessings, prayers and the Hebrew alphabet. At the upsherin, parents encourage their little ones to lick Hebrew letters covered in honey while saying each letter, so that Torah should be "sweet on their tongues."

Today, this tradition is followed even if there is no upsherin, but rather when any child is first taught their Aleph Bet. This is not just to show the child that learning is "sweet", nor just that Torah study is "sweet", but also, to learn the sweetness of the Hebrew language.

There are other smaller customs which surround the actual ceremony, such as weighing the hair that is cut off, and giving the equivalent amount to charity. A child might sing in Hebrew, "Moses prescribed the Torah to us, an eternal heritage for the congregation of Jacob." (Deut. 33:4).

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Basic principles", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki