Upsherin: Encyclopedia - Upsherin

Upsherin

Upsherin or Upsherinish (Yiddish: אָפּסשערן) refers to a traditional Jewish haircutting ceremony that takes place when a male Jewish boy reaches the age of three years.

Though usually an Orthodox custom, this is not exclusive. There are many cases where it has become an egalitarian custom among Conservative/Masorti Jews who may perform the ceremony for girls as well. There are also many Orthodox Jews (such as Haredim) who may not follow this custom.

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).

Upsherin - Tanakh sources

Upsherin - Torah

• "A person is like the tree of a field..." (Deuteronomy 20:19)
• "When you...plant any tree...[f]or three years [the fruit] shall be a forbidden growth, and it may not be eaten." (Leviticus 19:23)

Upsherin - Nevi'im

• "For as the days of a tree, shall be the days of my people." (Isaiah 65:22)
• "He will be like a tree planted near water..." (Jeremiah 17:8)

Upsherin - History

The tradition may date as far back as the 16th century. It is part of Kabbalistic teachings.

Upsherin - Lag B'Omer

Rabbi Chaim Vital, in Sha'ar HaKavonot, wrote that "Isaac Luria, cut his son's hair on Lag B'Omer, according to the well known custom."

Many upsherinish take place at the grave of Shimon bar Yochai, in Meron, Israel on Lag B'Omer. He wrote the Kabbalistic book of Zohar, and in it, explained that the bonfires traditionally lit on Lag B'Omer – are symbolic of the light of Torah.

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