As the father of a boy about to make bar mitzvah, what is required of me at the bar mitzvah ceremony. I am ashamed to say that my Hebrew reading skills are poor and feel I may be criticized for my inability to perform my part if I must read at this important event.
The truth is, that the father of a son who is becoming bar-mitzvah has very little ceremonial requirement.
All you will have to do is say “BARUCH SHEPETORANI MEI’ONSHO SHELOZEH”. (Which means ‘Blessed is the One who has removed my responsibility for the punnishment due for this boy’ – this is because, in Jewish tradition, just as a father is responsible for the damage that his son does vis-a-vis others, a father is also responsible for his son’s relationship with God.) This statement is recited immediately after your son’s blessing once he has finished reading his portion. (If it is your custom for the bar-mitzvah boy to read from the Torah.)
In some synagogues, it is customary for the father to be called up to the Torah and recite a blessing over the torah;
this reads as follows:
You: BARCHU ET ADO-NOI HAMEVORACH
Congregation: BARUCH ADO-NOI HAMEVORACH LE’OLAM VA’ED
You repeat: BARUCH ADO-NOI HAMEVORACH LE’OLAM VA’ED
You continue: BARUCH ATA ADO-NOI ELO-HEINU MELECH HA’OLAM ASHER BACHAR BANU MIKOL HO’AMIM VENATAN LANU ET TORATO. BARUCH ATA ADO-NOI NOTAYN HATORAH.
At this point, a Torah reader will read from the scroll, and when he finishes you will say:
BARUCH ATA ADO-NOI ELO-HEINU MELECH HA’OLAM ASHER NATAN LANU TORAT EMET, VECHAYEI OLAM NATA BETOCHEINU. BARUCH ATA ADO-NOI NOTEIN HATORAH.
The bar-mitzvah time is very exciting. It’s one of those things that everyone goes through, and it lends a feeling of solidarity with the rest of the Jewish people. It is the begining of Jewish responsibility and personhood.
MAZAL TOV!