THE UPSHERENISH

Orthodox:

Although a Jewish child's education begins the moment he or she is born, the age of three marks the child's formal introduction into Jewish education and practice.

The Upsherenish is a joyous occasion marking a Jewish boy's third birthday by cutting his hair for the very first time. The Torah states "Man is like a tree of the field". Man is compared to a tree, as both grow from a small seed, branch out, reach maturity and bear fruit. Just as a sapling need careful and tender nurturing to grow tall and strong, so too a child needs great care and attention to grw physically and spiritually.

Therefore, it is customary to apply the laws of a tree to man. During the first three years of a tree's life its fruit may not be cut. Likewise, a boy's hair is not cut for the first three years. At the Upsheren, the boy's hair is cut and he is introduced to the Mitzvah of leaving the Payos (side-locks), and he starts wearing the tzitzis (four-cornered fringed garment). Family and friens participate by each snipping off a small piece of hair and sharing in the many other fascinating customs involved in this ceremony.

When a Jewish girl reaches the age of three, she begins lighting her own Shabbat candle. This sets the stage for a lifetime of bringing Hashem's light of joy and peace into the home and into the world at large. The physical manifestation of this great light is the Shabbat candle. With her mother's help she lights the candle and says the blessing, on her way to becoming a "true woman of valour".

At the age of three, both boys and girls begin reciting the morning blessings, the grace after meals, and the bedtime Shema.