Tefillahתפילה

The Blessing of Release from Parental Obligation

Sources explore the blessing recited when a child reaches the age of religious majority, examining its scriptural basis, the reasoning behind it, and its place within Jewish blessing practice.

בָּרוּךְ שֶׁפְּטָרַנִּי מֵעָנְשׁוֹ שֶׁל זֶה

4 sources · all verified

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What the sources say

The foundational source for this practice is Bereishit Rabbah 63:10, where Rabbi Elazar states that a father is obligated to tend to his son until age thirteen, and from that point onward he should recite "Baruch shepetarani me'onsho shel zeh" — blessed is the One who has exempted me from punishment on account of this son.

The passage in Bereishit Rabbah 63:10 makes clear that the brachah is rooted in the transfer of responsibility: before bar mitzvah the father bears consequence for his son's conduct, and the declaration marks the moment that liability passes to the son himself.

The other passages surfaced — Devarim Rabbah 7:5 on being blessed at entry into and departure from the world, and Bava Metzia 42a on when blessing is recited — do not address this brachah and cannot be used to qualify or extend what Bereishit Rabbah 63:10 says about it.

Source 1 · Chazal

Verified

Devarim Rabbah 7:5

An alternative interpretation states that one should say "Blessed are You upon your entry into the world, and blessed are You upon your departure from the world," which Rabbi Berekhya explains through the verse "A time to be born and a time to die" (Kohelet 3:2)—teaching that the praiseworthy person is one whose time of death is like their time of birth, in that just as one is clean at birth, so too one should be clean at death, hence "Blessed are You upon your entry and blessed are You upon your departure.

דָּבָר אַחֵר, בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה בְּבֹאֶךָ, בְּבִיאָתְךָ לָעוֹלָם, וּבָרוּךְ אַתָּה בְּצֵאתֶךָ, בִּיצִיאָתְךָ מִן הָעוֹלָם. אָמַר רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה, כְּתִיב (קהלת ג, ב): עֵת לָלֶדֶת וְעֵת לָמוּת, וְכִי אֵין אָנוּ יוֹדְעִין שֶׁעֵת הוּא שֶׁאָדָם נוֹלַד וְעֵת הוּא שֶׁאָדָם מֵת, אֶלָּא אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם שֶׁעֵת מִיתָתוֹ כְּעֵת לֵדָתוֹ, מַה בִּשְׁעַת לֵדָתוֹ נָקִי, אַף בִּשְׁעַת מִיתָתוֹ נָקִי, הֱוֵי בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה בְּבֹאֶךָ וּבָרוּךְ אַתָּה בְּצֵאתֶךָ.

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Source 2 · Chazal

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Bava Metzia 42a

Bava Metzia 42a:4

Rabbi Yitzchak and the school of Rabbi Yishmael teach that blessing is found only in matters concealed from the eye, and the Sages rule that one measuring grain should bless before measuring begins; if the blessing is recited after measurement is complete, it is a prayer made in vain, since blessing cannot rest upon what has been weighed, measured, or counted.

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: אֵין הַבְּרָכָה מְצוּיָה אֶלָּא בְּדָבָר הַסָּמוּי מִן הָעַיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״יְצַו ה׳ אִתְּךָ אֶת הַבְּרָכָה בַּאֲסָמֶיךָ״. תָּנָא דְּבֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל: אֵין הַבְּרָכָה מְצוּיָה אֶלָּא בְּדָבָר שֶׁאֵין הָעַיִן שׁוֹלֶטֶת בּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״יְצַו ה׳ אִתְּךָ אֶת הַבְּרָכָה בַּאֲסָמֶיךָ״. תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: הַהוֹלֵךְ לָמוֹד אֶת גּוֹרְנוֹ, אוֹמֵר: ״יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ שֶׁתִּשְׁלַח בְּרָכָה בְּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ״. הִתְחִיל לָמוֹד, אוֹמֵר: ״בָּרוּךְ הַשּׁוֹלֵחַ בְּרָכָה בַּכְּרִי הַזֶּה״. מָדַד וְאַחַר כָּךְ בֵּירַךְ – הֲרֵי זֶה תְּפִילַּת שָׁוְא, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין הַבְּרָכָה מְצוּיָה לֹא בְּדָבָר הַשָּׁקוּל וְלֹא בְּדָבָר הַמָּדוּד וְלֹא בְּדָבָר הַמָּנוּי, אֶלָּא בְּדָבָר הַסָּמוּי מִן הָעַיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״יְצַו ה׳ אִתְּךָ אֶת הַבְּרָכָה בַּאֲסָמֶיךָ״.

And Rabbi Yitzḥak says: Blessing is found only in a matter concealed from the eye, as it is stated: “The Lord will command blessing with you in your storehouses” (Deuteronomy 28:8), where the grain is concealed. The school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: Blessing is found only in a matter over which the eye has no dominion, as it is stated: “The Lord will command blessing with you in your storehouses.” The Sages taught: One who goes to measure the grain on his threshing floor recites: May it be Your will, O Lord, our God, that You send blessing upon the product of our hands. If one began to measure the grain he says: Blessed is He Who sends blessing upon this pile of grain. If one measured and afterward recited this blessing, this is a prayer made in vain, because blessing is found neither in a matter that is weighed, nor in a matter that is measured, nor in a matter that is counted. Rather, it is found in a matter concealed from the eye, as it is stated: “The Lord will command blessing with you in your storehouses.”

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Source 3 · Chazal

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Bereishit Rabbah

Bereishit Rabbah 63:10

Rabbi Elazar teaches that a father must care for his son until age thirteen, and from that point onward should recite the blessing "Baruch shepatrani me'onasho shel zeh" (Blessed is He who has freed me from the punishment of this one).

אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר צָרִיךְ אָדָם לְהִטָּפֵל בִּבְנוֹ עַד י"ג שָׁנָה, מִיכָּן וָאֵילָךְ צָרִיךְ שֶׁיֹּאמַר בָּרוּךְ שֶׁפְּטָרַנִּי מֵעָנְשׁוֹ שֶׁל זֶה.

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Source 4 · Acharonim

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Kaf HaChaim

Kaf HaChayim on Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 225:1

One who sees his friend and recalls it is fitting to recite a blessing, and particularly so if he sees someone greater than himself, his father, or his teacher, supported by the verse about sending portions to one another; the passage cites a teaching from Megillah that this blessing is established among us, and since the reason is that he enjoys and rejoices in seeing the person, there is no distinction between seeing someone greater or smaller than himself.

א) [סעיף א'] הרואה את חבירו וכו' וכ"ש אם ראה גדול ממנו או אביו או רבו וזכר לדבר מדכתיב ומשלוח מנות איש לרעהו ואמרו פ"ק דמגילה קיימת בנו רבינו וכו' ומילתה דפשיטא היא דמידי הוא טעמא אלא שנהנה ושמח בראייתו א"כ לא שנא גדול או קטן ממנו ברכ"י אות א' שע"ת אות א':

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