Pregnancy

Science has already established that a mother’s actions, attitude and mood during pregnancy have a profound effect on the development of her baby. From the Talmud we learn that this applies to spiritual matters as well.

Therefore it is advised that during pregnancy the mother increase her performance of good deeds, especially: giving charity, saying Psalms and infusing her environment with a genuine Jewish spirit. This includes improving upon the mitzvot she already observes.

While nature takes its course in the development of the newborn, we do our part by praying to G-d for a healthy, easy pregnancy and delivery. There are traditionally three mitzvot that Jewish women emphasize during pregnancy:

Charity: It is customary for the expectant mother to place a few extra coins in a tzedakah pushka (charity box) each day except on Shabbat and Jewish Holidays. It is also customary to give charity prior to lighting the Shabbat and Holiday candles.

Mezuzah: Having the mezuzot of the home inspected by a certified Scribe to ensure that they are kosher (as the ink tends to fade with time rendering the mezuzah unkosher) or to affix a mezuzah for the first time if there isn’t one in the home yet. This may be organized by contacting the Centre during office hours.

Saying Psalms: In addition to daily prayers, Jewish women and their husbands recite additional Tehillim (Psalms) each day during the pregnancy.