Sung by Flora Benamor. Tetuán, 1956.

In the Orthodox community of Morocco, the Bar Mitzvah is known as Tefilim, a Hebrew word for phylactories, two leather boxes of parchments inscribed with quotations from the Torah. Strapped to the boy's forehead and left arm, they will be put on for the first time, and then daily before saying the traditional morning prayers. In this song, the boy's wish to be a Biblical scholar is expressed in the refrain. The verses, however, are a mother's expectations for her son: a study room of gold walls, a fine marriage, and many children. The jasmin and rose-water refers to the perfumed bath before the Bar Mitzvah ceremony in the synagogue.

Oh my father, oh my mother,
I want to tell you
That I have designed a studio
Where I will study and write.

And so I say:
I want to begin with the law.

The walls should be of gold,
The floors of an evergreen tree.
The roofs, lion-colored;
I want to make a talmín for you.

And so I say:
I want to begin with the law.

And a stream of rose-water,
And another of jasmin,
Where this boy takes his bath
The day of his tefelím.

And so I say:
I want to begin with the law.

Your wedding should be
Like Lea and Rachel' s;
They had twelve children,
Twelve cervatím of the law.

Sung by Flora Benamor. Tetuán, 1956.

Ay mi padre, ay mi madre,
ya ves lo quiero decir
que me he fraguado un estudio
donde moldar y escribir.

Y digo yo así:
de la ley quiero empezar.

La paredes séan de oro,
los suelos de un toronjíl,
los techos, aleonados;
hacerte quiero un talmín.

Y digo yo así:
de la ley quiero yo empezar.

Y un chorro de agua de rosas,
y otro de un jazmín,
donde se baña este niño
el día de su tefelím.

Y digo yo así:
de la ley quiero yo empezar.

Tal séa tu casamiento
como él de Léa y Rajél;
doce hijos que tuvieron,
doce cervatím de la ley.