Bar Mitzvah is one of the main Jewish holidays, always expected with excitement and joyful anticipation. Literally from Hebrew translates as "the son of the commandment." This is Jewish coming of age.
What it is?
Bar Mitzvah is the day on which a person, according to Jewish laws, becomes an adult, therefore, able to answer independently for their own actions. It is worth noting that boys have this age - 13 years old, girls - 12. At the same time, in many reformist or conservative synagogues, girls celebrate Jewish adulthood with the boys together.
Until now, parents are responsible for fully observing the traditions and laws of Judaism. But an adult has already received his duties and rights: the right to teach the Torah, to fulfill its commandments, as well as the right to marry. Although the new year in an adult's life begins not only with this.
Bar Mitzvah is a very solemn, important and incredibly fun day. At this moment, relatives and friends are invited. Elegant clothes are purchased, a grand holiday is arranged for the child, thanks to which the birthday boy feels excited and joyful. At the same time, adulthood to celebrate in the Holy Land is doubly surprising and unusual.
Customs and Laws
Jewish traditions suggest that when a child reaches adulthood, he begins to be fully responsible for his own actions. But that is not all. He becomes a bar mitzvah (boys) or a bat mitzvah (girls). Up to this point, we repeat, the full responsibility for how the child observes the traditions and laws of Judaism is borne by his parents. As soon as children reach this age, they take responsibility for observing the ritual, ethical and other norms of Judaism. In addition, they receive the right to participate in all areas of the Jewish community.
Jewish traditions
The achievement of the Bar Mitzvah period is mainly due to the fact that the young man is called to read a small passage of Haftara and / or the Torah during the Shabbat, in addition, another worship. In addition, he can be attracted to the teaching of the Torah, to the discussion of the weekly chapter. Moreover, what exactly during the service should the boy do, varies depending on the specific direction of religion, and also depends on the traditions of a particular community. Regardless of the nature of the celebration, men after 13 years of age become fully responsible for observing all the laws of Judaism (girls after 12).
Most of the representatives of Orthodox Judaism completely reject the idea of women conducting divine services and public reading of the Torah. But public celebration of the achievement of a child of the age of Bat Mitzvah by other means very strongly penetrated into the Haredim, as well as in some areas of Orthodox Judaism. In these communities, girls can, for example, give a small lecture on various Jewish topics, learn the head of the Tanakh, read some prayers from the Siddur or fragments of other texts.
Responsibilities and Rights
From the moment a Jew reaches the age of bat mitzvah, he is liable to Jewish law as an adult, as mentioned above. Acquired duties and rights include:
- the right to participate in the minyan and be called to read the Torah;
- moral responsibility for their own actions;
- the right to possess any property;
- the obligation to fully comply with all 613 laws of the Torah;
- the right to marry.
History
In the days of the Talmud, Mishnah, and Tanakh, the practice of celebrating Jewish adulthood did not yet exist. In the books of Numbers and Exodus, the legal age of majority for military service is 20 years. In the Mishnah, 13 years is indicated as the age at which the boy must abide by the laws of the Torah. So, from 5 years old boys study the Torah, from 10 years old - Mishnu, from 13 years old they completely fulfill all the commandments.
Bar Mitzvah is a term that first appeared in the Talmud (in the fifth century). He designated a boy to whom all the laws of the Torah were applicable. Moreover, the Talmud states that a person’s vows after 13 years of age acquire full legal force, and also that this is the result of his becoming a real “man”, as Chis requires. In the modern sense, the term bar mitzvah is not traced back to the fourteenth century. It is worth noting that the older definitions were “gadol” and “bar-onshin” (capable of being punished for their misconduct).
Second bar mitzvah
Among religious Jews, there is also a custom to celebrate the second bar mitzvah, which occurs after reaching 83 years. Interestingly, the logic in this lies in the fact that the “simple” life expectancy of a person is approximately 70 years, therefore, an 83-year-old man can be considered as a 13-year-old, only in “extra time”. This practice is becoming increasingly popular today.
Gifts
A child celebrating a bar mitzvah is usually given presents. Classical gifts are books with educational or religious value, eternal feathers, various religious objects, savings bonds (in order to apply them for further education), as well as all kinds of gift certificates. Today, more and more often they give cash for adulthood.
Interestingly, as in charity, it is becoming common here to give an amount that will be a multiple of eighteen. It was also accepted that the bar mitzvah would make his first mitzvah (donation) personal from cash gifts, which would be aimed at charity. From parents, the boy receives the first tallit for the holiday.
Acts and Commandments
As soon as a Jewish boy has come of age, he should behave as befits a real husband or hero, who conquers his bad start, while constantly stirring up the good. The teacher and father should help the child starting this path. They need to help him understand and comprehend everything new that has appeared in him now, as well as what his responsibilities are from now on.
The new is the boy’s acceptance of the burden of the commandments of the Almighty forever on himself and the absolute impossibility of overthrowing him ever with himself. While his duty is to fear the awakening of the evil principle, which is constantly awaiting him, to guard against the possible commission of an offense. He must wholeheartedly believe that the Creator gave him enough strength for this.
Customs and laws of the holiday
Children of the commandments of the Torah are not required to fulfill. The boy, as mentioned above, begins to do this at the age of thirteen, the Jewish girl - at 12. When they reach this age, it is believed that other signs of maturity come to them along with this.
If the child appeared on the 1st day of the Nisan month, bar mitzvah, he becomes the 1st day of the Nisan month of the 14th year of life.
If the boy was born in the month of adar not in a leap year, while the 13th year of his life was a leap year (there were two months of adar), the child becomes a bar mitzvah only on his birthday in the 2nd adar.
If the child appeared in a leap year in the adar and the 13th year of his life was also a leap year, then if he was born in the 1st adar, the bar mitzvah he also becomes in the 1st adar; if the boy was born in the 2nd adar, then also in the second adar he becomes a bar mitzvah. Moreover, if the 13th year of his life was ordinary, it makes no difference whether he was born in the 1st or 2nd adar - as soon as his birthday in the adar comes, he automatically becomes a bar mitzvah.