Bar Mitzvah is one of the main Jewish holidays, always expected with excitement and joyful anticipation. Literally from Hebrew is translated as "the son of the commandment." This is Jewish adulthood.
What it is?
Bar-mitzvah is a day in which a person, according toJewish laws, becomes an adult, therefore, capable of responding independently for one's own actions. It should be noted that boys have such age - 13 years, girls - 12. However, in many reformist or conservative synagogues girls celebrate Jewish adulthood with boys together.
Until now, responsibility for the fullthe child's observance of the traditions and laws of Judaism is borne by the parents. But an adult receives 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 the adult life of a person begins not only with this.
Bar Mitzvah is a very solemn, important andan incredibly fun day. At this moment, relatives and friends are invited. Smart clothes are purchased, the child is given a grand feast, thanks to which the birthday boy feels himself excited and happy. At the same time, adulthood is twice as remarkable and extraordinary in the Holy Land.
Customs and laws
Jewish traditions suggest that whenthe child comes of age, he begins to be fully responsible for his own actions. But that is not all. He becomes a bar mitzvah (boys) or bat-mitzvah (girls). Up to this point, we repeat, full responsibility for how the child respects the traditions and laws of Judaism is borne by his parents. As soon as the 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 spheres of the Jewish community.
Jewish Traditions
The achievement of the bar mitzvah period is mainly due tothe fact that a young person is called to read a small passage of Haftorah and / or the Torah in the Shabbat period, in addition, another worship service. In addition, he can be attracted to learning Torah, to discuss the weekly chapter. At the same time, what exactly the boy should do during the service, varies depending on the specific direction of religion, and also depends on the traditions of a certain community. Regardless of the nature of the celebration, men after the age of 13 become fully responsible for complying with all the laws of Judaism (girls after 12).
The main number of representativesorthodox Judaism completely reject the idea of women conducting worship and publicly reading the Torah. But the public celebration of the achievement of a child of the bat mitzvah age by other means has very strongly penetrated the Haredim, as well as in a part of the directions of orthodox Judaism. In these communities, girls can, for example, read a small lecture on various Jewish topics, learn the chapter of Tanakh, read some prayers from siddur or fragments of other texts.
Duties and Rights
Since the time when a Jew attains the age of the bat-mitzvah, he is responsible to the Jewish law as an adult, as already mentioned above. Acquired responsibilities and rights include:
- the right to participate in the minyan and be called to read the Torah;
- moral responsibility for one's own actions;
- the right to possess any property;
- duty of full compliance with all 613 laws of the Torah;
- the right to get married.
History
In the time of the Talmud, the Mishnah and Tanakh, the modernthe practice of celebrating the Jewish majority did not yet exist. In the books of Numbers and Exodus, the age of majority admitted for the army service is 20 years. In the Mishnah, 13 years old is indicated as the age at which the boy must observe the laws of the Torah. So, from the age of 5 the boys study the Torah, with 10 - the Mishnah, from the age of 13 they fulfill all the commandments.
Bar Mitzvah is a term that appeared for the first timein the Talmud (in the fifth century). He meant the boy to whom all the laws of the Torah were applicable. At the same time, it is stated in the Talmud that the oaths of a person after the execution of 13 years acquire full legal force, and also that this is the result of his becoming a real "man", as required by Num. In the modern sense, the term "bar mitzvah" can not be traced to the XIV century. It is worth noting that the older definitions were "gadol" and "bar-onshin" (capable of being punished for their misdemeanors).
The second bar mitzvah
Among religious Jews there is also a customcelebrate the second bar mitzvah, which occurs after reaching 83 years. Interestingly, the logic in this is that the "simple" life expectancy of a person is about 70 years, therefore, an 83-year-old man can be treated as a 13-year-old, only in "extra time". This practice is becoming more popular today.
Gifts
A child celebrating a bar mitzvah is usually givengifts. Classical gifts are books with educational or religious value, eternal feathers, various religious items, savings bonds (in order to use them for further education), as well as various gift certificates. Today, even more often, they give cash for adulthood.
It is interesting that, like in charity,here it becomes common to give an amount that is a multiple of eighteen. It is accepted thus, that the bar mitzvah of monetary gifts would make his first mitzvah (donation), which would be directed to charity. From the parents the boy receives the first talit on the holiday.
Misdemeanors and Commandments
As soon as the Jewish boy becamehe must behave himself, as befits a real husband or a hero, who conquers his bad beginning, while constantly excites the good. Teacher and father should help the child who starts this way. They need to help understand and understand everything new that has appeared in it now, as well as what its responsibilities are from now.
The new is the boy's acceptance of himself foreverthe burden of the commandments of the Most High and the absolute impossibility of overthrowing it ever from oneself. While his duty is to fear the awakening of a bad start, always in his trap, beware of the possible commission of a misdemeanor. He must believe with all his heart that the Creator gave him enough strength for this.
Customs and laws of the holiday
Дети заповеди Торы исполнять не обязаны.The boy, as already mentioned above, begins to do this from the age of thirteen, the Jewish girl from 12. When they reach this age, it is believed that other signs of maturity come with them.
If a child appears on the 1st of the month of Nisan, the bar mitzvah he becomes on the 1st of the month of Nisan of the 14th year of life.
If a boy was born in the month of Adar not a leap year, while the 13th year of his life turned out to be a leap year (there were two months of Adar), the child becomes a Bar Mitzvah only on his birthday in the 2nd adar.
In case a child appears in a leap year inthe adar and the 13th year of his life also turned out to be a leap year, then if he was born in the 1st adar, he becomes a bar mitzvah also 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 doesn’t matter if he was born in the 1st or 2nd adar - as soon as his birthday comes in the adar, he automatically becomes a bar mitzvah.
