Bar-mitzvah is what? Jewish Traditions

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 when a person, according to Jewish laws, becomes an adult, therefore, able to respond independently for his 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, parents are responsible for the child's complete observance of the traditions and laws of Judaism. 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 and 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, the age of majority in the Holy Land is doubly surprising and extraordinary.

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 bat-mitzvah (girls). Up to this point, we repeat, 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 ritual, ethical and other norms of Judaism. In addition, they are entitled to participate in all spheres of the Jewish community.

Jewish Traditions

The achievement of the bar mitzvah period is mainly due to the 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 majority of representatives of orthodox Judaism completely reject the idea of conducting women's worship and publicly reading the Torah. But the public celebration of the attainment of a child of the bat mitzvah age by other means has very strongly penetrated the Haredim, and also into 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 a bat-mitzvah, he is accountable 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;
• The duty of full compliance with all 613 laws of the Torah;
• The right to get married.

History

In the time of the Talmud, Mishnah and Tanakh, the modern practice of celebrating Jewish adulthood did not yet exist. In the books of Numbers and Exodus, the age of majority, admissible 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, at the age of 5, the boys study the Torah, with 10 - the Mishnah, from the age of 13 complete all the commandments.

Bar Mitzvah is the term that first appeared in 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 human oaths after the fulfillment 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 custom to celebrate 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 given gifts. 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, it becomes common to give an amount that will be a multiple of eighteen. It is accepted thus that the bar mitzvah of monetary gifts should 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 Mitzvot

As soon as the Jewish boy has become of age, he must behave as befits a real husband or a hero, who conquers his evil origin, 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 are its responsibilities from this moment.

The new is the acceptance by the boy of the burden of God's commandments forever and the absolute impossibility of overthrowing him ever from himself. 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

Children do not have to obey the commandments of the Torah. 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.

In case the child appeared on the 1st day of the month of Nisan, he becomes the bar mitzvah on the 1st day of the month of Nisan of the 14th year of life.

If the 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.

If a child appeared in a leap year in Adar and the 13th year of his life was also leap year, then if he appeared in the 1st Adar, he becomes a bar mitzvah in the 1st adar; If the boy was born in the 2nd adar, then in the second adar he becomes a bar mitzvah. However, if the 13th year of his life was ordinary, it is completely indifferent, he appeared in the first or second adar - as soon as the day of his birth in Adar comes, he automatically becomes bar-mitzvah.