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OUR BAR MITZVAH GIFTS AND BAT MITZVAH GIFTS
In Jewish tradition, one of the most lasting images and commonly known instances
of ceremony are the Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies. Commonly known as
the ascension into adulthood by a Jewish child, the ceremony is an often elaborate
series of prayers, processions, and family gatherings.
What is a Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah?
Ironically, a Bar Mitzvah is not a part of Jewish law, but a reflection of
it. When a Jewish boy reaches the age of 13, he is considered a “Bar Mitzvah”
and when a Jewish girl reaches the age of 12, she is considered a “Bat
Mmitzvah.” What does the phrase mean though? Basically it’s a chance
for the boy or girl’s family to celebrate the liberation of the child
into the realm of adult laws.
For as long as a Jewish child is under the aforementioned ages, they are considered
under the care of their parents. Should they commit any wrongs, their parents
are immediately responsible for their actions. When they reach the bar or bat
mitzvah age they are considered responsible in the eyes of Jewish Law for their
deeds – in spirit, ethics, and morality.
Importance of Becoming a Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah
What’s the ceremony and celebration all about then if there is no set
law for the ritual in question? It’s all about the effect it has on the
child’s family. When a Jewish child reaches maturity and is given their
Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah, the adults are given cause for celebration, both
because they are no longer responsible and because they have successfully raised
their children into adulthood. It’s also a matter of personal celebration
as a child is given the chance to celebrate their maturity and growth into adulthood.
The act itself is recognition of an individual’s place in Jewish society.
Not only is all the attention placed on the subject of the Bar Mitzvah or Bat
Mitzvah, but the entire process allows the individual to display their maturity
and adulthood through careful preparation and recitations. The process of preparing
for a Bar Mitgzvah or Bat Mitzvah gives a young Jewish child the kind of spiritual
guidance necessary to help with the growth into adulthood. With adolescence
starting within the same stretch of time, it’s a perfect time to study
who you are and how you fit into the world, something a Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah
offers.
The Bar Mitzvah/Bat Mitzvah Ceremony
The ceremony itself has only been around since the Middle Ages and consists
of reciting from the Five Books of Moses and Haftara before leading in the day’s
discussion of the weeks’ Torah portion. The actual ceremony varies often,
with it being most often held on a Shabbat shortly after the birthday. Occasionally
it is held on Monday or Thursday services though. For Jewish girls, Bat Mitzvah
celebrations were not started until the 1920's but have since become as common
and accepted as the Bar Mitzvah practice, following much the same procedure
as the male counterpart.
For a young Jewish boy or girl to become Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah means they
have become “one to whom the commandments apply.” The act of a Bar
Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah ceremony helps to solidify and lay out a young Jewish
adolescent’s place in Jewish society as they prepare for adulthood.
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