B'NEY MITZVAH

Articles for BM FAMILIES

A History of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Ceremonies

Compiled by Bert Wagner

All societies determine a specific age that separates childhood from adulthood-the age when an individual assumes his or her religious and communal responsibilities to the society in which he or she lives. Like most traditions, the ceremonies connected with becoming a bar or bat mitzvah at age thirteen evolved over time. It has always been viewed as one moment in the process of spiritual growth and commitment to the Jewish people.

The origin of becoming a bar mitzvah at thirteen years plus one day for boys and a bat mitzvah at twelve years plus one day for girls has several origins. The Talmud records that during the time of the Second Temple (520 b.c.e.-70 c.e.), it was traditional for Sages to bless a child who had completed his first fast day at the age of twelve or thirteen. In Pirkei Avot ("Ethics of the Fathers," second century c.e.) it is written, "At thirteen one is ready to do mitzvot." By the time the Talmud was completed in the sixth century c.e., boys of thirteen years plus one day had assumed full responsibility for performing the mitzvot, hence the term bar mitzvah, "son of the commandment." This also had legal ramifications: These boys were now counted in a minyan and could act as witnesses. There was no formal rite, only a public blessing by the father stating that he was no longer responsible for the sins of the son.

The earliest bar mitzvah ceremony consisted of blessing and reading the last section of the weekly portion (parasha) of the Torah, the maftir, meaning the extra reading, since the boy was not a bar mitzvah until after the service, and reading the haftarah portion. The most important part of the rite was a d’rashah or d’var Torah, a short teaching on the Torah or haftarah portion. Since the bar mitzvah was assuming adult religious responsibilities, he was expected to show his understanding of those responsibilities to his family and, more importantly, to the community. Even today, the bar mitzvah ceremony is essentially the same as it originally was, and it wasn’t until the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries that we find records of a bar mitzvah being invited to lead part of the worship service.

A public ceremony in celebration of a girl becoming a bat mitzvah, "daughter of the commandment," did not come into formal being in North America until 1922. Dr. Judith Kaplan-Eisenstein, the daughter of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism, blessed and read the Torah portion from a book "at a respectable distance" from the Torah scroll. The regular celebration of girls becoming b’not mitzvah came into prominence in Reform congregations particularly in the second half of the 20th century and is generally identical in form to the celebration of a bar mitzvah.

It should be noted that the rite of confirmation originated in the Reform Movement in Germany in 1810 and included girls in 1817. Since it was felt that a thirteen-year-old was too young to fully understand the precepts of Judaism, the celebration of a boy becoming a bar mitzvah was dropped in favor of confirmation, which was held at age sixteen or seventeen because that was deemed a more mature and appropriate age to assume the responsibilities of Judaism. Today, most Reform congregations hold both ceremonies.

Historically, all joyous occasions were celebrated in some manner, and becoming a bar/bat mitzvah was no exception. However, unlike weddings at which we are commanded to rejoice with bride and groom, the bar mitzvah has no such mandate. In early years the celebrations varied from a simple Kiddush of wine, brandy, and cake following the service to more elaborate meals for family and friends. The Rabbis urged families not to have elaborate celebrations and always to provide for the poor in order to fulfill the mitzvah. The d’rashah was delivered by the bar mitzvah some time during the celebration in order to emphasize its religious aspects. Gifts were generally limited to books, or religious items, or "sermon gifts," which were small amounts of money given as thanks for the sermonette. Among Moroccan Jews, this money was given to the boy’s teacher.

Historically, bar/bat mitzvah has been viewed as a first step in a young person’s acceptance of the obligations to family and community as a responsible Jew. It was and should continue to be the beginning of a lifetime of the performance of mitzvot, study, prayer, and a commitment to share the destiny of the Jewish people.

KEEPING BAR AND BAT MITZVAH IN PERSPECTIVE
(Manual for Parent/Student, Temple Ner Tamid, Bloomfield, NJ)

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Is about the Acceptance of Responsibility. In the final analysis, this is the bottom line of becoming a bar and bat mitzvah. It’s not about acquiring the skill of k’riah,-"the reading of the Torah." Rather, it’s about acquiring the skill of responding to a challenge: a mitzvah. This is how Judaism defines maturity.

· The Torah Is the Center of Judaism.   The Torah is the testimony of our people’s encounter with God. And however you interpret those events in the wilderness of Sinai some three millennia ago, what cannot be dismissed is the sacredness with which our ancestors have embraced this legacy. This is why the first mitzvah we expect our children to fulfill is to stand to read the Torah.

· Bar/Bat Mitzvah Is a Community Observance. It is not by coincidence that we choose to hold this initiation ceremony in public. To be a Jew means to live within a covenantal relationship-not only with God but with other Jews as well. Bar/bat mitzvah marks the entry of the child as a full-fledged member of the community. The awarding of an aliyah, ("being called to the Torah"), is a gift of the Jewish people. For this reason, the marking of the child’s coming of age takes place in the synagogue-the communal home.

· The Bar/Bat Mitzvah Ceremony Is Not a Performance: It’s a Celebration. We are looking to train our young students, the bright future of Judaism, with the skill set needed to function as educated Jews for the remainder of their lives.  At the BM ceremony, we understand that sanctuary service should not be treated as theater, nor the congregation as an audience.    But rather, a place to commune with God and community, experience and discover spiritual truths and deeper purpose for our lives.

· Try to Think of the Reception That Follows Not As a Separate Event but As a Continuation of the Celebration. In fact, Judaism has a formal name for the meal after a bar/bat mitzvah: It is a s’udat mitzvah. This meal is in honor of the performance of a mitzvah. It, too, is a sacred gathering. This is not to say that it must be solemn; it is to say, however, that the spirit of the morning’s celebration should be perpetuated through the performance of mitzvot. The recitation of the blessings and the setting aside of a portion of one’s bounty for the poor demonstrate that the morning’s celebration was not an isolated event but a standard from which to follow.

· The Meaning of Becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah Is Enduring Only If It Takes Place within a Context of Continued Jewish Growth. Being a bat or bar mitzvah is not the experience of a lifetime. It is a lifetime experience-a state of being that remains with us throughout our lives. Indeed, the true measure of performance comes not on the day one becomes a bat or bar mitzvah but in the days that follow. In other words, becoming a bar or bat mitzvah should be thought of as a Jewish "commencement," marking not an end point but a beginning-a beginning of a lifetime of mitzvot, a beginning of a lifetime of learning. As such, it is our firm belief that the bar/bat mitzvah celebration is validated and enhanced by a commitment to continue religious education to confirmation.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *