Communion Meditation for Young People

Bar Mitzvah

A boy becomes bar mitzvah at the age of thirteen and one day. Girls become bat mitzvah at age 12. This is the time the boy or girl are considered legally responsible to fulfill the mitzvos (mitzvah, mitzvath [command of the Jewish laws]). Some new responsibilities by Jewish law are.... They are now counted for a minyon ( minyan [prayer quorum of ten, that is, some Jewish ceremonies require ten men and before bar mizvah, the lad did not count towards the ten]). They are responsible for wearing tefillin Tefillin is either of two small leather boxes, each containing strips of parchment inscribed with quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures, one of which is strapped to the forehead and the other to the left arm by Jewish men during morning worship, except on the Sabbath and holidays. God has commanded us to wear Tefillin on the arm in memory of His outstretched arm, opposite the heart because we ought to subject our hearts' desires and designs to His service, and on the head, opposite the brain, because the mind and all senses ought to be subjected to His service. They are eligible for aliyot (being called up to read the Torah). They are responsible to fast on fast days. They are responsible for observing the mitzvot (commands of the Jewish Law). Usually, on the following Sabbath (shabbat) the boy or girl will read from the Torah (the first five books of Hebrew Scripture). All the men attending will wear a kipah (yarmulke [Jewish skullcap]) and the women will cover their heads. The men and women will dress in an attire befitting a visit to someone very important, as God most certainly is. Afterwards there is sort of a graduation party for the new Jewish adults and the boy or girl has now entered into a new Covenant Relationship with God. Isn't it wonderful we do not have to wait until we are 12 or 13 years old to enter into a Covenant Relationship with Jesus Christ? Once we have come to an understanding of what it means to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, have made the decision, and had our own bar mitzvah (baptism), we are reborn as a new creature - a Christian. During Communion today, think how your life changed when you came out of the water. Have you remained true to your commitment? Tefillin are worn during weekday morning prayers by males aged 13 and older. They are worn adjacent to the mind and the heart and serve to connect one's mind and heart to that of the Creator. Here we also have two people wearing the Tefillin. Entering the Covenant http://www.landfield.com/faqs/judaism/FAQ/12-Kids/ B'nai Mitzvah 1. What is a bar/bat mitzvah? Subject: Question 21.7.1: B'nai Mitzvah: What is a bar/bat mitzvah? Answer: A bar/bat mitzvah s considered legally responsible to fulfill the mitzvos. A boy becomes bar mitzvah at the age of thirteen and one day. Girls become bat mitzvah at age 12. This is usually celebrated by the child being called to read from the torah at the shabbat closest to their bar/bat mitzvah. As is common in Judaism, there is often a party afterwards, which can vary from the simple home reception to an overly ornate "theme" celebration. Until the child reaches bar/bat mitzvah age, they are responsible only as part of chinuch (training). After the bar/bat mitzvah, the child is legally an adult in the eyes of Judaism. This means the following: They are now counted for a minyon (prayer quorum of ten). They are responsible for wearing tefillin. They are eligible for aliyot (being called up to read the Torah). They are responsible to fast on fast days. They are responsible for observing the mitzvot. With respect to Bat Mitzvah. The event itself has been recognized for many generations: Rabbi Yosef Chaim in his book "Ben Ish Chai" [1883-1909, a rabbi from Bagdad] talks about the day of a girls Bat Mitzvah as a day of celebration on which she should wear a new outfit and say "She'he'chiyanu" and include her entrance to the "burden of Mitzvot" (Ol Mitzvot). Rabbi Yitzchak Nissim Z"l quotes from Rabbi Mussafya (1606-1675, born in spain a rabbi and personal doctor of King Critian the IV of Denmark. later he moved to amsterdam) that the day of the Bat Mitzvah is a day of celebration and the dinner is a "Se'udat Mitzvah" (mitzvah dinner). In Italy (Torrino and Milan) it was customary to gather the Bat Mitzvah girls and the community during a weekday, the girls stood in front of the open Aron Kodesh and recited (dividing the prayers among them) a special prayer written for them which included a blessing of Shehechiyanu and ended "Baruch Ata Hashem Lamdeynee Chukecha" (bless ..teach me your laws). [note, the prayer was also said by bar mitzvah boys]. Then the rabbi speaks and blesses the girls and their families. Afterwards, there is a Se'udat Mitzva at the girls' home However, none of these ceremonies involved the girl reading from the Torah. The first public bat mitzvah ceremony in which a girl read from the Torah is believed to have been for Judith Kaplan Eisenstein z"l, the daughter of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, the founder of the Reconstructionist movement. The ceremony has since been adopted by almost all movements in Judaism. Note that the focus of the bar/bat mitzvah should be the actual ceremony, not the party afterwards. Subject: Question 21.7.3: B'nai Mitzvah: What is appropriate dress to wear to the b'nai mitzvah ceremony? Answer: Since the usual acknowledgment is by having a kiddush in the synagogue the Shabbat of the bar/bat mitzvah (when the child is called to the torah for the first time) appropriate dress is that to be worn to Synagogue. This means you should dress as if you were going to the house of someone you deeply respect. For men, suits or sportjackets (subdued) and slacks. Ladies should wear appropriate dresses. In traditional congregations, women should not wear pants, and the dress should be appropriately modest (covering the elbows, knees, and not low-cut in front). In most congregations, when you arrive, men will be provided with a kipah (yarmulke) to wear (of course, if you have one, you may bring their own). In some, women also cover their heads; such congregations often provide a covering. If you are unfamiliar with Jewish congregational services, follow the lead of others attending the services. Stand when they stand. You should have prayerbooks provided. You should plan to arrive on time, but no more than 1/2 hour late. Subject: Question 21.1.7: Entering the Covenant: But circumcision is only required for boys. What about girls? Answer: Judaism does not practice female circumcision. However, there are many traditions that have arise related to the birth of a girl: Commonly, girls are welcomed into the convanent through a naming ceremony, held in the synagogue. Among Bucharan Jews when the father of the newborn girl is called to the Torah for the naming the congregation sing the song "Dror Ykra L'ven im Bat" in which each line ends with the word "bat". After the reading of the portion and the naming, candies are showered on the father and the congregation calls "Mazal Tov". Many Sephardim have a party where they repeat the naming. A Cohen is invited and he holds the baby and blesses her with the "Birkat Cohanim". Fruit which Israel was blessed for them are served, and the Rabbi of the community holds the baby girl on his knees and says the words from the Song of Songs "Yonati Bechagvei Haselah" (2:14): The ceremony is called "Zeved Ha'bat". The word Zeved means gift and comes from Berayshit 30:20 where Leah said at the birth of Zevulun "Hashem gave me a good present" and then she gave birth to Dina. The more liberal movements have developed other ceremonies. There is an excellent book on the subject by Anita Diamant. Another good reference is Lifecycles Volume 1 : Jewish Women on Life Passages and Personal Milestones, which includes material from Reform, Conservative, Orthodox and Reconstructionist contributors. It was edited by Debra Orenstein, and is available from Jewish Lights Publications in Vermont. The Simchat Bat/ Brit Bat / Brit HaHayim is increasingly appearing in Modern Orthodoxy has well. A Simchat Bat ceremony is now in the Rabbinical Council of America's [Orthodox] Rabbi's manual. This ceremony is based on traditional Jewish forms. The Rabbinical Assembly [Conservative] has included the Simchat Bat rite in its new rabbi's manual. As the ceremony is still evolving, the RA's manual presents, within a common religious ceremony, three options that parents may choose to perform: (A) Lighting seven candles (symbolizing the seven days of creation) and holding the baby towards them; (B) Wrapping the baby in the four corners of a tallit; (C) Lifting the baby and touching her hands to a Torah scroll. A detailed article on this topic can be found at: http://www.bnaibrith.org/ijm/articles/thnkhvn/.