The Ritual Description
The moment of transition from childhood to adulthood is celebrated in numerous religions. Every religion determines coming of age differently and puts specific criteria for adulthood. The concept of spiritual adulthood depends on how individual perceives themselves and what they consider the most important for themselves. Jewish people have always realized themselves as a community linked to God with unique covenant relations. Accordingly, the criterion of adulthood in Judaism is the person’s ability to be part of the covenant and to take the yoke of the commandments (Epstein 61). Bar/bat mitzvah is a ritual in Judaism which determines coming of age. This ritual has a special meaning for Jewish people, as it denotes religious upbringing in adolescents. The child automatically enters the bar mitzvah at 13, and special procedures are needed. The presence of particular ceremonies makes the ritual more exciting to explore. Therefore, it is essential to examine the practice of bar mitzvah to emphasize its significance to Judaism.
According to Jewish Law, people become responsible for their actions as they approach the bar mitzvah age. Before this age, parents were responsible for their children’s actions, which is why bar mitzvah is connected to separation. Accordingly, children are not obliged to follow commandments; indeed, it is recommended to approach the commandments which will become necessary for them in the future (Axelrod 22). Moreover, children in Judaism should learn the Torah when they are five years, the Mishnah when they are ten, and they should follow all Jewish religious commandments. Furthermore, bar mitzvahs never existed in the Mishnah; hence, it is a relatively new practice. The bar mitzvah was first mentioned in the Talmud – when the child reaches 13, their actions and oaths possess legal power. Moreover, bat mitzvah comes for girls at 12 – it is believed that girls develop faster than boys and reach the necessary degree of adulthood earlier.
Type of Ritual and Specific Roles
Bar mitzvah is a vehicle that introduces a more extended religious background to the young person. “Bar” means the “son” in the ancient paleo-Hebrew language, while “mitzvah” denotes “commandment” in Hebrew (Jewish Virtual Library para 1). Bar mitzvah relates to the religious coming of age for young men, and bat mitzvah denotes it for females, as “bat” translates as “daughter” (Jewish Virtual Library para 2). Adulthood in Judaism is not connected to 18 or 21 years old, as it is commonly perceived in other religions. Instead, the coming of age of 13 suggests the individual observe the commandment. It relates to rites of passage, a term that identifies ceremonies associated with transition (Cunningham and Kelsay 183). These transitions suggest transmission from childhood to adulthood and often underlie separation from parents. Moreover, rites of passage endow the individual with acquiring a religious path more profoundly as the person perceives solid religious materials, such as sacred texts. The ritual attempts to emphasize the end of childhood; the reckless time for a child goes away, while adulthood comes into their life.
Bar mitzvah suggests using tefillin – a particular element of Jewish religious vestment. It contains a pair of boxes made of kosher animals’ leather with written passages from the Torah. Tefillin is put on the child’s arm and head; it symbolizes the importance of coming of age. The box should be placed near the heart on the left hand, as the heart is a source of feelings. Then, tefillin boxes are put on the head, a source of mind (Axelrod). The Jewish person ties themselves to God through putting tefillin with the usage of special blessing. Typically, the rebbe – a person endowed with religious duties – puts the tefillin on the child, excluding excessive talk during the procedure to grasp the importance of the ritual. The immanence of God applies to the ritual as the person acquires God in the bar mitzvah process.
It is vital to note that the interaction of family members matters during the ritual. Parents are placed near the child during the bar mitzvah; the father says blessings. After the procedure, the child is showered with sweets and nuts, which symbolizes their departure from childhood. The child in the bar mitzvah is compared to the bride or the groom, as the ritual is no less important than the wedding. Furthermore, the custom of arranging a festive meal to celebrate bar mitzvah is called seudat mitzvah (Jewish Virtual Library). Hence, Jewish people turn the ritual into celebration, as the religious coming of age has a special meaning to Judaism.
Meaning-Making
The ritual interacts with sacred myths of Judaism and emphasizes the importance of becoming an adult and responsible individual. It links back to the beautiful myth of the Torah and glorifies the best human features through the narrative. The Torah tells how Jacob’s sons Shimon and Levi broke into the city of Shechem to avenge their sister Dinah. The Torah calls each of them “ish,” which means an “adult man” (Jewish Virtual Library para 7). At the same time, it is known that the youngest of the brothers, Levi, was 13 years old at that moment. Therefore, according to the Torah, the earliest age when a boy can be called a man is 13. From this age, the child can understand and realize the value of the commandments and their responsibility to God.
Reaching the age of bar or bat mitzvah personifies becoming a responsible Jewish community member with reciprocal adult obligations. Apart from moral responsibility for one’s actions, the person receives an opportunity to participate in a minyan – a religious quorum consisting of ten Jewish followers (Axelrod). Accordingly, the individual can have personal property and enter a legal marriage after a bar or bat mitzvah. Moreover, it creates a special meaning for the ritual’s participants – parents and children. Parents symbolically transfer their children into adulthood through bar mitzvah, endowing them with moral and legal responsibilities.
It is important to note that the symbolic hierarchy exists during the procedure. Parents, especially fathers, give blessings and guidance according to Jewish religious laws. The child has to become responsible for their life after parental blessings. Indeed, several problems can arise due to differences in religious and cultural perceptions. The age of 13 can seem inappropriate for becoming an adult, as this age is commonly perceived as adolescence – pre-transition to teenagerhood. Accordingly, this age can be insufficient for marriage, as the decision on marriage can be spontaneous. Bar and bat mitzvahs can leave the learner with questions about other coming-of-age traditions and their meaning. Moreover, it is curious to learn about an individual’s life after the ritual or bar mitzvah and acquire whether significant changes occur.
Works Cited
Axelrod, Cantor Matt. Raising the Bar Mitzvah: Reimagining What Our Kids Learn. Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2021.
Cunningham, Lawrence, and John Kelsay. The Sacred Quest: An Invitation to the Study of Religion. 6th ed., Pearson, 2012.
Epstein, Sarah. Progressive Judaism and the Bar Mitzvah: A Rites of Passage Ritual that Repositions the Mother in Her Sons’ Lives. Journal of the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement, vol. 1, no. 9, pp. 61-70.
Jewish Virtual Library. Bar/Bat Mitzvah and Confirmation. 2022.