Bar and Bat Mitzvahs

Rites of musical outstrip roll in the hay on atomic number 18 a common element of conglomerate populations. These rites designate a change in the lives of those wantd. This change usually includes much responsibi illumineies of unrivaled kind or a nonher and the rite takes the stir upicipant into that contiguous phase of life. One such(prenominal) rite for those of the Judaic faith is the passage into matureness in a religious, and to an extent, a social sense. The bnai mitzvah, taphouse mitzvah for boys and lam mitzvah for girls, be the ceremonies established for this routine.The rite takes come on when a boy turns thirteen, or a girl twelve or thirteen, and afterwards, the child is because considered an adult within the religion, anticipate to take on the responsibilities thereof so that they whitethorn help to teach opposites the ways of the Jewish faith. These responsibilities include praying, observance of the Sabbath, fasting when it is take upd, and oth er such things.While such things were considered chiefly the responsibilities of those who were be culmination adult males, it has evolved all over the centuries to include females to champion extent or the other as wellhead, although Orthodox churches still tend to exclude women from playacting round(prenominal) of the tasks that have usanceally been the office staffs of the male. The word mitzvah is specify as a commandment, while stop over and bat, respectively, mean son and daughter.These terms indicate that those going by means of the ritual are now at a point where they tail fulfill the commandments, becoming responsible members of the faith and be welcomed into the adult population. From that point on, the child is considered an adult for purposes of single outicipating in temple ritual (Fox and Zimbler 18-19). According to Cohen and Weinrott, The goal of the obstruction and bat mitzvah is to repose the larger community, while at the same time recognizing uni tarys take unique individual spiritual and social circumstances (5). ar counterweight and waver Mitzvahs Page 2 of 9The first indication of the practice of the forfend mitzvah seems to be in the Talmud several centuries ago during the Second temple, when it is put d hold that the sages would bless a child who had reached the age of thirteen and who had fasted on Yom Kippur (Lewit and Epstein 5). At that time there was no ceremony tough, except the declaring of the boy as bar mitzvah on his thirteenth birth side significant day. He was considered an adult then, expected to follow the laws and take debt instrument for himself instead of creation considered the responsibility of his father.It was in the thirteenth or fourteenth nose candy that this transition became formalized in such a way that resembles the ritual practiced today. The ceremony then led into a meal to celebrate the boys transition, and by 1595, this feast became so sumptuous that a communal tax was place o n the celebration to stop such excesses (Cohen and Weinrott 11). The bat mitzvah was non such an illustrious occasion as early as the bar mitzvah. The Talmud records that, around the second or third century, girls came of age at twelve to fulfill the commandments.Women were not obligated like men to engage in approximately religious exercises, their responsibilities instead revolving around home and family. While this age was considered important, it was not until the s eveningteenth century that it was considered important to celebrate the occasion. France and Italy celebrated with a ceremony in the middle of the nineteenth century at the latest, barely it was not until 1922 that girls were accorded the same ceremony as boys with their bat mitzvah, when Mordecai Kaplan of the Society for the patterned advance of Judaism, who founded Reconstructive Judaism, held the ceremony for his daughter.In most congregations, a girl becomes bat mitzvah at twelve, while in others the ceremo ny is performed at thirteen, ostracise and baste Mitzvahs Page 3 of 9 like it is for boys. Different congregations of Judaism treat the coming of age of boys and girls in divergent ways. While roughlywhat give fitting credence to the two genders during this time in belief that both should be on equal footing, there are others who believe that the religious obligations of boys and girls are different and wherefore they should follow different rules.This carrys to even much differences in the observance of this superfluous time for girls than it does before, as some congregations have the equal ceremony for both genders while others give the girls less religious responsibility during the occasion. It is not that they consider the duties of a female to be less important, but separate and distinct from those expected from males. The celebration of these ceremonies took on different aspects in different countries starting late in the Middle Ages.The differences included such things as on which long time the ceremony took place and how much of the serve up was conducted by the boy himself. The Marranos in Spain and Portugal were forced to practice their religion in secret, and the day of the bat mitzvah was when a boy was introduced to the religion. This secrecy helped to bear upon the religion for more than 300 years in those countries. The traditional day for the bar or bat mitzvah to take place is on Saturday, which is known as Shabbat, or Sabbath.Bat mitzvahs are oft held on Fridays, different congregations either giving the choice as to whether to hold it on Shabbat or requiring that it be done on Friday night. It is in like manner possible for either ceremony to be held on Mondays or Thursdays, which were days in the days of the Temple when the Torah was rent. legal profession and Bat Mitzvahs Page 4 of 9 While some may postulate to enhance the event by combining it to some extent with existing Jewish holidays, there are certain days which are usually avoided.The traditions of these holidays can help to guess the day even more special and memorable. However, there are certain days that involve the remembrance of tragic times for the Jewish people, and these days, such as Yom Ha-Shoah, when the lives of those helpless in the Holocaust are remembered, are considered inappropriate for the occasion overdue to the solemnity and focus on those who have been lost. Many children who are climax their time of bar or bat mitzvah take part in a course of study to help prepare them for the occasion.Children are often taught in groups, and during this time they learn the blesss which are verbalise at the ceremony as well as the basic skills that are requisite for the temple, which include the use of the tallit, tefillin the blowing of a shofar how to lift and lay out the Torah, and other Jewish practices (Lewit and Epstein 35). In addition to this training of the children in groups comes more individualized training with t he cantor. Each child will usually draw four to six months training in this way.Other tutors may be utilised as well, giving the children a well-rounded and intensive study of what is to come and what is expected of them. Study aids such as the Tikkun are as well as helpful for this purpose. The Tikkun is a book that is used to help practice development the Torah, giving help not only with pronunciation, tho in addition with melody, which is a large part of the ceremonies in umteen congregations. The duties of the bar or bat mitzvah vary from congregation to congregation. At the simplest, it is simply the responsibility of the pertly proclaimed adult to tell a blessing at the Torah.This is the most sacred of books in the Jewish faith, and is Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Page 5 of 9 handwritten on a scroll made of parchment. It is considered an prize to recite a blessing at the Torah, and is the most important part of the bar or bat mitzvah. Depending upon the congregation, he or she will read part or all of the passage, and then the Torah is taken around the synagogue before being returned to its place in the ark which is either at the social movement or the center of every synagogue.Another common duty of the bar or bat mitzvah is to read the Haftarah, which is a reading from the Prophets. It, as the Torah, has its own melodies that are usually followed and which take much practice to get right. In some Reform congregations it and the Torah are merely recited. Some congregations can require even more responsibility from the bar or bat mitzvah. He or she can be expected not just to recite the entire Torah portion of the expediency, but also to lead some of the service or to take over with certain prayers.A speech can also be required, and the father usually recites a blessing as well, formally relinquishing responsibility for the child who has now become an adult. Some congregations also require the child to spend time writing what is known as a dvar Torah for the ceremony. This is a commentary on a portion or portions of the Torah that the child is expected to study and interpret in his or her own way. He or she usually relates it somehow to his or her life and the deduction of the Jewish faith to the individual writing it. The length of the document does not matter so long as it expresses something meaningful.In addition to the duties expected from the bar or bat mitzvah, others can play a significant role in the ceremony. The number of these can vary in different congregations, but it is considered an honor to the participants who perform those duties. Those who Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Page 6 of 9 take part in this are usually close to the child, and it is a duty that those asked to participate take very seriously. However, Orthodox churches tend to preclude the participation of women in most, if not all, of these. The most important role for one of these honorees is that of the aliyah.This is when one is allowed to go to the pulpit and both before and after one section is read from the Torah, to recite a blessing. The number of people who can be an aliyah can be as high as eight, with the plant it one being that of the child, who is to the final blessing, which is known as the Maftir. This demonstrates the first real responsibility that a child is accorded in the congregation to illustrate his or her adult status. Other honors can include family members who are allowed to read a section of the Torah as well as tasks that can be taken on in some cases by younger children. in that respect are also tasks that can be taken on by those who are not allowed to participate in the Torah service. They can help to hand things out, serve as ushers, or even decorate the synagogue for the ceremony and bake refreshments. There is also a tradition for many of those in the congregation to shake nuts and candies at the newly proclaimed adult after the ceremony, and deviation out such things is a job often taken on by young er family members. After the service, many Jewish families throw a celebration.This has been a big change from earlier days, when there was no pageant but simply a declaration of the child becoming an adult. still these celebrations have become an important part of some congregations, particularly those of American Jews. Many more traditional Jews frown upon the seeming hold of many families to try and outdo each other in the extravagance of this celebration. Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Page 7 of 9 One of the traditions that is often followed at Jewish celebrations, including the bnai mitzvah, is called the Kiddush.This is a prayer over wine that is defined as sanctification. Red wine is the most commonly used for this purpose and it is decided by the family who will chant the Kiddush. This can be one or more people, depending on their optence. The only one who is required to alcoholism from the goblet of wine is the chanter of the blessing, but some prefer to pass it around so that a ll may have a taste, or with larger groups, cups may be provided for all. Another blessing that is given is the Motzi, which is the blessing over bread.Bread is a very important part of the Jewish meal, and a braided bread known as challah is used for such a purpose as important ceremonies. They are symbolic, and represent not just the staff of life, but unity and peace as well (Cohen and Weinrott 151). The bread is blessed after the wine, giving thanks for the feast that is to be shared. During the Kiddush, the challah is covered with a cloth, some traditions stating that this is to protect the bread from being embarrassed because the wine is blessed first.After the blessing of the bread, there is no need for blessings to be said over any of the following courses. It is usually tradition for a grandparent, or eldest member of the family, to say the blessing over the bread as well as cut it after the blessing. It may then be sliced and then passed around to all present, although som e prefer to tear the bread with hands instead of cutting it with a knife. It is then usually salted before being eaten, and then the rest of the meal follows. A more recent tradition among the American Jews is that of the compact disk lighting ceremony.Thirteen or fourteen people are commonly chosen to light candles that are often placed on a cake, and sometimes make a blessing over the candles for the child. A Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Page 8 of 9 cake is not always used, however, with some people preferring a candelabra or other setting. When the candles are lit is also optional, some preferring it before the meal while others wait until after. medicinal drug is often used to announce the tradition, and special words are often said by those lighting them and occasionally by the child as well.During the celebration is also a time when many choose to make toasts to the child and his or her future and to wish that child well. The parents might choose to give speeches, and usually anyon e is invited to say something if they wish, although brevity is often appreciated. The ceremony of Havdalah, which government agency separation, is often incorporated into Saturday night celebrations, and regarding bar and bat mitzvahs, it is a special reminder of the bittersweet separation of youth and adulthood (Cohen and Weinrott 159).After the celebratory meal, it is a tradition to say the Birkat Ha-Mazon, which means grace after the meal. Four prayers make this up, and then there are also psalms and blessing said as well. There are many choices as to who can lead this service, from the rabbi to the bar or bat mitzvah. However, there are also those who prefer less formal graces, and they might even include a poem or other prayers. The conclusion of this grace is a prayer for peace. symphony has always been a large part of the Jewish culture therefore it is often included as an important part of the celebration.The offerings of this can compass anywhere from the simple to the more elaborate, depending upon the tastes of those involved. It is preferable to involve the guests with this, and that can be done in a variety of ways, from singing to dancing, which usually includes the hora. Bar and Bat Mitzvahs Page 9 of 9 The hora is a traditional leap used during Jewish celebrations. It was developed early in the twentieth century in Israel, and is a group dance, where the dancers are linked to each other in a circle, arms linked and hands on the shoulders of those close to them.This represents the closeness of the community and the equality of value of all of the people involved After the hora often comes the chair dance, in which the child sits in a chair and then that chair is lifted above their shoulders by those present. They are then danced that way, and often parents and other family members are allowed to share in the feelings of rejoicing by having their own turn in the chair. This dance emphasizes not only the individual who is put in the spotlig ht, but the community around that mortal who supports the chair and the individual during that time.The sense of community is very important to those of the Jewish faith, and this dance is a demonstration of this. Ceremony is a very of import part of Judaism. This can be seen in many of their holidays and ceremonies, and the importance of the bnai mitzvah can be considered to be the fact that it is this that pulls yet some other into the community of Jewish adults. The new adult is allowed then to participate in ways that only adults can, and this strengthens the religion as a whole, passing the traditions and beliefs on to another generation so that it may again be passed on to that persons children.Perhaps the fact that the Jewish people have been through much pain and difficulty throughout their history has helped to make these ceremonies even more important than they once were, transitioning them from a simple announcement of adulthood and breaking off of responsibility by th e father to the elaborate celebrations that many have today. Bibliography Cohen, Jayne and Lori Weinrott. 2004. The Ultimate Bar/Bat Mitzvah Celebration Book. rising York Clarkson Potter/Publishers. Fox, Karen L. and Phylliz Zimbler Miller.1992. Seasons for Celebratoin A Contemporary Guide to the Joys, Practices, and Traditions of the Jewish Holidays. New York The Putnam make Group. Himelstein, Dr. Shmuel. 1990. The Jewish Prayer Questions and Answers on Jewish Faith and Cuture. New York Facts on File, Inc. Lewit, Jane and Ellen Epstein. 1996. The Bar/Bat Mitzvah Planbook. Lanham, MD Scarborough House. Oppenheimer, Mark. 2005. Thirteen and a twenty-four hour period The Bar and Bat Mitzvah Across America. New York Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.