#150 The History of the Bar and Bat Mitzvah

#2. STUDY THIS: 

The modern method of celebrating becoming a bar mitzvah did not exist in the time of the Hebrew Bible, Mishnah or Talmud. Passages in the books of Exodus and Numbers note the age of majority for army service as twenty. The term “bar mitzvah” appears first in the Talmud, the codification of the Jewish oral Torah compiled in the early first millennium of the common era, to connote “an [agent] who is subject to the law,” and the age of thirteen is also mentioned in the Mishnah as the time one is obligated to observe the Torah’s commandments: “At five years old a person should study the Scriptures, at ten years for the Mishnah, at 13 for the commandments . . .” The Talmud gives 13 as the age at which a boy’s vows are legally binding, and states that this is a result of his being a “man,” as required in Numbers 6:2. The term “bar mitzvah”, in the sense it is now used, cannot be clearly traced earlier than the 14th century, the older rabbinical term being “gadol” (adult) or “bar ‘onshin” (legally responsible for own misdoings). Many sources indicate that the ceremonial observation of a bar mitzvah developed in the Middle Ages, however, there are extensive earlier references to thirteen as the age of majority with respect to following the commandments of the Torah, as well as Talmudic references to observing this rite of passage with a religious ceremony, including:

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#3. WATCH THIS:

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#4 KNOW THIS: 

Many cultures have coming of age traditions. Here are a few:

• In many parts of Central and South America, young girls celebrate their Quinceanera when they turn 15 years old.
• In North Baffin Island, Inuit boys have traditionally gone out to the wilderness with their fathers between the ages of 11 and 12 to test their hunting skills and acclimatise to the harsh arctic weather.
• In Malaysia, 11 is a special birthday for some Muslim girls, as it marks the time when they can celebrate Khatam Al Koran, a prestigious ritual that demonstrates their growing maturity at their local mosque.
• In Ethiopia, some grooms-to-be have their own “bachelor party” of sorts- a rite of passage they must complete prior to being able to marry. Participants must successfully jump over a castrated, male cow four times while naked, symbolizing the childhood they are leaving behind them.
• There’s no room for shyness among young Apache girls. While this ceremony is rarely practiced today, traditionally all girls were required to complete the sunrise ceremony, also known as Na’ii’ees or the puberty ceremony, during the summer following their first menstruation. During the 4 day ceremony the girls must abide by certain rules, preventing them to wash or touch their skin, or drink from anything other than their drinking tubes.

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#5: WATCH: 

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#6 DID YOU KNOW?

The Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania have several rites of passage that carry boys into manhood. Boys between the ages of 10-20 come together to be initiated as the new “warrior class” of the tribe, placed in dozens of houses built for the occasion. The night before the ceremony the boys sleep outside in the forest, and at dawn they return for a day of singing and dancing. They drink a mixture of alcohol, cow’s blood, and milk, while also consuming large portions of meat. After these festivities they are ready to be circumcised, making the official transformation into a man, warrior, and protector. Similar to other rites of passage the boys cannot flinch, because doing so would shame their families and discount their bravery.

For the next 10 years the boys will stay at a warrior’s camp where they learn various skills. After the ceremony takes places, marking their transition from warrior to senior warrior, they are entitled to marry the woman of their choice.

Bungee enthusiasts will enjoy this: in Vanuatu, a small island nation in the middle of the South Pacific, young boys come of age by jumping off of a 98-foot-tall tower with a bungee-like vine tied to their ankles, just barely preventing them from hitting the ground. The catch? Unlike a bungee cord, the vine lacks elasticity, and a slight miscalculation in vine length could lead to broken bones or even death.

Boys initially begin jumping at around 7 or 8, although they are permitted to jump from a shorter tower. In their first dives their mother will hold an item representing their childhood, and after the jump the item will be thrown away, symbolizing the end of childhood. As boys grow older they will jump from taller towers, demonstrating their manliness to the crowd.

 

 

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#7 RESPOND AND REACT

1. What is the definition of Bar and Bat Mitzvah?
2. What happens to a person once they become Bar/Bat Mitzvah in the Jewish tradition?
3. What is unique about the Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremony in distinction to other cultures?
4. Do you think 13 is the appropriate age to become an adult in the eyes of your community?