Bar-Mitzvah means “son of the law” or “son of the commandment” in Hebrew. consists of the granting religious majority to young Jews, being considered the most important ceremony in the life of a Jew.
According to the laws of Judaism, all teenagers are already responsible for their actions and choices within the Jewish religion from the moment they celebrate the bar mitzvah.
With the bar mitzvah, the young person has the right to actively participate in synagogue life, in addition to being able to publicly read the Torah, considered the holy book of the Jewish people.
Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah
The bar mitzvah is the name given to the boys' celebration, while bat mitzvah is the name assigned to the girls' celebration.
According to tradition, Jewish boys must celebrate the bar mitzvah from the age of 13 onwards. girls can celebrate the bat-mitzvah (meaning “daughter of the law” or “daughter of the commandment”), with 12 years old.
The bar-mitzvah has been practiced for over two thousand years, however the participation of girls (bat-mitzvah) only began to exist in the 20th century.
Both rituals are quite similar or even the same in different streams of Judaism.
bar mitzvah celebration
Normally, both bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah are preceded by a two-year preparatory course, where teenagers will learn all aspects of bar mitzvah life.
The bar-mitzvah ritual lasts approximately one hour of thirty minutes, followed by a large party that brings together all of the teenager's family and friends.
bar mitzvah symbols
There are some important symbols used during the bar mitzvah ritual, such as:
- Torah reading (sacred book for the Jews): symbolizes the youth's public participation within the church, as well as their ability to interpret the history and values transmitted in the sacred texts.
- Tefillin: are small black bands tied at the height of the young person's chest and spread along his arms. These leather bands symbolize the search for coherence between everything you think, feel and do.
- tallit: a white robe with two ends and fringes, used to symbolize transparency, good deeds and the young bar mitzvah's commitment to kindness.
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