The term "bar mitzvah" appears first in the Talmud, meaning "one who is subject to the law", though it does not refer to age.
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Some classic sources identify the age at which children must begin to participate in the ritual of fasting on Yom Kippur as 13 for boys and 12 for girls. īar mitzvah is mentioned in the Mishnah and the Talmud. For example, in Orthodox Judaism, once a boy turns 13, it is permitted to count him for the purpose of determining whether there is a prayer quorum, and he may lead prayer and other religious services in the family and the community. In some Jewish communities, men's and women's roles differ in certain respects. After this point, children are also held responsible for knowing Jewish ritual law, tradition, and ethics, and are able to participate in all areas of Jewish community life to the same extent as adults.
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In most Reform, Reconstructionist, and Conservative communities, children of all genders reach the milestone at 13. In Orthodox communities, boys become bar mitzvah at 13 and girls become bat mitzvah at 12. (Traditionally, the father of a bar or bat mitzvah offers thanks to God that he is no longer punished for his child's sins.) Once Jewish children reach that age, they are said to "become" a bar or bat mitzvah, at which point they begin to be held accountable for their own actions. B'mitzvah, Simchat Mitzvah, or other non-gendered terms are used for nonbinary teens, materials intended to be inclusive of all genders, and those who wish to minimize gendered language in their service.Īccording to Jewish law, before children reach a certain age, the parents are responsible for their child's actions. The plural is b'nei mitzvah for both boys and mixed gender groups, or b'not mitzvah (Ashkenazi pronunciation: b'nos mitzvah) for girls. Bar mitzvah ( Hebrew: בַּר מִצְוָה) and bat mitzvah ( Hebrew: בַּת מִצְוָה Ashkenazi pronunciation: bas mitzveh) refer to the Jewish coming of age ritual (the word Bar is used for a boy, and Bat/ Bas for a girl).