Saturday, March 16, 2013

WHAT IS A BAR MITZVAH

KING JESUS IS COMING FOR US ANY TIME NOW. THE RAPTURE. BE PREPARED TO GO.

WITH THIS SMASH BAR MITZVAH NEW VIDEO GOING VIRAL OVER THE INTERNET.ITS TIME US CHRISTIANS GET TO KNOW SOME INFORMATION ABOUT IT.AND THIS IS WHAT I BELIEVE GOD CALLS THE ACCOUNTABILITY AGE 12 FOR GIRLS.13 FOR BOYS.THE BAR MITZVAH CELEBRATES THE MALE BECOMING A MAN AT AGE 13.SO I BELIEVE THIS IS THE ACCOUNTABILITY AGE THAT GOD USES TO TELL THE WORLD THAT THIS IS THE AGE WHEN YOU GIVE ACCOUNT AND UNDERSTAND THE SALVATION MESSAGE.BEFORE THIS AGE IF YOU DIE YOU AUTOMATICALLY GO TO HEAVEN.BUT AFTER THIS AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY I BELIEVE YOU CHOOSE WERE YOU WILL SPEND ETERNITY WITH JESUS OR IN HELL.JUST MY THOUGHTS ON THIS.BUT GOD USES ISRAEL TO REVEAL HIS TRUTHS TO THE WHOLE WORLD.

HERE IS THE VIDEO THAT INSPIRED ME TO DO THIS ARTICLE.

Jorel Rocks his Bar Mitzvah!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KulHKziEeMc
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/03/15/jorel-bar-mitzvah-video-viral_n_2884537.html 

What Is a Bar Mitzvah?

The Bar Mitzvah Ceremony and Celebration

From Peter Pelaia

What Is a Bar Mitzvah?
Bar Mitzvah Boy and Family
Getty Images / Rob Melnychuk
Bar Mitzvah literally translates as "son of commandment." The word "bar" means "son" in Aramaic, which was the commonly spoken vernacular language of the Jewish people (and much of the Middle East) from around 500 B.C.E. to 400 C.E. The word "mitzvah" is Hebrew for "commandment." The term "bar mitzvah" refers to two things:
  • First, when a boy comes of age at 13-years-old he has become a "bar mitzvah" and is recognized by Jewish tradition as having the same rights as a full grown man. A boy who has become a Bar Mitzvah is now morally and ethically responsible for his decisions and actions.
  • The term "bar mitzvah" also refers to the religious ceremony that accompanies a boy becoming a Bar Mitzvah. Often a celebratory party will follow the ceremony and that party is also called a bar mitzvah.
This article is about the religious ceremony and party referred to as a bar mitzvah. For more information about becoming bar mitzvah please read: "What Does It Mean to 'Become Bar Mitzvah?'"
It is important to note that the ceremony and celebration are not required by Jewish custom. Rather, a Jewish boy automatically becomes a Bar Mitzvah at 13-years-old. Although the specifics of the ceremony and party will vary widely depending on which movement (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, etc.) the family is a member of below are the basics of a Bar Mitzvah.

The Ceremony

While a special religious service or ceremony is not required for a boy to become a Bar Mitzvah, over the centuries a greater and greater emphasis has been placed on the ceremony as a right of passage of sorts. The earliest observance marking this point in a boy's life was simply his first aliyah,(COMING TO ISRAEL TO LIVE) where he would be called up to recite the Torah reading blessings at the first Torah service after his 13th birthday.In modern practice, the bar mitzvah ceremony usually requires much more preparation and participation on the part of the boy, who will work with a Rabbi and/or Cantor for months (or years) studying for the event. While the exact role he plays in the service will vary between the different Jewish movements and synagogues it usually involves some or all of the elements below:
  • Leading specific prayers or the entire service during a Shabbat service or, less commonly, weekday religious service.
  • Reading the weekly Torah portion during a Shabbat service or, less commonly, weekday religious service. Often the boy will learn and use the traditional chant for the reading.
  • Reading the weekly Haftarah portion during a Shabbat service or, less commonly, weekday religious service. Often the boy will learn and use the traditional chant for the reading.
  • Giving a speech about the Torah and/or Haftarah reading.
  • Completing a tzedakah (charity) project leading up to the ceremony to raise money or donations for a charity of the bar mitzvah’s choice.
The family of the Bar Mitzvah is often honored and recognized during the service with an aliyah or multiple aliyahs. It has also become the custom in many synagogues for the Torah to be passed from grandfather to father to the Bar Mitzvah, symbolizing the passing down of the obligation to engage in the study of Torah and Judaism.
While the bar mitzvah ceremony is a milestone life-cycle event in the life of a Jewish boy and is the culmination of years of study, it is actually not the end of a boy's Jewish education. It simply marks the beginning of a lifetime of Jewish learning, study and participation in the Jewish community.

Celebration and Party

The tradition of following the religious bar mitzvah ceremony with a celebration or even a lavish party is a recent one. As a major life-cycle event, it is understandable that modern Jews enjoy celebrating the occasion and have incorporated the same sorts of celebratory elements as those that accompany other major life-cycle events, like a wedding. But just like the wedding ceremony is much more central than the wedding party, it is important to remember that the party is simply the celebration marking the religious implications of becoming a Bar Mitzvah.

Gift Ideas

Gifts are commonly given to a Bar Mitzvah (usually after the ceremony, at the party or meal). Gift ideas for a bar mitzvah can be found in this About article: Bar and Bat Mitzvah Gifts.
Any present appropriate for a 13-year-old boy's birthday can be given, it does not need to have special religious implications. Cash is commonly given as a bar mitzvah gift as well. It has become the practice of many families to donate a portion of any monetary gift to a charity of the Bar Mitzvah's choosing, with the remainder often being added to the child's college fund or contributing to any further Jewish education programs he may attend.

What Is a Bat Mitzvah?

From , former About.com Guide

What Is a Bat Mitzvah?
Bat Mitzvah Girl
Getty Images/Thomas Fricke

Bat Mitzvah literally means "daughter of commandment." The word "bat" means "daughter" in Aramaic, which was the commonly spoken language of the Jewish people (and much of the Middle East) from about 500 B.C.E. to 400 C.E. The word "mitzvah" is Hebrew for "commandment."
The term "bat mitzvah" refers to two things:
  1. When a girl reaches 12-years-old she becomes a "bat mitzvah" and is recognized by Jewish tradition as having the same rights as an adult. She is now morally and ethically responsible for her decisions and actions.
  2. "Bat Mitzvah" also refers to a religious ceremony that accompanies a girl becoming a Bat Mitzvah. Often a celebratory party will follow the ceremony and that party is also called a bat mitzvah.
This article is about the religious ceremony and party referred to as a bat mitzvah. The specifics of the ceremony and party (even whether there is a religious ceremony to mark the occasion) vary widely depending on which movement of Judaism (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, etc.) the family belongs to. Below are the basics of a Bat Mitzvah.

History of the Bat Mitzvah Ceremony

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Jewish communities began marking when a girl became a Bat Mitzvah with a special ceremony. This was a break from traditional Jewish custom, which prohibited women from participating directly in religious services.
Using the Bar Mitzvah ceremony as a model, Jewish communities began to experiment with developing a similar ceremony for girls. In 1922, Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan performed the first proto-bat mitzvah ceremony in America for his daughter Judith, when she was allowed to read from the Torah when she became a Bat Mitzvah. Although this new found privilege did not match the Bar Mitzvah ceremony in complexity, the event nevertheless marked what is widely considered to be the first modern bat mitzvah in the United States. It triggered the development and evolution of the modern Bat Mitzvah ceremony.

Bat Mitzvah Ceremony in Non-Orthodox Communities

In many liberal Jewish communities - for example, Reform and Conservative communities - the bat mitzvah ceremony has become almost identical to the bar mitzvah ceremony for boys. These communities usually require the girl to do a significant amount of preparation for a religious service. Often she will study with a Rabbi and/or Cantor for months (or years). While the exact role she plays in the service will vary between the different Jewish movements and synagogues it usually involves some or all of the elements below:
  • Leading specific prayers or the entire service during a Shabbat service or, less commonly, weekday religious service.
  • Reading the weekly Torah portion during a Shabbat service or, less commonly, weekday religious service. Often the girl will learn and use the traditional chant for the reading.
  • Reading the weekly Haftarah portion during a Shabbat service or, less commonly, weekday religious service. Often the girl will learn and use the traditional chant for the reading.
  • Giving a speech about the Torah and/or Haftarah reading.
  • Completing a tzedakah (charity) project leading up to the ceremony to raise money or donations for a charity of the Bat Mitzvah’s choice.
The family of the Bat Mitzvah is often honored and recognized during the service with an aliyah or multiple aliyahs. It has also become the custom in many synagogues for the Torah to be passed from grandparents to parents to the Bat Mitzvah herself, symbolizing the passing down of the obligation to engage in the study of Torah and Judaism.
While the bat mitzvah ceremony is a milestone life-cycle event and is the culmination of years of study, it is actually not the end of a girl's Jewish education. It simply marks the beginning of a lifetime of Jewish learning, study and participation in the Jewish community.

Bat Mitzvah Ceremony in Orthodox Communities

Since the involvement of women in formal religious ceremonies is still prohibited in most Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities, the Bat Mitzvah ceremony does not generally exist in the same format as in the more liberal movements. However, a girl becoming a Bat Mitzvah is still a special occasion. Over the last few decades, public celebrations of Bat Mitzvah have become more common among Orthodox Jews, although the celebrations are different from the type of bat mitzvah ceremony described above.
Ways of marking the occasion publicly vary by community. In some communities Bat Mitzvah's may read from the Torah and lead a special prayer service for women only. In some Ultra-Orthodox haredi communities girls have special meals for women only during which the Bat Mitzvah will give a D'var Torah (short teaching about the Torah portion for her Bat Mitzvah week). In many Modern Orthodox communities on the Shabbat following a girl's becoming Bat Mitzvah she may deliver a D'var Torah as well. There is no uniform model for the Bat Mitzvah ceremony in Orthodox communities yet, but the tradition continues to evolve.

Bat Mitzvah Celebration and Party

The tradition of following the religious bat mitzvah ceremony with a celebration or even a lavish party is a recent one. As a major life-cycle event, it is understandable that modern Jews enjoy celebrating the occasion and have incorporated the same sorts of celebratory elements that are part of other life-cycle events. But just as the wedding ceremony is more important than the reception that follows, it is important to remember that a Bat Mitzvah party is simply the celebration marking the religious implications of becoming a Bat Mitzvah. While a party is common among more liberal Jews, it has not caught on among Orthodox communities.

Bat Mitzvah Gifts

Gifts are commonly given to a Bat Mitzvah (usually after the ceremony, at the party or meal). Any present appropriate for a 13-year-old girl’s birthday can be given. Cash is commonly given as a bat mitzvah gift as well. It has become the practice of many families to donate a portion of any monetary gift to a charity of the Bat Mitzvah's choosing, with the remainder often being added to the child's college fund or contributing to any further Jewish education programs she may attend. Learn more in this About.com article: Bar and Bat Mitzvah Gifts.
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