In Judaism it is considered that a male individual stops being a boy and becomes a man when he reaches the age of 13. This age is not chosen for a whimsical reason, but there are written references in the Torah in which it is indicated that 13 years represent the beginning of adulthood for males. To celebrate the passage from childhood to adolescence, Jews carry out a holiday, the Bar Mitzva or Bar Mitzvah.
Understanding the meaning and value of the Bar Mitzva
When a boy becomes a man this implies that he is an adult and that he must take responsibility for his actions. Therefore, before the age of 13, those responsible for a child are their parents and from this age the young man must begin his journey as an adult man, with his duties and obligations.
According to the Hebrew calendar, the day begins on the previous night and this reference is what determines the celebration of the Bar Mitzva. This means that the day of the young man's thirteenth birthday is based on the indications of the Jewish calendar.
Prior to the Bar Mitzva, the young man of the Jewish religion must prepare spiritually and practice the ritual of the ceremony of coming of age. From this day on, it can be integrated into the established liturgical acts, for example the reading of the Torah in the synagogue.
A transition ritual
With the Bar Mitzva a 13-year-old is declaring that the Torah is going to become his spiritual guide. It could be said that with this ritual each young person begins their journey as an adult and all that this implies.
In some communities it is customary to cover the head with the kippah and after the reading of a biblical passage a party takes place among those attending the event and the young person receives congratulations and gifts for having become an adult member of the Jewish community .
In most cultural traditions there is some ritual in which the passage from childhood to adulthood is expressed
Young Australian aborigines are sent to the desert for several months to survive on their own and when they pass this test they are considered as men.
In the western world, some young women celebrate a coming-out in society at the age of fifteen, and this festival is intended to symbolize their incorporation into the female adult world.
Photos: Fotolia - ungvar
