Judaism Initiation
Jewish Initiation marks a person’s entry into God’s Covenant with Abraham and membership of God’s Chosen people. The two important stages of male Initiation in the Jewish tradition are B’rit Milah and Bar Mitzvah. The Bat Mitzvah marks a Jewish girl’s “coming of age”. Hehu (Jesus) was initiated into the Covenant of his ancestors. There are two stages in the Jewish Initiation tradition, Circumcision of male children, Bar Mitzvah for boys, and more recently Bat Mitzvah for girls.
Circumcision
The Hebrew term is B’rit Milah (covenant of Circumcision). This is a religious rite performed eight days after the boy’s birth. It symbolises the covenant or agreement that Abraham entered with God. When a boy is circumcised, it is a sign that he is entering the Jewish community - the community of the descendants of Abraham. It shows that the promise of God’s faithfulness will apply to him. During the ceremony of ‘Milah’ a chair is set aside in honor of the prophet Elijah. According to legend, Milah was not observed at a certain time in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. This made the prophet Elijah angry. To please Elijah, God promised that no B’rit Milah would take place without Elijah’s presence. The circumcision ritual is performed by a trained expert
known as a Mohel, who is often a doctor. The child is given his Hebrew name during the ceremony. Girls are usually given their Hebrew name in the synagogue, and among European Jews, it is a custom to name the children after a dead ancestor.
Pidyon Ha-ben
In traditional Jewish families, if a baby is matamua (the first-born son), thirty days after his birth he is dedicated to the service of God. This ceremony is called Pidyon Ha-ben or ‘redemption of the son.’ In the old days this ceremony took place in the Temple where five silver coins would be given to the priests so that the boy would be released from his duty of serving the Temple. Today the money is given to charity.
Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah
A Jewish boy has his Bar Mitzvah in a synagogue on the first Saturday after his thirteenth birthday. In the past, Jewish girls never had initiation ceremonies, but now, many modern Jewish families have an initiation ceremony for them
. This is called Bat Mitzvah. In the synagogue, the girl says a special prayer on the Sabbath after her twelfth birthday. Jews believe that when a boy turns thirteen and a girl turns twelve, they are old enough to understand and obey the Ten Commandments. These are the most important rules of Judaism. The words ‘Bar Mitzvah’ mean ‘a son of the Commandments.’ ‘Bat Mitzvah’ means ‘a daughter of the Commandments.’ A Jewish boy studies hard for his Bar Mitzvah. At the ceremony he will be asked to read a section from the Torah, the Jewish scriptures which are written in the ancient language of Hebrew. Jews who live in Israel speak Hebrew, but for many Jewish children from other countries, learning to read the Torah is like reading a foreign language. Several times a week, they attend special classes to study Hebrew and the history of their people. At his Bar Mitzvah a Jewish boy wears a prayer shawl for the first time. It is called a tallit. Only adults wear these, so it is a sign that he has become an adult in the eyes of the community. From now on, he may also wear little black leather boxes on his left arm and on his forehead at the morning services in the synagogue. These are called tefillin. Inside them are pieces of paper which have sentences from the Torah written on them.
. This is called Bat Mitzvah. In the synagogue, the girl says a special prayer on the Sabbath after her twelfth birthday. Jews believe that when a boy turns thirteen and a girl turns twelve, they are old enough to understand and obey the Ten Commandments. These are the most important rules of Judaism. The words ‘Bar Mitzvah’ mean ‘a son of the Commandments.’ ‘Bat Mitzvah’ means ‘a daughter of the Commandments.’ A Jewish boy studies hard for his Bar Mitzvah. At the ceremony he will be asked to read a section from the Torah, the Jewish scriptures which are written in the ancient language of Hebrew. Jews who live in Israel speak Hebrew, but for many Jewish children from other countries, learning to read the Torah is like reading a foreign language. Several times a week, they attend special classes to study Hebrew and the history of their people. At his Bar Mitzvah a Jewish boy wears a prayer shawl for the first time. It is called a tallit. Only adults wear these, so it is a sign that he has become an adult in the eyes of the community. From now on, he may also wear little black leather boxes on his left arm and on his forehead at the morning services in the synagogue. These are called tefillin. Inside them are pieces of paper which have sentences from the Torah written on them.
What they had to learn
During the Bar Mitzvah, which is a ceremony for boys, he will be asked to read a section from the Torah, the Jewish scriptures which are written in the ancient language of Hebrew. Jews who live in Israel speak Hebrew, but for many Jewish children from other countries, learning to read the Torah is like reading a foreign language. Several times a week they attend special classes to study Hebrew and the history of their people.
How they were dressed
At his Bar Mitzvah a Jewish boy wears a prayer shawl for the first time. It is called a tallit. Only adults wear these, so it is a sign that he has become an adult in the eyes of the community.
Who was there
The people present at the ceremony are usually only the child’s family and friends.
What happened during the ritual
The Bar Mitzvah boy will learn some Biblical text and lead some prayers with it at a Torah Service. He may also need to make a speech about the meaning of his particular Torah portion. This usually happens on Saturday morning, but traditional Torah readings also happen on Saturday evening and Monday and Thursday mornings. Kids who are not adept at Hebrew, or who want some creative leeway, may end up with a time other than Saturday morning. Some congregations also do them on Friday nights. People follow the traditions of their particular Synagogue in planning a time for the service. As for fees, some Synagogues expect the family to contribute to the Kiddush fund to help pay for the food after the service, the flowers for decorating the Bimah or some other associated donation.
The different symbols and actions used
The primary symbols associated with the Bar/Bat Mitzvah are the tallit, which the Bar/Bat Mitzvah wears on the day of the ceremony, the kiddush cup, and candlesticks, all of which point to the celebrants' new personal responsibilities of observing the mitzvot. Mitzvot are the things that God wants us to do. All the mitzvot are written down in the Torah. Altogether, there are 613 mitzvot.
How they celebrate afterwards
Usually, a child has a party or celebration held after his Bar Mitzvah. Although tradition dictates that there be a seudat mitzvah (festive meal) to mark the occasion of a bar/bat mitzvah, there are no Jewish laws or regulations regarding this celebration, also called a simcha. The most potent messages about how to celebrate bar/bat mitzvah emanate from congregational custom and children's peer groups.
The Importance of Initiation in Judaism
Judaism is very much a family faith and the ceremonies start early, when a Jewish baby boy is circumcised at eight days old, following the instructions that God gave to Abraham around 4,000 years ago.
Many Jewish religious customs revolve around the home. One example is the Sabbath meal, when families join together to welcome in the special day. Jews believe that there is a single God who not only created the universe, but with whom every Jew can have an individual and personal relationship.They believe that God continues to work in the world, affecting everything that people do.
The Jewish relationship with God is a covenant relationship. In exchange for the many good deeds that God has done and continues to do for the Jewish People...
Many Jewish religious customs revolve around the home. One example is the Sabbath meal, when families join together to welcome in the special day. Jews believe that there is a single God who not only created the universe, but with whom every Jew can have an individual and personal relationship.They believe that God continues to work in the world, affecting everything that people do.
The Jewish relationship with God is a covenant relationship. In exchange for the many good deeds that God has done and continues to do for the Jewish People...
- The Jews keep God's laws
- The Jews seek to bring holiness into every aspect of their lives.
Key Beliefs of Judaism
- God exists
- There is only one God
- There are no other gods
- God can't be subdivided into different persons (unlike the Catholic opinion)
- Jews should worship only the one God
- God is Transcendent: God is above and beyond all earthly things.
- God doesn't have a body: Which means that God is neither female nor male.
- God created the universe without help
- God is omnipresent: God is everywhere, all the time.
- God is omnipotent: God can do anything at all.
- God is beyond time: God has always existed, God will always exist.
- God is just, but God is also merciful: God punishes the bad God rewards the good, God is forgiving towards those who mess things up.
- God is personal and accessible: God is interested in each individual, God listens to each individual, God sometimes speaks to individuals, but in unexpected ways.