Bar or bat mitzvah literally means “a son or daughter of the commandment”. Under Jewish law, children are encouraged but not obligated until they reach the age of 13 (age 12 for girls) to observe the commandments. You become a bar mitzvah / bat mitzvah automatically at these ages whether you have a special ceremony and party or not. Becoming a bar mitzvah / bat mitzvah means you you’re now obliged to study Judaism’s practices, and obey its laws. It also confers the right to lead religious services, to count in a minyan (the minimum 10 people needed for a religious service), to form binding contracts, and to marry. Jewish law, however, does not consider 13-year-olds to be full adults – the Talmud (Torah commentary by rabbis that defines Jewish philosophy and practice) recommends higher ages for marriage and living independently from the family.
First holy communion is similar because it presumes that the child is mature enough to know when he’s sinned, and can confess and repent in preparation for Communion. Bar mitzvah likewise makes children responsible for understanding and obeying God’s laws. You could say that the bar mitzvah is also like confirmation in the sense that the child is symbolically ushered into the adult community. Jewish kids also have confirmation, usually in 11th Grade when they’re roughly 16 years old.
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Source: http://www.ArticlePros.com/author.php?Gail Greenberg
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