Birth & Initiation

KEY READINGS

Goldberg Textbook - Religion: Contexts and Expressions pg. 255-256

Birth Ritual

Brit Milah

The Covenant of Circumcision

The Brit Milah (bris), circumcision, is a physical symbol of the relationship between G‑d and the Jewish people. It is a constant reminder of what the Jewish mission entails. Held on the eighth day of life, the ritual is carried out by a skilled Mohel (circumciser) and is a joyous celebration marking the entrance of another Jewish male into the covenant of Abraham.

Jewish adherents believe that while there are many partnerships into which a person will enter during his or her lifetime, most of them, at some point, will come to a natural end, or will be broken by one of the parties. The brit, ritual circumcision, is a symbol of partnership with G‑d. Etched in the flesh of the physical body, the covenant will never end or be forgotten.

Brit Habat

The Covenant of the Daughter

The Brit Habat, or Simchat Bat, is a newer ritual that developed in America in the 1970’s . The ritual celebrates the gift of a daughter and has some elements in common with the Brit Milah.

The ceremony is performed in the synagogue or home, and usually begins with a blessing call. There are prayers and readings by the rabbi and the parents. The Kiddush is recited and the parents bless the child. The baby is also named during the ceremony.

“On the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.”

(Leviticus 12:2)

Circumcision is one of the 613 commandments of the Torah

First mentioned in Genesis 17:10–14 as a command of G-d, it is seen as the physical mark of the covenant between G-d and Abraham. So not to circumcise a baby boy is to exclude him from the Jewish people and to break a mitzvot (commandment).

Fast Facts about Brit Milah

Where does the ritual occur?

There are no rules governing the location, but traditionally Jews hold it in a synagogue during the morning services. However, the bris is often held at the home of the baby’s parents or grandparents.

Who performs this ritual?

A mohel — usually pronounced so it rhymes with boil — is the man or woman who performs the circumcision. (A female mohel is called a mohelet ; Orthodox Jews do not permit women to serve in this role.) Some mohels work full time in this profession, but many are also physicians, rabbis, cantors or nurse-midwives. A mohel is trained in the Jewish laws concerning circumcision, as well as in modern surgical hygiene.

What happens during the ritual?

On the eighth day following birth, a godmother will hand the baby to a godfather who carries the boy into a room where the males of the family are gathered. The baby is put on the knee of the sandek who is usually the grandfather. The mohel recites a blessing. The baby is circumcised. The mohel then blesses a cup of wine and announces the baby's name in Hebrew and English. A drop of wine is placed on the baby's tongue.

Initiation Rituals

The Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies mark the transition into adulthood for young Jews. At age 13 a boy becomes a Bar Mitzvah (a son of the commandments) and at age 12 a girl becomes a Bat Mitzvah (a daughter of the commandments).

Transition from childhood to adulthood

Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies are significant because they are seen as the time of coming of age, when a child becomes an adult. After these ceremonies, Jewish boys and girls become responsible for living according to Jewish law. At this point, each young person has to accept the law and its obligations, participate fully in services at the synagogue and set a good example for others. After the ceremony, Jewish boys can be counted as part of a minyan. In Reform synagogues, girls who are Bat Mitzvah can also be counted.

Origins of the Initiation Ritual

Bar Mitzvah ceremonies have become more important over the past one hundred years, but their origins are unclear. The ceremony is not mentioned in the TaNaK nor in the Talmud, and there is no evidence of the ceremony prior to the 1400s. The Talmud mentions that adolescence for a male child begins at the age of 13.

Originally there was no similar rite of passage for girls. In 1922, Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan decided to have a Bat Mitzvah ceremony for his daughter, Judith. Girls celebrating their Bat Mitzvah read from the Jewish scriptures: in Orthodox synagogues it is not the Torah but another text from the TaNaK. Girls attend classes in scripture and history and in addition they learn how to keep kosher food laws and how to prepare for Shabbat and the other religious festivals. In some communities young girls also wear tefillin and tallit, but this is not common practice across all forms of Judaism.

Bar Mitzvah

A Bar Mitzvah happens around a boy’s 13th birthday and is part of a service in the synagogue. The boy prepares by spending a lot of time studying the Torah, and then reads from the Torah during the ceremony. The boy also puts on the tefillin (small leather boxes containing passages from the Torah. Jewish men strap these to their forehead and arm for morning prayers on weekdays) for the first time.

The rabbi gives a talk, speaking to both the boy and his family and to the rest of the community. The boy might also give a talk to the people gathered.

It is traditional for the boy’s father to recite a prayer of thanks to God for bringing his son to maturity. The boy receives gifts and there is a celebratory meal.

Bat Mitzvah

The Bat Mitzvah is only practised by Reform and liberal Jewish communities. The ceremony follows a similar pattern to the Bar Mitzvah and happens around a girl’s 12th birthday.

During her Bat Mitzvah, a girl may read from the Torah or she may instead read a prayer from the siddur (the literal meaning is order, ie the order of the synagogue service. The term is used for the daily prayer book used by Jews).

Traditionally, within Judaism, males and females are not thought to have the same responsibilities. As a result, in some Jewish communities, some rules (such as the requirement to read from the Torah) are less strict for girls than they are for boys.

Key Symbols of the Ritual

Kippah

The Kippah is a symbol of maturity. The Bar Mitzvah ceremony is the first time the boy wears a Kippah as a Jewish adult – subject to the Torah’s commandments. Guests wear a Kippah during the ceremony (even if they’re not Jewish – they wear it as a sign of respect). Many times, parents give away customized Kippot as a Bar/Bat Mitzvah favor for their guests.

Tallit

Tallit is the Jewish prayer shawl Jewish men wear during the morning prayer (Shacharit).

Traditionally, the father buys his son his first Tallit for the Bar Mitzvah. The same is true for girls in conservative and reform communities – where the parents buy their daughter her first Bat Mitzvah Tallit.

“Cover your head in order that the fear of heaven may be upon you” – Shabbat 156b

“The Divine Presence is always over my head.” – Kiddushin 31a

Tefillin

Tefillin are a pair of small black leather boxes Jewish men wear during the morning prayer. The arm Tefillin is placed on the upper arm with 7 straps wrapping the forearm, while the head Tefillin is placed on the forehead

Both Tefillin boxes contain parchment scrolls with verses from the Torah (written in Hebrew). Like the Tallit – the father usually buys his son his first pair of Tefillin for the Bar Mitzvah.

The Torah

When Jewish boys celebrate their Bar Mitzvah, they read a Torah portion and may even chant the Haftarah (a section from the biblical prophets). Sometimes they even lead the entire Shabbat morning service (if they’re trained to do so).

Yad (Torah Pointer)

A Yad (יד), which literally means “hand”, is the pointer we use to read from the Torah scroll. It’s designed to protect the scroll from damage (hint: Torah scrolls are handwritten, delicate and VERY expensive).

Shabbat Candles

Every Friday night, Jewish women light Shabbat candles to welcome the Sabbath (men can light them too in the absence of a Jewish woman). Lighting Shabbat candles is a commandment that is exclusive to women. That’s why Shabbat candlesticks are considered to be one of the most appropriate Bat Mitzvah gifts for girls.

Kiddush Cup

A Kiddush cup is the cup Jewish people use when reciting the Kiddush blessing (the blessing over wine) before Shabbat or holiday meals. Kiddush cups are considered a common gift for both Bar Mitzvah boys and Bat Mitzvah girls, and arguably one of the few Jewish gifts that are suitable for both men and women.

The Tree of Life

The Tree of Life is an ancient Kabbalistic diagram that describes the 10 principles God used to create and manifest himself in the world. The principles are represented as 10 interconnected spheres (Sefirot) – that together form the Tree of Life.

Star of David

Not only is the Star of David the most widely recognized Jewish symbol, but it’s also the favorite choice of Jewish Jewelry among both Jewish men and women. Long before the Star of David made its way into the Israeli flag 🇮🇱, the famous Hexagram was already recognized as a powerful symbol in the Kabbalah.

Page updated

Report abuse