Mazal Tov! It’s your Barmitzvah – or – it’s your son’s Barmitzvah!
The Torah teaches us in Pirkei Avot (5:22) that at age thirteen is the time when the obligation of Mitzvot observance comes into a reality. At 13 years of age, a Jewish boy begins his life as an adult within the Jewish community!
This is no simple matter. Until 13, a Jewish boy should be brought up with a good Jewish education. He’ll see his family keeping Shabbat, eating Kosher, fulfilling the laws of modesty, charity and much more! He’ll see his father wearing Tefillin and putting on his Tallit. He’ll see the family eating Matzah on Pesach, building a Sukkah on Sukkot, staying up all night (maybe!) on Shavuot studying Torah – and of course he’ll see his father studying Torah and praying on a daily basis. These are just some of the many things a Jewish child should be seeing as he grows up.
When he reaches 13, however, life changes drastically. It’s no longer about simply seeing others fulfilling the Mitzvot; it’s about his own “coming into his own” as he begins his own journey at fulfilling his task in this world as a Jew – by fulfilling the Mitzvot on his own as a direct commandment from God.
This is an amazing time and there’s so much that will change for the boy. Notably, when the young man reaches 12, he’ll already begin his preparation for his Barmitzvah day – when he actually turns 13! Much like a child preparing for a recital or school play prepares for months on end in rehearsals – so too a Jewish child will begin at around the age of 12 to prepare to learn about all the things he’ll need to know about when he reaches his 13th birthday!
Now it’s becoming real! The Tefillin, the Shabbat, Kashrut. Now he’ll be included as one of the ten men in a Minyan! It’s a really exciting time!
One of the things the young man might be required to do is to learn the Maftir and Haftarah for the reading of the Parshah of the week of his BarMitzvah when he will receive his first Aliyah at Shul! This is only one of the things he might need to prepare, and each boy will follow the customs of his own family.
The party that will be celebrated is only an external additional sign of the happiness, but it’s what happens due to the celebration. However, the preparation for the reading from the Torah or learning to wear Tefillin or perhaps even learning about the Parshah of the week for his Barmitzvah – these are things that will take time, patience and a lot of effort!
There’s a lot to learn and one wants a teacher who can take the child through the most important parts that he’ll need to learn. Whether you as the Barmitzvah boy are interested in pursuing it yourself – or whether you as the parent are looking for a teacher to help prepare your son to learn his portion or anything else necessary to get that leap forward into Yiddishkeit – Rabbi Eliyahu will do his best to make sure your son gets to learn to sing his Barmitzvah portion, enjoy doing so, and even find himself loving his Yiddishkeit and wanting to continue his observance throughout his life.
I’m here for you and I’d like to help in any way I can. I offer simple lessons for the young man to learn his portion for when he becomes a Barmitzvah, and I’m also here to spend time learning some fundamentals of Judaism if you’re looking for a teacher to help your son get to understand more about what it means to be Jewish and the the importance of following a Torah path in life – even if your son will be continuing his general secular education.
Lessons are offered in person if you live in the Jerusalem area, or alternatively via Skype and using Webcam for a live experience!
Please contact us to find out fees for learning.
I look forward to teaching your son – so if you’re interested in learning more and booking a regular time to learn each week as we work through the necessary material, do be in touch and I’ll be happy to answer your questions.
Eliyahu