What is a Messianic Bar Mitzvah?

While better known as a Jewish custom, some Christians and Jewish believers in Jesus (Messianic Jews) also embrace Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. What value is there in having a Bar Mitzvah? And why would a believer in Jesus as the Messiah want one? 

What is a Bar Mitzvah anyway?

Let’s start with the words “Bar Mitzvah”. “Bar” is the Aramaic word for “son,” and “mitzvah” is the Hebrew word for “commandment.” So a “Bar Mitzvah” is a “son of the commandment.”

The term “Bar Mitzvah” can describe either the celebration (as in, “We’re going to attend a Bar Mitzvah”) or the person who has gone through the training and ceremony (as in, “He is now a bar mitzvah”). 

Girls can also go through the Bar Mitzvah process. In that case, she would be called a Bat Mitzvah (pronounced “baht,” meaning daughter), and her ceremony would be called a Bat Mitzvah.

Whether boy or girl, at age 12 or 13, a Bar Mitzvah is held after he or she has completed training in the Jewish faith. This ceremony signifies that he or she is no longer a child but is on the way to adulthood. It’s the milestone that shows moral responsibility, and the responsibility of one’s faith transfers from the parent to the child.

In preparation for a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, a child will train for years, starting around age 9, with more concentrated training in the last year (their 11th or 12th year) before their Bar Mitzvah ceremony. This education, similar to Catechism or Confirmation, equips them to be part of their spiritual community. 

A special service is held at their synagogue once their training is complete, near or on their birthday. The child leads the service and reads from the Torah scroll in Hebrew during this service. He or she also says the Shema and the blessings for the Torah reading.

The Torah portion read is often their “birth Torah.” This portion of Scripture was read on the Shabbat of the week they were born. They also talk (like a mini-sermon) about the portion and how it’s meaningful to them.

A party often follows the Bar Mitzvah service, with gifts for the new bar mitzvah and dancing (usually Israeli Folk dancing).

Where did this custom come from?

Although Biblical principles are woven throughout the Bar Mitzvah, it’s not directly mentioned in the Bible. The earliest mention of this ceremony is in the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds, written as early as the 4th century. These are Jewish rabbinical writings meant to guide the daily activities of Jewish community members. 

While Bar Mitzvahs have been held for centuries, ceremonies like the ones we see today date back to the Middle Ages. The Bat Mitzvah is a pretty recent development, appearing only in the 20th century.

Bar Mitzvah in the Bible

Although the Bar Mitzvah ceremony isn’t in the Bible, many believe Jesus’s Bar Mitzvah process is mentioned. In Luke 2:41-52, Luke notes that Jesus was 12 when he was left behind and found at the Temple, talking with the rabbis there. He was also in Jerusalem for Passover, a Biblical requirement for men. At 12, he may have been preparing for his Bar Mitzvah, which includes discussing Scripture with rabbis and learning to keep the laws concerning the festivals. 

Many suggest that his age of 12 and his trip to Jerusalem for Passover indicate that he was in the process of preparing for his Bar Mitzvah or was there for the event itself. 

Why have a Bar Mitzvah if I’m not Jewish?

As Christians, we’re grafted in to the promises God gave to the people of Israel. Both the roots of our Biblical faith and our Messiah are Jewish. As we live out our faith, we try to continually grow and be more like Jesus. Practicing our faith as he practiced his will give us a better understanding of him and our Bibles.

The other reason for having a Bar Mitzvah is to provide a solid spiritual foundation for those growing up with faith in the Bible and Jesus as their savior. It also serves as a milestone for children heading into adulthood, giving them an official crossover from childhood to adulthood.

Also, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs aren’t just for 12—and 13-year-olds! Those are just the minimum ages. Adults can have one, too! 

How to have a Messianic Bar Mitzvah

The guidelines for candidates for Bar and Bat Mitzvah differ between congregations. If you want one for your son or daughter (or yourself!). Contact the rabbi or pastor of your Messianic or other congregation to inquire about their Bar Mitzvah procedures. 

Bar and Bat Mitzvah candidates (or B’nei Mitzvot) should learn the following basics (ideally starting around nine years old):

• The Hebrew Language – Candidates should have a solid understanding of Biblical Hebrew. B’nei should be able to read from the Torah and read and say the Torah reading blessings in Hebrew.
  
• Their Torah portion: the content and how to read it in Hebrew and English. Use these links to find the Torah Portion for your birthdate and print it out in Hebrew and English.
  
• How to say the Shema and understand what it means.
  
• How to understand, read and say the Torah reading blessings from the Siddur (prayer book).

• How to handle the Torah scrolls, ark, and other implements with reverence and respect.
  
• The values and beliefs of their faith.
  
• The religious practices of their faith.

Most Messianic Bar Mitzvahs include the following:

• The Bar or Bat performing all or part of the Torah Service.
  
• The Bar or Bat reading the Torah portion in Hebrew from the Torah scroll.
  
• The Bar or Bat giving a midrash (mini-sermon) on what the Holy Spirit has taught him or her through their Torah portion.
  
• Baptism (mikveh) may be included.
  
• Boys may wear a tallit (prayer shawl), and girls may wear a head covering (scarf).
  
• Some sort of celebration afterward, which can be potluck-style.

A Bar Mitzvah is a milestone in a young person’s life and can provide them with a firm spiritual foundation for life. It’s a meaningful ceremony and a clear point at which someone takes responsibility for their spiritual life and becomes a functioning member of their faith community. It’s also a time when one can declare his or her faith in the God of the Bible and Messiah, Jesus.