CCAR RESPONSA
American Reform Responsa
36. Havdala Bar/Bat Mitzvah
(Vol. XCII, 1982, pp. 216-218)QUESTION: It has been the practice of my congregation and other small congregations to hold Bar/Bat Mitzvot at the normal congregational service, either on Shabbat morning or, where Shabbat morning service was not possible, on Friday evenings. In smaller communities there is only a limited number of Bar/Bat Mitzvot a year, and they have become a focal point of communal activity. Some families have heard of the custom in larger cities to hold Havdala Bar Mitzvot on late Shabbat afternoons for the convenience of the family (as this would make travel easier for out-of-town guests and permit the social functions to be connected to the Bar/Bat Mitzvah). Is such a late Shabbat afternoon Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony permissible? (Rabbi Robert J. Orkand, Rockford, Illinois)ANSWER: A number of different questions must be answered in connection with this matter. We must inquire about the general setting in which a Bar/Bat Mitzvah can take place. We must ask about the purpose of a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, and whether it requires a “public” service. What is the standing of the festivities conducted with a Bar/Bat Mitzvah in Jewish law and tradition? What is the relationship of private desires and the communal welfare? It is quite clear that a Bar/Bat Mitzvah can be conducted at any service during which the Torah is normally read. For traditional Jews, this means Shabbat morning and afternoon, as well as Monday and Thursday morning, in addition to Rosh Chodesh and festivals. For many smaller congregations in our liberal movement, this would also include Friday evening services at which time the Torah is normally read. The Torah reading during the Mincha service is certainly a part of Jewish tradition, although very few of our congregations have regular Mincha services. According to the Mishna, a Mincha service should be held during the afternoon rather than the early evening, but it can be held as late as the last hour before sunset (Rabbi Judah in Mishna, Ber. 4.1). In times of absolute necessity, it is possible to move the Mincha service even a little later and make Havdala before it is absolutely dark (Ber. 27b and Tosafot; Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 293.2). It would, therefore, be technically possible to have a service late on Shabbat afternoon, read the Torah, conclude Shabbat, and begin with the festivities. There was very little discussion until recent times of the festivities connected with a Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Among the first to deal with them at all was Solomon Luria (Yam Shel Shelomo to B.K., ch. 7, #37). There he stated that the festivities provided by the Ashkenazim for a Bar/Bat Mitzvah were to be considered religious occasions (Se-udat Mitzvah). There are, of course, numerous modern authorities who have discussed these festivities and have tried to keep them within some reasonable bounds, although this has proven to be very difficult in contemporary America. We, too, would object to undue emphasis on the social aspect of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah at the expense of its religious significance. The purpose of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah was a public proclamation that the young individual could now be counted as part of the Minyan (Meg. 23a); it was an announcement to the community. Today it accomplishes this, and also provides recognition for accomplishments in religious studies before the congregation. It should furthermore encourage attendance at regular services. The public element of this service is, therefore, essential. The private family festivities are also important, but less so. It would, therefore, be wrong to change the occasion into a completely private service and hold it at a time during which the normal services are not held, unless there are unusual circumstances. In a small congregation, a Bar/Bat Mitzvah also serves to strengthen the existing religious services. There is good precedent for this. Despite private Minyanim, the community was always given the power to strengthen the communal synagogue (Yad, Hil. Tefila 11.1; Tur, Orach Chayim 10.5). A small congregation could make attendance at services mandatory to insure a Minyan (Adret, Responsa, V.222; Isaac bar Sheshet, Responsa I, #518; Sh.A., Orach Chayim 150.1; 55.20). It is clear (Sho-el Umeshiv, vol. 3, part A, #8) that the strength of the community and its regular religious services was always uppermost in the minds of the religious authorities and the congregation. In a small community, obviously, a communal Bar/Bat Mitzvah is of great significance. It attracts additional people from the outside and serves as a focal point for the year’s religious life. Therefore, it is important that it be held during the normal hours of religious services. Havdala, or late Shabbat afternoon, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, may serve a different function in a very large congregation. There, one may find three or more Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremonies scheduled for every Shabbat. Therefore the ceremony may become unmanageable, and the Benei Mitzvah may overwhelm the service rather than fit into the general service. Under these circumstances, it might be beneficial for the congregation to provide the opportunity to schedule Bar/Bat Mitzvah on occasions other than the Shabbat morning service (S.B. Freehof, Recent Reform Responsa, pp. 19ff). We therefore recommend that Bar/Bat Mitzvah be scheduled during the regular services at which time the Torah is read, unless circumstances which would benefit the congregation dictate a change. The ceremony must emphasize the religious nature of this day for the Bar/Bat Mitzvah and the family, not the social aspect of the occasion. Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies should strengthen the congregation and encourage all members of the congregation, both young and old, to attend regular services.Walter Jacob, ChairmanSimeon MaslinGunther PlautHarry A. RothRav A. SoloffSheldon ZimmermanBernard Zlotowitz
If needed, please consult Abbreviations used in CCAR Responsa.