We may be more familiar with the term for a ceremony in Israel
called in Hebrew
Bar/Bat Mitzvah.
It is one of the best known Jewish customs,
bar mitzvah for a boy
and
bat mitzvah for a girl.
Bar בַּר
is a Jewish Babylonian Aramaic word meaning:
son בֵּן ,
ben in Hebrew,
while bat בַּת means:
daughter in Hebrew, and
mitzvah מִצְוָה
means: commandment or law.
When a Jewish boy turns 13, he has all the rights and obligations of a Jewish adult, including the commandments of the Torah.
It is a time when the child assumes responsibility for his or her own life and faith in God at what is considered the Biblical age of responsibility/ accountability. – twelve for a girl and thirteen for a boy. The child crosses over from being a child into an adolescent generally girls mature earlier than boys.
This is possibly where our relatively recent western term of becoming a teenager has its roots. The word teenager was seldom used until 1939 when it was mentioned in a headline in the Journal of Education for a review on a book study entitled Adolescence: A Study in the Teen Age, albeit it was hyphenated as Teen-Agers. Even though a lot of publications of the 1950s sought to explain this adolescence change, it wasn’t until the 20th century that historians began to analyze this phenomenon.
The roots of the
bar mitzvah,
which literally means
son of the commandments,
are obscure.
The actual term never once appears in the Hebrew Bible.
Because there is no specific Scriptural reference to a
Bar/Bat Mitzvah,
its historical background is more difficult to determine as there are no specific references to the ceremony in the Hebrew scriptures. However there are many statements supporting the idea that there is an age of accountability in following Gods way; and from the ancient writings of the Rabbis, we learn that they considered the age of 12 or 13 to be the age of accountability and physical maturity.
The child is now expected to assume more duties and responsibilities of religious life such as:
celebrating the feasts of the Lord,
fasting on fast days, and
wearing a prayer shawl in the synagogue.
Before this time, the parents would generally assume all responsibility for the child’s actions, vows, discipline and religious training. However, this begins to transition to the child at this time, which is marked by this special ceremony; which did not become commonplace until the Middle Ages, as an official initiation for boys into adolescence and Jewish religious duties.
By the age of 13, a Jewish boy would usually have completed his early Hebrew and religious studies.
A similar ceremony for girls at the age of 12 (based on the assumption that girls mature slightly sooner than boys), the Bat Mitzvah, is a modern adaptation to give girls a similar honor and blessing as their male counterparts.
While the beginnings of the modern bar mitzvah ceremony appeared as early as the sixth century C.E., it was not until the Middle Ages that a fully developed ritual emerged. By the 13th or 14th century, the custom of calling a boy up to the Torah was established as the way of recognizing entry into manhood.
The first use of bar mitzvah for the Jewish coming-of-age ritual seems to date to a 15th-century rabbi named Menahem Ziyyoni.
The bar mitzvah ceremony at that time was a modest affair with two or three major components.
First, was an aliyah.
Aliyah
עלייה
means ascent,
referring both to the physical ascent
onto the platform where the Torah is read
and
to the spiritual elevation experienced at that time.
The Hebrew word
aliyah
translates as
elevation or going up.
It is used both for being
called up to the Torah reading
and for
moving to the Land of Israel.
The root of this word is עלה
(Ah-L-H, Strong’s #5927), which means to go up.
Traditionally, a boy is honored with an
aliyah
on the first
Torah-reading-day
that follows his thirteenth birthday.
Some wait for the first Shabbat that follows the
bar mitzvah.
In order to receive an
aliyah,
one must be familiar with the procedure of being called up to the Torah and know the blessings recited before and after the reading.
This meant that the
bar mitzvah boy was,
for the very first time in his life,
called up to make a blessing over the public readings from the Torah, the sacred handwritten scroll containing the Five Books of Moses.
In addition, the bar mitzvah boy
often delivered his first public discourse,
teaching the community and
offering thanks to his parents and visiting guests.
So the question asked concerning Messiah.
What do the scriptures tell us?
in Luke 2:41-47, there are scriptures
that may suggest the timing of
His Bar בַּר mitzvah מִצְוָה
Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.
Here we have the only passage recorded concerning any details, from His infancy to the day of His showing to Israel at 29 years old, so it seems it must be of great importance.
Is this when Yeshua/Jesus became
a son of the commandments?
There is no specific reference to bar mitzvah, however His age is clearly noted. The further question of His actual birthday date may have a bearing, or that He was in His 13th year although still 12?
It was the 7 day Feast of the Unleavened Bread and the Festival of Pesach/Passover/First fruits and beginning of Counting from the Omer to Shavuot.
Yeshua/Jesus, His Mother, and His foster-father Joseph made the journey by foot from Nazareth to Yerushalayim/Jerusalem with many other pilgrims. They remained in Jerusalem during the whole week, spending their time in worship and devotion as did the rest of the Jews.
If we were not already aware, now we know that at age 13
Jewish boys become Bar Mitzvah;
they are:
sons of the covenant.
We see in this story that Yeshua/Jesus accompanied His parents to Jerusalem for the Passover/Pesach and that they were part of a company, which was probably made up of extended family and close friends.
Pesach/Passover was one of
three pilgrimage festivals instituted in the Torah called:
שלושה רגלים Shalosh or Shlosha Regalim:
פֵּסַח Passover/Pesach, (Exodus- physical salvation)
שָׁבוּעוֹת Pentecost/Shavuot/Weeks (Acts – Spiritual salvation)
and סוּכּוֹת Sukkot/Tents, Booths or Tabernacles –
(Joyous thanks for God’s encompassing protection.)
Exodus 23:17, 34:20; Is.1:12
Deut. 16:16;
שָׁל֣וֹשׁ פְּעָמִ֣ים ׀ בַּשָּׁנָ֡ה יֵרָאֶ֨ה כׇל־זְכוּרְךָ֜ אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י ׀ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ בַּמָּקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִבְחָ֔ר בְּחַ֧ג הַמַּצּ֛וֹת וּבְחַ֥ג הַשָּׁבֻע֖וֹת וּבְחַ֣ג הַסֻּכּ֑וֹת וְלֹ֧א יֵרָאֶ֛ה אֶת־פְּנֵ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה רֵיקָֽם׃Three times a year—on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on the Feast of Weeks, and on the Feast of Booths—all your males shall appear before your God יהוה in the place that [God] will choose. They shall not appear before יהוה empty-handed,
The three (foot) pilgrimages,
that required attendance at the Temple in Jerusalem;
all three festivals have both agricultural and national significance.
These festivals are mitzvot (plural of mitzvah – הַמִצווֹת).
Many see mitzvah simply as a command or a good deed, however there is a richer and more complex meaning of mitzvah.
This aspect of mitzvah is as physical actions that reminds us of aspects of our connection to God and of all connections to our Heavenly Father, the festivals of Passover/Pesach and Sukkot/Tents are among the strongest.
The 3rd festival, Shavuot/Weeks/Pentecost, actually celebrates the connection itself.
Shavuot/Pentecost, a week of weeks (49 days) after the Pesach/Passover, was God bonding Himself to the His people.
His parents went, every year.
This was their faithful custom, their lives being positively encompassed by the law.
Exodus 23:17.
It does not appear that infants/young children were obliged to be present; and yet all the men and older male children are positively ordered to attend the
Shalosh or Shlosha Regalim
at Yerushalayim/Jerusalem
three times in the year, every year. Exodus 34:23.
However, women were absolved from this requirement. They were not expected to make the trip because of the demands of managing a home and being a mother to the children, who weren’t expected to make pilgrimage either. For the family of Yeshua/Jesus, it was probably that this was the very age at which the male children were obliged to appear before the Lord at the three public festivals – the feast of unleavened bread, of weeks, and of tabernacles.
According to the Jewish writings, it was also the age at which they were obliged to begin to learn a trade. They may have considered it the right time to take Him with them, in order to celebrate that miracle deliverance out of Egypt which God had wrought for His people; the memory of which was carefully to be transmitted to every succeeding generation.
Here it should be noted, we also have Miryam/Mary, and perhaps other women close to her, making the journey to the Holy City.
It is mentioned in commending the obedience of Miryam/Mary and Joseph/Yosef, that they gave diligent observance to outward worship of God. This was not of their own choosing, but by the divine command, that they undertook this annual journey.
The law/Torah, commands the, males “only to, appear before the Lord,” (Exodus 23:17.) This does not entirely exclude females, but spares them by way of kindness; this compassionate consideration, distinguishes the true faith in the one true God from all vain and wicked religion and superstitions.
While she may always have taken her children with her, this time was special because Yeshua/Jesus had reached maturity in the faith, so this story is a glimpse into the quality of Miryam/Mary’s deep and abiding faith.
Passover/Pesach/Unleavened Bread was an eight-day festival,
And when they had fulfilled the days; 8 days in all, 1 the passover, and 7, the days of unleavened bread:
That year Yeshua/Jesus remained in Yerushalayim/Jerusalem. Joseph and Mary /Yosef and Miriam, didn’t realize this, supposing that He was somewhere in the caravan.
They spent a whole day on the road before they began searching for Him among their relatives and friends. He would have travelled close to them as a ‘child’ as they went up to Yerushalayim/Jerusalem but on the return journey as He was now ‘of age’, they assumed He would have walked back with the men.
When they could not find him they returned to Jerusalem/Yerushalayim.
On the 3rd day they found Him sitting in the temple court among the rabbis not only listening but questioning what they said.
Everyone who heard him was astonished at his insights and his responses.
Yeshua/Jesus tarried behind taking part in the sacred services of the festival, and the conversations held all around the city.
It appears, they supposed that He had set out with some of His relations, or acquaintances, and was
in the company – Εν τη συνοδια,
a word that properly translated means:
a company of travelers.
As at the three great festivals, not only all the men that were able, but many women likewise, usually attended the celebration at Jerusalem, and for their greater security against the attacks of robbers on the road, they traveled in large groups.
All who came, not only from the same city, but from the same area or district, made one company and they carried basic necessities with them, and tents for their lodging at night. Sometimes in hot weather, they traveled all night and rested in the day. These companies are now call caravans; and in several places they had houses prepared for them to stay in, called caravanseries.
This account of how they traveled gives us an obvious answer to the question often posed:
How could Joseph and Mary make a day’s journey without discovering, before night, that Yeshua/Jesus was not in the company?
In the daytime, it’s not unreasonable to suppose that the travelers would mingle with different parties of their families, friends and acquaintances; however when they were about to encamp in the evening, every one would join their respective families.
Then as it was growing late and Yeshua/Jesus did not appear, His parents first looked for Him where they supposed He would be, among His relations and acquaintances, so, when they didn’t find Him they, anxiously returned to Yerushalayim/Jerusalem to look for Him.
So after three days, they found Him, to their great joy, in one of the chambers of the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, who taught there publicly at certain seasons, and especially in time of the appointed great feasts. It appears there were no less than three assemblies of the doctors, who had apartments in the temple.
It was customary to propose doubts concerning the meaning of the precepts of the law, and the traditions of the elders, which was generally done by way of questions. If Yeshua/Jesus were, with others, at the feet of these teachers, where learners generally sat, He might be said to be in the midst of them, as they sat on benches placed in a semi-circular form raised above their hearers and disciples.
At age 13 Jewish boys become Bar Mitzvah;
they are
sons of the covenant/commandments.
They learn how to read scripture publicly in the synagogue and to expound on them because, at this age Jewish boys were being prepared for entrance into the adult affairs of the synagogue.
(Luke 2:41-42).
Had Yeshua/Jesus been younger, He might not have been indulged by the elders.
And all that heard him were astonished
The word εξι σταντο, here rendered were astonished, and εξεπλαγησαν, in the next verse, are much more forcible expressions than the words whereby we translate them.
They indicate, that they were in
astonishment,
and
struck with admiration.
obeying the biblical commandment to travel to Jerusalem three times a year for a Temple sacrifice – at Passover, Shavuot (Pentecost), and Succoth (Feast of Tabernacles).
The ancient drainage channel/tunnel is underneath the road.
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