Its Meaning
On a girl’s twelfth birthday, she becomes more mature, aware, and responsible for her actions. Therefore, this is the day on which God imposes on her the obligations of the commandments incumbent on a woman.
As a result, since girls are exempt from most practical commandments, the preparations and excitement as the Bat Mitzvah day approaches occupy much less space and excitement in Jewish life, but this does not mean to belittle, God forbid, the importance of the day, but because it does not involve special ceremonies such as reading from the Torah and putting on Tefillin – as is the case with the male equivalent, the ‘Bar Mitzvah’.
Bat Mitzvah?!
Unlike the male gender, whom God obliges with no less than 613 commandments, and if we add to them the enactments of the sages over the generations, we reach higher numbers, the female gender is not obliged by many of them.
The rule is as follows: “All positive commandments that time causes – women are not obliged. Positive commandments that time does not cause – women are obliged.”
This means, the Torah commandments are divided into two types: positive commandments and negative commandments.
Positive commandments – are actions that God commands a person to do. For example: to put on Tefillin. To honor parents. To eat Matzah on Passover.
Negative commandments – are actions that God forbids a person to perform. Like: to murder. To steal. To eat on Yom Kippur.
All the actions that God forbade to do (negative commandments), He forbade to all the Jewish people, both men and women. The actions He commanded to do (positive commandments), He imposed on men and exempted women.
However, these commandments are also divided into two: commandments that ‘time causes’ and commandments that ‘time does not cause’.
- Commandments that ‘time causes’ – are the result of a new time that has arrived for example: Putting on Tefillin. At night, one should not put on Tefillin. With the sunrise, the obligation to put on Tefillin begins. It depends on a new time that has arrived. Sitting in a Sukkah: during the year we are not obliged to eat in a Sukkah. With the arrival of the Sukkot holiday, we have the obligation, since it is time-dependent – women are exempt from them.
- Commandments that ‘time does not cause’ – are positive commandments that are not dependent on time but are always in force (like honoring parents – only obligated at night?… or loving fellow Jews – even when there is anger in the heart…( – women are also obligated in them.
Two reasons why women are exempt:
- The woman, she is a very busy type. Home, children, career, partner, and more. A lot is imposed on her. God sees her role in the home – especially with raising children and their education – as a role of great importance and value, and did not want to impose on her the fulfillment of commandments that could ‘interfere’ with her in fulfilling her important mission.
- The woman, she doesn’t need them. The role of the commandments, among other things, is for the benefit of the person: to refine, to merit, and to sanctify him. The woman, by her very creation, is a more delicate and believing ‘type’ and does not need external ‘auxiliary materials’ to help her be so.
This is also the reason why a woman does not need to cover her head with a Kippah whose purpose is to remind a person of the existence of God above him. She simply has this very much naturally…
Bat Mitzvah Day
On this special day, make sure the girl performs more good deeds such as giving charity, helping others, and the like.
You, the parents, are also recommended to do some good deeds on this day for her merit…