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From: mcmillan@eosp1.UUCP (Tobias D. Robison)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: Bat Mitzvah as as important as Bar Mitzvah
Message-ID: <637@eosp1.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 2-Mar-84 13:34:48 EST
Article-I.D.: eosp1.637
Posted: Fri Mar  2 13:34:48 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 3-Mar-84 23:25:47 EST
References: <2662@fortune.UUCP>
Organization: Exxon Office Systems, Princeton, NJ
Lines: 22

This is not simply an equal sex issue.  Just as a boy grows up and
becomes a "son of the commandments", so does the young girl become a
daughter of the commandments.  The point is, a parent is responsible
for the actions AND responsibilities of a young child.  When the
child reaches the ritual age, it assumes its own obligations and
responsibilities.

If a six year old girl "chooses" not to keep Kosher, it is her
parents failure to observe a commandment (please, in this context I
am not judging the parent's decision, just assigning responsibility).
A 12 year old girl is breaking a commandment herself if she chooses
not to keep Kosher.

It is a custom for the parents to recite the "sheptarani" prayer at the
Bar/Bat Mitzvah to celebrate their well earned relief from the weight
of this religious responsibility for their children's actions.
					- Toby Robison
					allegra!eosp1!robison
					decvax!ittvax!eosp1!robison
					princeton!eosp1!robison
					(NOTE! NOT McMillan; Robison.)