Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site eosp1.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!ulysses!allegra!princeton!eosp1!mcmillan 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.)