The American Bat-Mitzvah: Chareidim, Modern Orthodox and the mid-20th Century

“My Dear Grandaughter:

I will now share with you something about this day on which you enter into Torah and Mitzvos. On this day…[one] must feel and recognize that it is as if it is their own personal Shavous, on which the Torah was given.

“The Gemara therefore teaches that one must me exceedingly happy on this day [of the giving of the Torah – likely a reference to the idea of ‘Kulo Lechem’ on Atzeres, MT]; so too on the day a child becomes a legal adult [in mitzvos], when one merits to be commanded in the mitzvos of the Torah like all members of the Jewish people; to you this is like the day of Matan Torah.

“From the depths of my heart I bless you with Mazel Tov, and may it be His will that He helps you - and the rest of the family - in growing and increasing, with health and contentment, in success in the learning and the fine middos that you have.

“You should be a source of pride and blessing for your wonderful parents and all of us”

- R’ Shlomo Zalman Aurbach writing to his granddaughter on the occasion of her bas mitzvah.

R. Moshe Taub writing on this subject in AMI Magazine (2013)

"....The idea of a one becoming obligated in mitzvos at these two specific ages is made clear in chazal in any number of places, and seems to be a fiat from Moshe Rabbeinu (halacha Moshe m’Sinai). [See Bereishis 34:24 with Rashi to Nazir 29b; 21:8 with Bereishis Rabba 53:10; Nidda 45-46, et al]

As to why there is this distinction between boys and girls, we find three explanations:

1 – The Tosfos HaRosh to Nidda explains that this is due to the greater wisdom that women have (this seems to be the simple understanding of the Gemara there)

2 – The Levush (hilchos yom kippur) says that this is due to biological realities

3 –Rambam (Peirus Hamishnayos) says that this due to the fact that women tend to die earlier than men so that we give them a one-year head start! (We should note that today women generally live longer than men)

Rav YY Weinberg writing in HaPardes (Translation Dr. Judith Blech)

In truth, however, this is no argument. In previous generations it was unnecessary to be preoccupied with the education of girls for every Jewish person was filled with Torah and fear of Heaven. Moreover, the atmosphere in each and every city in Israel was filled to capacity with the flavor and spirit of Judaism. Girls who were raised in a Jewish home imbibed the spirit of Judaism without doing anything and practically absorbed Judaism from their mothers’ breast. Now the generations have become radically transformed. The atmosphere of the street removed any spark of Judaism from the heart of every boy and girl. Girls are educated in non-Jewish schools or in secular schools that they do not take pains to implant love of the Torah of Israel and of the holy customs of authentic Judaism in the heart of their students … indeed, it is a very painful matter that, insofar as general education is concerned, regarding instruction in languages, secular literature, sciences and humanities, there is concern for girls just as for boys, whereas with regard to religious education, biblical studies, the ethical literature of the Sages and the practical mitzvot regarding which women are obligated, there is utter neglect. Fortunately, the great Jewish leaders of the previous generation recognized this failure and established institutions of Torah and religious encouragement for Jewish girls. The establishment of a great and comprehensive network of Beth Jacob schools is the most splendid accomplishment of our age. Sound logic and the obligation of fundamental pedagogic principles would practically mandate that one also celebrate attainment of the obligation of mitzvot on the part of a girl. Discrimination between boys and girls with regard to the celebration of maturity is an affront to the human feelings of the adolescent girl, who in other respects, as it were, has been accorded the privileges of emancipation.

AMI, Ibid.

In 1922 the first American Bas Mitzvah celebration took place. Mordechai Kaplan –the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism –had a daughter, Judith, turning 12. That Shabbos she walked up to the bima and read from the Torah. Even the liberal crowd was shocked.

We like to think that frum world’s desire to enhance how we celebrate bas mitzvahs of late is unconnected to that moment in time –and perhaps that is true –but the simple fact is that others do not see it that way.

The American Jewish Historical Society, in their entry regarding Judith Kaplan’s Bas Mitzvah, discusses the changes that sprang from that moment in time:

“Change came gradually. As late as the 1930’s, despite Judith Kaplan’s pathbreaking example, only a handful of Conservative synagogues had adopted bat mitzvah. By 1948, however, one-third of Conservative congregations conducted them and, by the 1960s, the ceremony became the norm within Conservatism…A number of modern Orthodox congregations have now adopted some form of bat mitzvah as well. Bat mitzvah, an innovation in 1922, is now an American Jewish institution.”

......

In an extraordinary teshuvah (chelek 18), Rav Waldenberg reprimands an author of a book relating to the laws of ‘Bar Mitzvah’ for only bringing the sources allowing for bas mitzvah celebrations. “An important sefer such as yours should have included the negative views…” He then goes on to list those views ending with his own views in agreement to those that are stringent. He does however offer a different perspective on why bas mitzvah celebrations should be avoided: issues of tznius.

While this issue is still unresolved, the reader should note that there are gedolim on both sides. We should all hearken the words of Rav Weinberg who ends his teshuvah on this matter pleading with the public to respect the intentions of those that have accepted, to some degree, bas mitzvah celebrations that are indeed in line what a Bas Yisroel is all about.