(ט) ויגדלו הנערים - רבי לוי אמר: משל להדס ועצבונית, שהיו גדילים זה על גבי זה, וכיון שהגדילו והפריחו, זה נותן ריחו וזה חוחו. כך כל י"ג שנה, שניהם הולכים לבית הספר, ושניהם באים מבית הספר. לאחר י"ג שנה, זה היה הולך לבתי מדרשות, וזה היה הולך לבתי עבודת כוכבים. אמר רבי אלעזר: צריך אדם להטפל בבנו עד י"ג שנה, מיכן ואילך צריך שיאמר: "ברוך שפטרני מעונשו של זה"
(9) Rabbi Levi offered a parable: They [Jacob and Esau] were like a myrtle and a wild rosebush growing side by side; when they matured and blossomed, one yielded its fragrance and the other its thorns. For thirteen years both went to school and came home from school, [but] after this age, one went to the house of study and the other to idolatrous shrines. Rabbi Eleazar said: A parent is responsible for his/her child until the age of thirteen, at which point the parent must say: Baruch sheptarani mei’ansho shel zeh, “Blessed is the One who has now freed me from the responsibility of this child.”
- According to Rabbi Levi, what happens to a person at/after 13 years?
- Parents, what would you say to Rabbi Eleazer if he was standing here now?
(כא) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, בֶּן חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים לַמִּקְרָא, בֶּן עֶשֶׂר לַמִּשְׁנָה, בֶּן שְׁלשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה לַמִּצְוֹת, בֶּן חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה לַתַּלְמוּד, בֶּן שְׁמֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה לַחֻפָּה, בֶּן עֶשְׂרִים לִרְדֹּף, בֶּן שְׁלשִׁים לַכֹּחַ, בֶּן אַרְבָּעִים לַבִּינָה, בֶּן חֲמִשִּׁים לָעֵצָה, בֶּן שִׁשִּׁים לַזִּקְנָה, בֶּן שִׁבְעִים לַשֵּׂיבָה, בֶּן שְׁמֹנִים לַגְּבוּרָה, בֶּן תִּשְׁעִים לָשׁוּחַ, בֶּן מֵאָה כְּאִלּוּ מֵת וְעָבַר וּבָטֵל מִן הָעוֹלָם:
(21) He [Yehudah ben Teima] used to say: Five years [is the age] for [the study of] Scripture, Ten [is the age] for [the study of] Mishnah, Thirteen [is the age] for [observing] commandments, Fifteen [is the age] for [the study of] Talmud, Eighteen [is the age] for the [wedding] canopy, Twenty [is the age] for pursuit, Thirty [is the age] for [full] strength, Forty [is the age] for understanding, Fifty [is the age] for [giving] counsel, Sixty [is the age] for mature age, Seventy [is the age] for a hoary head, Eighty [is the age] for [superadded] strength, Ninety [is the age] for [a] bending [stature], One hundred, is [the age at which one is] as if dead, passed away, and ceased from the world.
According to Yehudah ben Teima, what happens at age 13? How is this different from what we learned in Bereishit Rabba?
(ו) בת אחת עשרה שנה ויום אחד נדריה נבדקין. בת שתים עשרה שנה ויום אחד נדריה קיימין ובודקין. כל שתים עשרה. בן שתים עשרה שנה ויום אחד נדריו נבדקים. בן שלש עשרה שנה ויום אחד נדריו קיימין. ובודקין כל שלש עשרה. קודם לזמן הזה אף על פי שאמרו יודעין אנו לשם מי נדרנו. לשם מי הקדשנו. אין נדריהם נדר. ואין הקדשן הקדש. לאחר הזמן הזה. אף על פי שאמרו אין אנו יודעין לשם מי נדרנו. לשם מי הקדשנו. נדרן נדר והקדשן הקדש:
(6) Regarding a girl of eleven years and one day, her vows are examined [i.e she is questioned in order to determine if her vows are valid]. At twelve years and one day, her vows stand....Regarding a boy of twelve years and one day, his vows are examined [to determine if they are valid]. At thirteen years and one day, his vows stand...Prior to this time [i.e. eleven years and one day for a girl and twelve years and one day for a boy], even if they said, "We know in whose name we vowed, and in whose name we sanctified," their vows are not vows and their sanctifications are not sanctified property. After this time, even if they say, "We do not know in whose name we vowed, and in whose name we sanctified," their vows are vows and their sanctifications are santified property.
- According to the Mishnah above, what happens to a person at age 12 (+1 day) or 13 (+1 day)?
- What do you think it means for your vow 'to stand'?
Responsibilities of a b mitzvah
Based on the Chabad website:
As a result of being considered an adult, the b mitzvah is enabled to perform and/or participate in the following rituals:
- Lead prayer services (as chazzan).
- Be counted as a member of a minyan.
- To bless the congregation with the Priestly Blessing if he/she is a kohen/bat kohen.
- To serve as reader from the Torah at public Torah readings.
- To receive an aliyah.
- To lead the Grace after Meals (known as zimun) and count as one of the three people required in order to do a zimun.