Bar (בַּר ‎) is a Jewish Babylonian Aramaic word meaning 'son' (בֵּן ‎, ben in Hebrew), while bat (בַּת ‎), in Hebrew, means 'daughter'. Mitzvah (מִצְוָה ‎) is Hebrew for 'commandment' or 'law'. Thus, bar mitzvah and bat mitzvah literally translate to 'son of commandment' and 'daughter of commandment', respectively.

A bar mitzvah is a Jewish coming-of-age ceremony for boys at age 13, marking their transition to adulthood. It includes putting on tefillin and other religious practices.

Coming of age for a Jew, which happens automatically at age 13 for a boy and 12 for a girl, is termed bar and bat mitzvah, that is, obligated to perform the Jewish mitzvot (commandments). A ceremony marking the first performance of mitzvot such as being called up to the Torah to say the blessings (known as “getting an aliyah “) began to ...

bar mitzvah, Jewish religious ritual and family celebration commemorating the religious adulthood of a boy on his 13th birthday.

a bar/bat mitzvah (one who is obligated to perform the commandments) do not have a cause-and-effect relationship. In other words, one is a full-fledged member of the Jewish community, able to participate in all aspects of its religious expression and existence, even if one has never had a bar/bat mitzvah celebration.

"Bar Mitzvah" literally means "son of the commandment." "Bar" is "son" in Aramaic, which used to be the vernacular of the Jewish people. "Mitzvah" is "commandment" in both Hebrew and Aramaic. "Bat" is daughter in Hebrew and Aramaic. (The Ashkenazic pronunciation is "bas").

Bar Mitzvah refers to a Jewish coming of age ritual for boys at age 13. A Bat Mitzvah is the equivalent for girls; however, their Bat Mitzvah will occur at either 12 or 13 years old, depending on the religious movement the family belongs to.

The bar mitzvah ceremony is an important and time-honored rite of passage. The young man is called to the Torah for the first time, and often chants a portion of the Torah reading, or the haftarah (reading from the prophets), which he has prepared.

A Bar Mitzvah happens around a boy’s 13th birthday and is part of a service in the synagogue.