Thirteen Mitzvot Program ע ל שׁ לשׁ ה ד ב ר ים ה ע ול ם ע ומ ד - ע ל ה תּ ור ה,ו ע ל ה ע ב וד ה, ו ע ל גּ מ ילוּת ח ס ד ים: The world rests on three things: Torah, worship, And the acts of loving kindness. (Pirke Avot 1:2)
Introduction: 13 years old and 13 Mitzvot What does it mean to have a service in which you are acknowledged as a Bar or Bat mitzvah? As you stand on the Bimah and participate in services you signal your willingness to become part of this mighty 4,000 year old river we call the Jewish people. The 13 Mitzvot program is designed to expose you to elements of Jewish life to help you negotiate the different currents that make up this river. This program is an essential part of the bar/t mitzvah experience because it gives you tools that help you access the deep history, ritual, and morality that make up who we are as a people. Enjoy and know that we are here to help facilitate and support you in any way we can on this journey. The Clergy of Adat Ari El Study Talmud - Torah Mitzvot 1-4 Prayer Avodah Worship Mitzvot 5-9 Acts of Loving Kindness Gemilut Hasadim - Service Mitzvot 10-13 Table of Contents Mitzvah #1: Milon (Dictionary)... 2 Mitzvah #2: Your Torah Portion... 3 Mitzvah #3: Your Haftarah... 4 Mitzvah #4: Family History (A)... 5 Mitzvah #4: My Ancestors (B)... 6 Mitzvah #5: Daily Rituals... 7 Mitzvah #6: Shabbat Rituals... 8 Mitzvah #7: Shabbat Worship... 8 Mitzvah #8: Holiday Customs and Life Cycle Events... 9 Mitzvah #9: Tefillin...10 Mitzvah #10: Gemilut Chasadim (Acts of Loving Kindness)...11 Mitzvah #11: Tzedakah (Charity)...12 Mitzvah #12: Service to the Family and Synagogue...12 Mitzvah #13: Knowledge Exploration...13 1
Being grounded in the vocabulary of our people is an essential step towards entering that flowing river. The vocabulary and sense of our history allow us to begin finding our place so that we may step confidently into our place among our people. Mitzvah #1: Milon (Dictionary) What do the following terms mean: a. Mitzvah b. Parshah c. Maftir d. Siddur e. Tefillah f. Shacharit g. Musaf h. Drash i. Haftarah j. Kvell k. Kvetch 2
Mitzvah #2: Your Torah Portion 1. What is the name of your Parashah? 2. In which book of the Torah is your Parashah found? 3. Briefly summarize the content of your Parashah. 3
Mitzvah #3: Your Haftarah What does the word Haftarah mean? In which book of the prophets is your Haftarah located? When did the events in your Haftarah take place? How are your Torah and Haftarah portions connected? 4
Mitzvah #4: Family History (A) What are your English and Hebrew names? Who were you named after? If you were named after someone specific, describe what you know about that person. Does your last name have a specific meaning? Where does it come from? Does it have a story? Where did your ancestors come from before they came to America? When did your family come to America? Briefly tell something interesting about a member of your family. Fill in the attached ancestral tree. 5
Mitzvah #4: My Ancestors (B) Fill in what you know b = date of birth m = date of marriage d = date of death OUR JEWISH ANCESTORS FROM ANCIENT TIMES 6
Rituals play an important role in our lives. They are vessels for carrying our history, identity and moral values. They also interrupt our days and invite us to pause and reflect on how we are acting within our world. They wake us up! So these next sections invite you to participate in a number of different rituals ranging from daily to weekly and yearly. Choose between these two options: Mitzvah #5: Daily Rituals Option 1: Select three (3) of these guidelines for observing the laws of Kashrut and observe them for one (1) week: a. Abstain from all pork products. b. Refrain from eating shellfish. c. Do not eat dairy and meat products at the same meal. d. Observe a three (3) hour period after eating a meat meal before eating any dairy product. e. Eat only meat bought at a Kosher butcher or meat that is certified Kosher (for example, Empire Kosher). Option 2: Select two (2) of the following three (3) daily blessings or prayers. Recite them at the appropriate time of day for one week. a. Say the Shema before going to bed. b. Recite the Modeh/Modah Ani prayer upon waking up in the morning. c. Recite any blessing before a meal. 7
Mitzvah #6: Shabbat Rituals For Shabbat - try these! 1. Blessing over Shabbat Candles 2. Kiddush 3. Ha Motzi 4. Birkat Ha Mazon 5. Make Havdalah at the end of Shabbat Mitzvah #7: Shabbat Worship Becoming familiar with Shabbat services is an important part of the Bar/t Mitzvah experience. The more familiar you are, the more comfortable and enjoyable your own will be! So we encourage that you attend Shabbat morning or Friday evening services at Adat Ari El prior to your Bar/Bat Mitzvah. You may fulfill this mitzvah by attending the main congregation service or alternative Minyanim. For some, more services will be necessary; for some, less. The point is this: get to know your service! We also understand that many of you may be on the Bar/t mitzvah circuit and will have the opportunity to visit other places. Terrific! Enjoy and reflect: in what ways were the services similar and in what ways different? DATES OF SERVICES ATTENDED: REFLECTIONS What struck you about the services you attended? What stood out? What did you like and with what did you struggle? 8
Mitzvah #8: Holiday Customs and Life Cycle Events Rosh Hashanah Hear the blowing of the Shofar Yom Kippur Fast for at least ½ day on Yom Kippur Sukkot Help build or decorate a Sukkah Recite the proper blessings for the Lulav and Etrog Simchat Torah Participate in a Hakafah (circle with the Torah) Hanukkah Light the Hanukkiah and recite the blessings Tu B Shevat Plant a tree and/or purchase a tree on Tu B Shevat Help with a clean-up project on Tu B Shevat Purim Hear the Megillah read Send Mishloach Manot to at least two people Give Matanot L Evyonim (gifts to the poor) Passover Help prepare and lead the family Seder Help gather and dispose of/sell Chametz Shavuot Come to and participate in a Tikkun Leil Shavuot (evening Study Session) Other Attend a Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day) service Participate in the Israel Festival for Yom Ha atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) Attend a Brit Milah or Simchat Bat. Attend a Jewish wedding Attend a Jewish funeral 9
Mitzvah #9: Tefillin Attend Adat Ari El s Annual World Wide Tefillin Wrap (held usually in February or March) and wrap Tefillin there. OR Ask one of the Cantors or Rabbis to show you how to put on Tefillin. Read and answer the following questions: a. When is it customary to wear Tefillin? b. On which days are Tefillin worn? c. Which Torah portions are included in the Tefillin and why? 10
Our history grounds us. Our rituals wake us up. To what end? To be good people and to be of service to others. These next three mitzvot are different ways that you can reach beyond yourself and take your place as a Jew in reaching out to others. Mitzvah #10: Gemilut Chasadim (Acts of Loving Kindness) Choose an organization that does acts of kindness, such as SOVA, Project Chicken Soup, or an animal shelter, etc. Select an organization that is meaningful to you and donate some of your time to assisting in its work. Please write: The name of the organization What does the organization do? Describe how you participated. Why did you choose this activity? What date did you help this organization? 11
Mitzvah #11: Tzedakah (Charity) Please make a contribution of Tzedakah to at least one charitable organization that is meaningful to you. This should be a tangible donation of money, clothing, food, shoes, books, toys, etc. Please fill in the following: I have made a donation to: I chose this organization because: Mitzvah #12: Service to the Family and Synagogue 1) Family: sit down with your parents and consider: in what ways do you and can you contribute to how your home runs? In what ways can you be of service to your parents? 2) Participate in one or more synagogue activities at Adat Ari El. a. Usher at four (4) religious services. You may do this when you come for some of your attendance requirements. Position yourself near the front door of the sanctuary and greet congregants as they enter. Smile and say Shabbat Shalom! b. Volunteer at the Purim Carnival. c. Help with the Purim Mishloah Manot assembly and delivery. (Contact Jewish Learning Community) d. Change Torah covers before/after High Holydays. (Contact the Cantors for more information.) e. Be a CIT (counselor in training) at AAE Fun and Fit Camp. f. Help with younger children at Shabbat and High Holyday children s programming. There may be other opportunities that come up - keep your eyes and ears open! 12
Mitzvah #13: Knowledge Exploration - Sacred Literature: The Hebrew Bible is made up of three sections. What are they? What is the Talmud? - Sacred Dates: Find out why these were significant years in Jewish history: 586 BCE 70 CE 1948 CE - Sacred Text: What are the Ten Commandments? Which commandment do you think is the most important? What does the Shema say and why is it considered Judaism s most important prayer? What is the national anthem of the State of Israel? What does it say? - Sacred Rituals: What is Shabbat? With what rituals do we begin and end Shabbat? What does it mean to keep kosher? Name three practices that one does if one is keeping kosher. What are the Shalosh Regalim - Judaism s three festival holidays? - Sacred Practices: What does it mean to engage in Lashon HaRa? What is the difference between giving Tzedakah and Gemilut Hasadim? - Sacred Differences: How would you define the differences between being Conservative/Reform/Orthodox? - Sacred One: Over four thousand years, Jews have come up with all sorts of ways to speak about God. What does that word mean to you? 13