In Jewish law, when a girl turns twelve; she becomes Bas Mitzvah (also called bat mitzva), meaning she is now obligated by Torah law in the fulfillment of Torah commandments as a full-fledged adult. At the Bas Mitzvah age, a girl (and a boy at Bar Mitzvah) acquires the Yetzer Hatov (the good inclination) which enables one to do good and keep Hashem’s commandments.

Reaching the age of twelve marks the culmination of childhood and entry into adulthood. As the Torah considers her to be an adult capable of making proper choices, she’s held accountable for her actions and all merits her soul collects from performing Torah commandments are attributed to her as an adult among the Jewish nation. What a special milestone and a true cause for rejoicing!

The transmission of a neshama, a Jewish soul, is passed on from generation to generation through the mother. A child born to a Jewish mother is Jewish. A Jewish woman has the capacity to to carry forward the Jewish chain: The Jewish home is thus formed through the mother. We see this clearly in the Torah verse which describes the work of the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) on Yom Kippur. Vayikra (16:6) says that through the Kohen Gadol’s duty G-d shall “…provide atonement for himself and for his household.” about which the Gemara explains “his house” means his wife – a wife is the pillar of the house. She therefore has the central role in keeping not just her Jewish
family intact, but ensuring the continuity of the Jewish nation as well. So, the Bas Mitzvah girl is now beginning her very own path to taking on this essential role.

Future as a Jewish Woman
Turning Bas Mitzvah is the beginning of a girl’s journey in taking her individual place as part of the Jewish nation, a new link in the ongoing chain of mothers and daughters which begins with our holy Imahos (Matriarchs) Sara, Rivka, Rochel, and Leah, and continues on  throughout the generations.

She can now partake in the special commandments Jewish women call their own. One of these is making the blessing on taking challah (hafrashas challah). A Jewish girl from Bas Mitzvah and on can do this mitzvah independently. Some girls like to perform this mitzvah on the day of their Bas Mitzvah.

After her Bas Mitzvah, a girl also fasts Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av and whichever Rabbinic fasts her family has the custom to fast as well. Being that she will one day have the status of a Jewish mother, women and girls are not obligated to many time-bound mitzvos and therefore can pray alone at home and are exempt from some of the time-bound commandments men must fulfill.

An important message to convey to the Bas Mitzvah girl is the central role she will have in creating a Jewish home. The Torah sees women as the central figure of a Jewish home – the mother has a strong influence on the spiritual education and direction of her children, influences the level of Jewish values in the home such as Shabbos and Kashrus, and is responsible for the purity in her marriage as well.

Tznius (modesty) is a central concept in the life of a Jewish woman. Bas Mitzvah is like the Jewish coming of age, where a girl realizes how G-d has given her inner and outer beauty. Jewish tradition teaches that a Jewish girl or woman is a daughter of G-d, The ultimate King, and therefore she should always dress modestly, as would be fitting for a girl with such a status.

“Judaism encourages you to look good – but without flaunting yourself….It means being attractive in a way that draws attention past your physicality to your personhood.” explains Gila Manolson in her book Outside Inside. “In living tzniut, we deepen our relationship with not only ourselves and others, but with the Source of all…Whatever is most precious and real is less revealed.” Starting from Bas Mitzvah a girl learns to use her G-d given female traits wisely.

Girls celebrate Bas Mitzvah on a smaller scale than a boys Bar Mitzvah. Reflecting their innate Tznius (modesty) and the essential role they play behind the scenes, there’s no public performance or tasks to complete. Rather it is a time of celebrating this new status in the company of family and friends with appreciation for the new, mature stage they are entering.