Q&A: Bar Mitzvah Boy
Bar Mitzvah Boy
Question
Hello Rabbi,
I started teaching a secular boy his Torah portion for his bar mitzvah (the first part of Vayechi), and the family wanted to hold the event at the Western Wall on Thursday and invite the entire extended family. Now I discovered that his Hebrew date of birth will actually fall on Friday, but it would be a problem to tell the family to change the time and place of the event.
From a halakhic standpoint, is it possible for the boy to be called up to the Torah a day before he becomes bar mitzvah? What about the blessings over the Torah, and “Blessed is He who has exempted me from this one’s punishment”?
Answer
It depends on customs. In the Shulchan Arukh the ruling follows the law of the Talmud, that everyone may be counted among the seven aliyot, including a minor, and then there is no problem calling him up to the Torah. This is also how Rabbi Ovadia ruled: that he may count among the seven aliyot. Ashkenazim have a different custom, but in my opinion there is no obstacle to doing this when necessary. If possible, it is even better if there are three people called up besides him, but it is not required. “Barukh she-petarani” is not really a blessing; it is a ceremony, and it can be said whenever one wants.