The phrases "bar mitzvah" (for boys) and "bat mitzvah" (for girls) are used both ways.
Since "bar" and "bat" mean "son" and "daughter" respectively — although "son" in Hebrew is actually "ben"; "bar" comes from Aramaic — the names technically, albeit metaphorically, refer to the kids who are becoming adults in the eyes of Jewish law rather than to the ceremony itself: "Please join us when our son David is called as a bar mitzvah." They've long since ended up as shorthand for the ceremonies, too, however.
Now that I think about it, too, when the phrase is used to refer to the ceremony in casual speak it's Anglicized as "bar/bat mitz-vuh" but when it's used more formally to refer to the honoree him/herself, at least in my experience, it's given the Hebrew pronunciation of "bar/bat meetz-vah."
The word "mitzvah" has meanings of both "commandment" and "good deed". You might hear it used in the latter sense when someone says "It's a mitzvah" about somebody doing something kind for someone else, whereas in the phrase "bar/bat mitzvah" it connotes a child reaching adulthood in Jewish law and becoming responsible for observing the commandments in the Torah. Kids who aren't yet a bar or bat mitzvah — or who haven't yet been bar- or bat-mitzvah'd, as is more commonly said in English, per your confusion — aren't expected to fast on Yom Kippur, for instance.
I've just formally joined a synagogue for the first time in my adult life, but none of the above should be considered more than a casual explanation from a largely secular Jew who's really only interested in the religion that he inherited as a matter of tradition and community.
I'm sorry you're off Twitter, because I think that it's a good promotional tool and because I enjoy your more random Twitticisms, but I totally understand the time-suck thing.
Your refurbished logo is great, too, by the way. The dropshadow and tighter kerning are both great choices. Maybe it's a slightly brighter color or maybe it's just the dropshadow making it pop, but the blue letters are so bright (in a good way) they look like wet paint.
@Joan: Look at this goy And turn to stone? No thank you! @Blam: I've just formally joined a synagogue for the first time in my adult life Mazel tov, boychik! @Arben: the blue letters are so bright (in a good way) they look like wet paint I licked the screen and it's definitely not wet paint. Nice logo spiffin', though, mein kleiner Blammer, I agree!
@Arben: Your refurbished logo is great, too, by the way. The dropshadow and tighter kerning are both great choices.
I like it, and thanks... Without any serious graphics applications on this laptop, it's a lot harder to manipulate text like I'm used to — there's no simple kerning or leading adjustment, for instance; I have to treat the text as graphics and cut/paste/move stuff.
@LK: I licked the screen and it's definitely not wet paint.
I too have found Twitter to be a hideous time suck, so I made the decision to not concern myself with reading EVERYTHING in my feed. Now I just tweet when I have something to say and read my feed when I need to kill some time, rather than making the time to stay current on it at all times.
The trade off is that I'm sure I'm missing some great exchanges or witty comments, but at least it frees up some time for other things (it also helps that I can just throw up my feed on a monitor at work, and thus stay quasi-current at least during working hours).
Also, you're right: Colin Mochrie is definitely Mr. Mxyzptlk.
Oh, I never knew that the kid was the "bat-mitzvah". I thought the bat-mitzvah was the ceremony. Look at this goy, sorta learning stuff.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteThe phrases "bar mitzvah" (for boys) and "bat mitzvah" (for girls) are used both ways.
Since "bar" and "bat" mean "son" and "daughter" respectively — although "son" in Hebrew is actually "ben"; "bar" comes from Aramaic — the names technically, albeit metaphorically, refer to the kids who are becoming adults in the eyes of Jewish law rather than to the ceremony itself: "Please join us when our son David is called as a bar mitzvah." They've long since ended up as shorthand for the ceremonies, too, however.
Now that I think about it, too, when the phrase is used to refer to the ceremony in casual speak it's Anglicized as "bar/bat mitz-vuh" but when it's used more formally to refer to the honoree him/herself, at least in my experience, it's given the Hebrew pronunciation of "bar/bat meetz-vah."
The word "mitzvah" has meanings of both "commandment" and "good deed". You might hear it used in the latter sense when someone says "It's a mitzvah" about somebody doing something kind for someone else, whereas in the phrase "bar/bat mitzvah" it connotes a child reaching adulthood in Jewish law and becoming responsible for observing the commandments in the Torah. Kids who aren't yet a bar or bat mitzvah — or who haven't yet been bar- or bat-mitzvah'd, as is more commonly said in English, per your confusion — aren't expected to fast on Yom Kippur, for instance.
I've just formally joined a synagogue for the first time in my adult life, but none of the above should be considered more than a casual explanation from a largely secular Jew who's really only interested in the religion that he inherited as a matter of tradition and community.
That screencap is totally awesome.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you're off Twitter, because I think that it's a good promotional tool and because I enjoy your more random Twitticisms, but I totally understand the time-suck thing.
Your refurbished logo is great, too, by the way. The dropshadow and tighter kerning are both great choices. Maybe it's a slightly brighter color or maybe it's just the dropshadow making it pop, but the blue letters are so bright (in a good way) they look like wet paint.
@Joan: Look at this goy
ReplyDeleteAnd turn to stone? No thank you!
@Blam: I've just formally joined a synagogue for the first time in my adult life
Mazel tov, boychik!
@Arben: the blue letters are so bright (in a good way) they look like wet paint
I licked the screen and it's definitely not wet paint. Nice logo spiffin', though, mein kleiner Blammer, I agree!
ReplyDelete@Arben: Your refurbished logo is great, too, by the way. The dropshadow and tighter kerning are both great choices.
I like it, and thanks... Without any serious graphics applications on this laptop, it's a lot harder to manipulate text like I'm used to — there's no simple kerning or leading adjustment, for instance; I have to treat the text as graphics and cut/paste/move stuff.
@LK: I licked the screen and it's definitely not wet paint.
You know, I believe you.
I think you're just jealous that the screen got licked instead of you. ^_^
ReplyDeleteI too have found Twitter to be a hideous time suck, so I made the decision to not concern myself with reading EVERYTHING in my feed. Now I just tweet when I have something to say and read my feed when I need to kill some time, rather than making the time to stay current on it at all times.
ReplyDeleteThe trade off is that I'm sure I'm missing some great exchanges or witty comments, but at least it frees up some time for other things (it also helps that I can just throw up my feed on a monitor at work, and thus stay quasi-current at least during working hours).
Also, you're right: Colin Mochrie is definitely Mr. Mxyzptlk.