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The Bath Mitsvah is the celebration and dedication of a Daughter reaching spiritual responsibility at the age of twelve. This dedication is celebrated with friends and the daughter is recognised as a woman. Prior to this, she was under the covering of her mother, teaching her the physical truths of life. Reaching maturity moves the responsibility to the Father, teaching her spiritual truths. She is now under his covering and must learn the ordinances or spiritual rules YHVH gave to man in His Torah. These rules are called the Mitsvots. She is from today; responsible for her own salvation and her faith and attitude towards YHVH will determine her salvation.

Today, most non-Orthodox Jews celebrate a girl's becoming Bat Mitzvah in the same way as a boy's becoming Bar Mitzvah. All Reform and Reconstructionist, and most Conservative synagogues have egalitarian participation in which women read from the Torah and lead services. Many girls in the non-Orthodox movements celebrate becoming Bat Mitzvah at age 13, like the Jewish boys, rather than at the actual age 12.

1. The meaning of Bath Mitsvah

To grasp the depth of this celebration, we will now look at the Hebrew definitions of the word Bath and Mitsvah. Bath is the Hebrew word for daughter and it also means:

• A unit for liquid measure,
• Description of character,
• Steep cliff,
• End and destruction.

As we see here, there are positive and negative meanings connected to this word. The unit of liquid measure is connected to the word “dode” or Jar, also meaning:

• Beloved
• Love
• Jar

The jar is the vessel that contains water and “bath” is the unit of measure for the water it contains. To love YHVH she must be an empty vessel or jar, emptying herself so that He can fill her with His Living Water or Word. She cannot say that she loves YHVH if she hasn’t presented herself empty before Him. This is the main theme for today that she must understand. The jar must be filled with water. Water is known to be a symbol for YHVH’s Word. Inside His Word He has given wisdom for man to live by. ,ym “Mayim” or ‘water’ is constructed with an open and a closed “Mem” with a “Yod” in the centre. The open “Mem” is said to be ‘revealed knowledge’ of YHVH and the closed “Mem” is hidden mysteries of YHVH. The Spirit (Yod) in the centre is constantly revealing mysteries about YHVH, and this is His water flowing to us to live by. Inside this water is the Mitsvots or Ordinances that act as guidelines to live by. A Mitsvah or ordinance is a permanent rule, given by a Higher Authority, to guide man’s actions.


Why do need guiding rules to live by?

Lets look at the following examples to explain it. If you look at Nature, you will see that everything is in order and in balance. This is so because YHVH has defined rules for nature. If nature one day decides that it no longer needs the law of gravity, what will the result be? Think about it. Everything will float in mid air and there will be chaos. We will be floating, our cars will be floating, all the water in the sea will levitate over the land and will cause destruction and life will be no more. Just like nature, YHVH has given rules to man so that there can be order and in balance. Without these fixed rules, no moral balanced life will be sustained and man will destroy himself eventually. The only difference is, that YHVH gave man “free will” to choose if they want to apply these rules in their lives or not.

The choice is yours and the result of your choice will realize in your life. Your life will be either be a life of balance and order, or a life or chaos and destruction. But you may say that you are free and not under the law. As I said earlier, that is your choice, but you have to remember one thing; freedom in choice does not necessarily mean that the result of your choices are liberating. You are free to do whatever you want, but the reality of freedom lies in the consequences of your choices. YHVH gave us safe area to make decisions within; we call these His Mitsvots. If you abide within this frame of guidance, the result of these choices is liberty and not bondage. This is the choice this young woman will have to make today. She must decide to be open to learn from her father, everything that is applicable to her given in the Mitsvots.

This will make her an empty jar, receiving His Living Water she can live by. The word “bath” has two negative meanings and warnings. The daughters that choose not to be an empty jar, presenting herself to YHVH, will be like a steep cliff that leads to destruction. Her life will be an instrument of chaos and she will bring many to a fall. She will be a stumbling stone for men and with her tongue will light up devouring fires. Do not be like these women of lawlessness, but choose to be filled with YHVH’s life giving Water. If you apply His Mitsvots in your life, you will live a happy and blessed life, protected from the evil in the world. You will receive Salvation through faith in Y’shua and blessings by following His guiding rules of wisdom.

2. Important things to remember

a) Live a sexual pure life

Set apartness or holiness begins with sexual morality. This is the first major thing taught by the Disciples in Acts. They taught the new gentile believers who came to faith in Messiah; to keep from sexual immorality. Your body is like a Torah Scroll, treat it with respect and do not add to it or take away from it. You add to it by allowing things of the world in your life. You take away from it by loosing you virginity outside of marriage. Sex is like a powerful river, beautiful flowing within it’s banks. If the river breaks outside it’s banks, it is an awful, destructive power that an destroy your life. Keep your river inside its banks and let it flow within the boundaries of marriage.


b) Live a set apart life

The second thing mentioned in Acts is not to be polluted by idols. An Idol is something in your life that elevates you to a position of divinity. This means that this idol will make you stand out above the others and you will be exalted above them. Keep away from such things and never try to be exalted above others. Be humble and always seek the advantage of another. Do not try to look like Egypt. Egypt means bondage and if you allow peer pressure, conforming to the world, you will have no light to shine. You will look no different from those in the world. Be set apart, look set apart and shine your light by being different, attracting people that are looking for the light. Being humble is one of the key points in being different and attracting people to YHVH.


c) Meditate on His Word

The third thing mentioned in Acts is not to eat meat of animals strangled and to abstain from meat with blood in it. This refers to the kosher guidelines described in Lev. a Clean animal is defined by chewing the cud. Since we are His sheep, grazing on the pastures He leads us to, we must only eat what He gives us to eat (His Word - green grass). To chew the cud is to chew the grass, swallow it and then later, bring it back into your mouth, and chew on it again. In the same way, when we read or hear His Word, we must bring this Word back into our minds, to ponder and think on it again. This is what Y’shua meant when He said to consider the lilies. Go to the lily pond, sit there and meditate on what you see. Try to see YHVH’s character, motives, goodness and creative awesomeness in everything. Think on His Word and try to see YHVH’s character therein. If you chew the cud, you are a “clean animal” before Him. When you chew on His Word, over and over again, His Word will cleanse you and make you clean and you will live a clean life.

Conclusion

Always be open to YHVH’s Word, to follow His instruction and to seek His will. Then your life will be full of blessings and joy and you will be satisfied in walking in the way He prepared for you. Be always teachable and never think that you know it all. Keep things out of your life that cause division between you and Him. Humble yourself because water flows to the lowest point. Don’t be conformed to this world, but let your light of set apartness shine and bring many into His light.

Prayer

May YHVH bless you and keep you, may He shines His face upon you, and give you peace. May He help you on your journey and may you learn to walk in His ways. May your life be a sweet smell offered up to Him and may His blessings rain upon you forever. Amen.


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