Tuesday, December 30, 2008

What did you get for your bar mitzvah?

Seriously, what did you get for your bar/bat mitzvah? Was it something you were always dreaming about or it was something you just had to get at this age, like Tefilin? I.e. Tefilin is a great present, but most ffb kids get it at the age of 13 de facto.

Since I just started this blog and it is personal blog with no topic I'll tell you little bit more about myself.

I personally got my Bris Mila for my bar mitzvah. This was my personal will and no one pushed me or even tried to force by explaining again why I need to get it. If I remember it right I was asked if I want and I answered yes, and I was asked if I was sure enough and I said yes again.

Since it we didn't have a mohel in the city I had to wait for couple of month for him to come. During this time I chose my name, unfortunately I did not choose it after anyone, but chose one that I liked.

When the mohel finally came I went and I withing couple of hours I was ready to go... to bed, because of anesthesia. I am sorry for going in details but it didn't hurt that much as people usually say it does, however at that point I wasn't that honest - it was fall and school already started and I used my situation to stay at home for about 5 or 6 weeks!!!

Btw, I've got my first Tefilin just a year later - there was an event in the shul - we've got new books (I think those were Arba Turim) and I was told to come too, but I wasn't aware why I had to come - everyone was saying that it will be surprise. I was too naive and believed that surprise if for everyone, but it came out that surprise was for me - I was presented a Tefilin

Year later I've got a brand new Tefilin, because mine became not kosher (it was old used one) and that is a Tefilin I put on everyday these days.

8 comments:

  1. I got a bunch of gifts from a bunch of people, and my father gave me tefillin that I still wear ;)
    sounds brave to go through with it at 13, I don't know how many people would be that brave if they had it as the mainstream thing to do that way.

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  2. I dunno about mainstream, but there was a man in our shul in russia, who was 65 when he got a chance to do it. And he did.

    I understand that here in US motivation is much lower than in Russia, since here everything is too accessible, but there if you want to be religious you live against everyone and by that you are able to keep your motivation on higher level - you just don't get used to situation.
    I know many people who've got their Bris on seminars in Moscow and many of them were way older than I - 20+, 30+...

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  3. My uncle was 40 when he got his brit milah. he said his whole body hurt.

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  4. Where I grew up in a small Jewish community Bar Mitzva is the only celebration but alas nothing to write home about. Just a few seforim that were sent by post.
    Congrats on your bold steps and may you grow from strength to strength!

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  5. @Shorty
    Well this may differ between different people, mohels and other factors...

    @Rabbi Lars Shalom
    Sorry, did you refer to yourself?

    @Scholar
    Thank you very much for your wishes! Tizku lemitzvos!
    Did you read Torah on your Bar Mitzvah?

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  6. I got a tefillin, word to R' Vashovsky, and a bris. It was local and daaaaamn did those first few injection hurt.

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  7. I think what hurt me back than were those injections. I actually got some more than it's supposed to be since it took mohel sometime to finish things up...

    Do you know anyone who had full anesthesia??

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