Jewish law in the context of "Bar mitzvah"

Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its ethical aspects to its ceremonial ones, and belief in a continuous revelation which is closely intertwined with human reason and not limited to the theophany at Mount Sinai. A liberal strand of Judaism, it is characterized by little stress on ritual and personal observance, regarding Jewish law as non-binding and the individual Jew as autonomous, and by a great openness to external influences and progressive values.

The origins of Reform Judaism lie in mid-19th-century Germany, where Rabbi Abraham Geiger and his associates formulated its basic principles, attempting to harmonize Jewish tradition with modern sensibilities in the age of emancipation. Understanding Jewish tradition in terms of historical-critical methods and modern philosophy, seeing it as constantly evolving, the early Reform movement sanctioned a conscious adaptation of religious life and the ommission of observances and beliefs considered irrelevant or superstitious. In the public sphere it removed parts of the liturgy pertaining to concepts discarded by it, like bodily resurrection of the dead or the restoration of the sacrifical cult in Jerusalem, and translated much of the prayer from Hebrew to the vernacular German. In the private sphere it condoned and legitimized the widespread abandonment of personal observance of dietary, Sabbath and other ritual laws. European Reform was often conservative, having to co-exist with traditionalist elements within long-established communities. Brought to America by German-born rabbis, the denomination gained prominence in the United States, flourishing from the 1860s to the 1930s in an era known as "Classical Reform". In the American setting, Reform Judaism was free to exercise its ideas without restriction, adopting a universalist approach with little place for Jewish particularism and disposing of most traditional practice. Almost all of the liturgy was in English, converts and male babies were not required to undergo circumcision, and many congregations celebreated the Sabbath also on Sunday. The arrival in America of numerous Eastern European Jewish immigrants, who were generally traditional, led to a renewed interest in observance and collective identity, officially enshrined by the 1937 Columbus platform. Since the 1970s, the movement has adopted a policy of inclusiveness and acceptance, inviting as many as possible to partake in its communities rather than adhering to strict theoretical clarity, becoming extremely diverse. It is strongly identified with progressive and liberal agendas in political and social terms, mainly under the traditional Jewish rubric tikkun olam ("repairing of the world"). Tikkun olam is a central motto of Reform Judaism, and acting in its name is one of the main channels for adherents to express their affiliation. The movement's most significant center is in North America.

The Talmud (/ˈtɑːlmʊd, -məd, ˈtæl-/; Hebrew: תַּלְמוּד‎, romanized: Talmūḏ, 'study' or 'learning') is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and second in authority only to the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), the first five books of which form the Torah. It is a primary source of Jewish law (הֲלָכָה, Halakha) and Jewish theology. It consists of the part of the Oral Torah compiled in the Mishnah and its commentaries, the Gemara. It records the teachings, opinions and disagreements of thousands of rabbis and Torah scholars—collectively referred to as Chazal—on a variety of subjects, including Halakha, Jewish ethics, philosophy, customs, history, and folklore among other topics. Until the Haskalah in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Talmud was the centerpiece of Jewish culture in nearly all communities and foundational to "all Jewish thought and aspirations", serving also as "the guide for the daily life" of Jews.

"Talmud" is used interchangeably with "Gemara". The text is made up of 63 tractates, each covering one subject area. The language of the Talmud is Jewish Babylonian Aramaic. Talmudic tradition emerged and was compiled between the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE and the Arab conquest in the early seventh century. Traditionally, it is thought that the Talmud itself was compiled by Rav Ashi and Ravina II around 500 CE, although it is more likely that this happened in the middle of the sixth century.

A bar mitzvah (masc.) or bat mitzvah (fem.) is a coming of age ritual in Judaism. According to Jewish law, before children reach a certain age, the parents are responsible for their child's actions. Once Jewish children reach that age, they are said to "become" b'nai mitzvah, at which point they begin to be held accountable for their own actions. Traditionally, the father of a bar or bat mitzvah offers thanks to God that he is no longer punished for his child's sins.

In Orthodox communities, boys become bar mitzvah at 13 and girls become bat mitzvah at 12. In most Reform, Reconstructionist, and Conservative communities, the milestone is 13 regardless of gender. After this point, children are also held responsible for knowing Jewish ritual law, tradition, and ethics, and are able to participate in all areas of Jewish community life to the same extent as adults. In some Jewish communities, men's and women's roles differ in certain respects. For example, in Orthodox Judaism, once a boy turns 13, it is permitted to count him for the purpose of determining whether there is a prayer quorum, and he may lead prayer and other religious services in the family and the community.

Rabbinic authority in Judaism relates to the theological and communal authority attributed to rabbis and their pronouncements in matters of Jewish law. The extent of rabbinic authority differs by various Jewish groups and denominations throughout history.

The origins of rabbinic authority in Judaism is understood as originally linked to the High Court of ancient Israel and Judah, known as the Sanhedrin. Scholars understand that the extent of rabbinic authority, historically, would have related to areas of Jewish civil, criminal, and ritual law, while rabbinic positions that relate to non-legal matters, such as Jewish philosophy would have been viewed as non-binding.

Zmanim (Hebrew: זְמַנִּים, literally means "times", singular zman) are specific times of the day mentioned in Jewish law.

These times appear in various contexts: Shabbat and Jewish holidays begin and end at specific times in the evening, while some rituals must be performed during the day or the night, or during specific hours of the day or night.