Under strict talmudic interpretation, would this boy be eligible for bar mitzvah?
Answer Hi Jeff This is a very interesting question and most people are probably unaware of the issue altogether. Bar Mitzvah marks the transition of a boy into manhood. Once he is considered a man, the youngster becomes obligated to observe all Torah laws. He can also be counted for a minyan and can represent the community in religious services (like leading the prayers, reading from the Torah or blowing the shofar). A boy becomes bar mitzvah when he turns thirteen, regardless of whether or not he has a bar mitzvah “ceremony”. As you know, just about every bar mitzvah boy has a formal ceremony where he is called to read from the Torah. Usually, he reads the final segment of the weekly Torah portion, which is called the maftir. By rights, a boy who is a few months shy of bar mitzvah age could read the maftir too, because it is essentially a repeat of a section that has already been read. So, if the boy is thirteen, but has not reached puberty, he may read his bar mitzvah portion. The ba
