Where did the concept of Benei Mitzvá come from? Long before the arrival of the Messiah, the sages of Israel understood the need to educate the new generations, and through the study of Scriptures, they saw that God had provided the perfect resource for this. This pedagogical innovation, Jesus himself deemed correct when it was one of the methods he used to make himself known (Luke 2:41-47). Some read the text and believe it was simply an event the Lord allowed for that purpose, but a phrase in it reveals something more: “Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Verse 49).

It was customary at the time, and remains so among Jews today, that each child should appear before a court and be presented by their father or guardian for evaluation. Of course, Joseph knew he was neither the father nor guardian of that child, so how could he present him to a court? Thus, Jesus would do it by himself, just as he presented himself years later to John the Baptist “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). The father risked being stoned if the court found that the child had been neglected in this area and did not grasp the basic elements of a pious life. Therefore, if the father had been negligent in seeking the synagogue’s help to properly educate his son, lacked adequate preparation, or even been abusive or excessive in demands such that his son rejected learning, he would pay with his life for such a great misfortune for the nation. Thus, Israel as a social community had learned from past history something that repeats itself much today, and sadly is little understood: “Children are the hope of a home, a country, and the entire world.”

You may wonder, given the importance we are discovering before you, why today almost no congregation among believers in the Messiah Jesus speaks of this? Over time and due to the rejection of anything that might seem Jewish, this parental responsibility fell into oblivion in a very subtle way, eventually becoming completely distorted by the 13th century, both in the Western (Catholic) and Eastern (Orthodox) churches. The Catholic Church created First Communion and at the Council of Lyon decided that only minors who reached the “age of discretion” (12-14 years) could receive the sacraments for the first time (Holy Communion or Eucharist). If they had already been baptized, they were also allowed to make “penance” or “confession.” In the case of the Orthodox Church, this is “permitted” to children from birth. Catholic religiosity, primarily, prompted a rejection of all ritualism among reformers (16th century), including the so-called First Communion. The mistake was that instead of seeking biblical foundations to reform this area of ​​child education, it was simply dismissed.

The subsequent crisis in reformed churches regarding children led to the creation of Sunday schools, Bible schools, etc., but never returned to what had historically been learned from God and accepted by the Messiah himself: the educational event called Benei Mitzvá. Due to this distortion, this event was transformed among Hispanics under the name of the “Quinceañera” tradition, but without the slightest values or characteristics to allow parents to cultivate spirituality in their children.

Today, the challenge is posed to all of Christianity: continue practicing human traditions, which have shown little results, or incorporate the resources we have learned from God. Does this mean that life and its cultural traditions should be radically changed? No! But it does mean finding a balance and tilting the scale towards divine recommendations that have not been fulfilled until now.

Author: Dr. Liber Aguiar