Thirteen years is the age at which the Jewish male becomes bar mitzvah
("son of commandment"). At this point in his life, his mind attains the state of
daat--the maturity of awareness and understanding that makes a person
responsible for his actions. From this point on he is a "man," bound by the
divine commandments of the Torah, individually responsible to G-d to fulfill his
mission in life.
The age of daat is derived from Genesis 34:25, in the Torah’s account
of the destruction of the city of Shechem by Shimon and Levi in retaliation for
the rape of Dinah. The verse reads: "On the third day... Jacob's two sons, Shimon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each man took his sword, and confidently
attacked the city..." The term "man" (ish) is used to refer to both
brothers, the younger of whom, Levi, was exactly thirteen years old at the
time.1 Thus we
derive that the Torah considers a male of thirteen years to be a "man."2
But the context in which this law is derived is surprising. Shimon and Levi’s
act seems hardly an exemplar of daat; indeed, Jacob denounced their
deed3 as irrational, immature, irresponsible
and of questionable legitimacy under Torah law.4 Yet this is the event that the Torah
chooses to teach us the age of reason, maturity, responsibility and commitment
to the fulfillment of the mitzvot!
The Foundation
As Shimon and Levi replied to Jacob,5 the situation that
prompted their action did not allow them the luxury of rational consideration of
its consequences. The integrity of Israel was at stake, and the brothers of
Dinah could give no thought to their own person--not to the jeopardy of their
physical lives, nor to the jeopardy of their spiritual selves by the violence
and impropriety of their deed. In the end, their instinctive reaction, coming
from the deepest place in their souls--deeper than reason, deeper than all
self-consideration--was validated; G-d condoned their deed and came to their
assistance.6
This is the message that the Torah wishes to convey when establishing the age
of reason and the obligation of mitzvot. Rare is the person who is called upon
to act as did Shimon and Levi. This is not the norm; indeed, the norm forbids
it. But the essence of their deed should permeate our rational lives. Our every
mitzvah should be saturated with the self-sacrifice and depth of commitment that
motivated the brothers of Dinah.7
