My Daugher's Bat Mitzvah

by Mrs. Lori Palatnik

What I do on my child's special birthday.

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Published: October 10, 2010

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Visitor Comments: 18

(18) Anonymous, May 3, 2012 4:01 AM

Thank you. I was just about to give up and go to sleep. My daughter's Bat Mitzvah is tonight/tomorrow and...well....now I know what I'm going to do!!! Thanks for bringing so much meaning into my/our lives!!!

(17) Anonymous, January 20, 2011 4:13 AM

i agree

on the day of my daughters bat mitzva b4 her party i took her out to school to bake challas

(16) Anonymous, October 19, 2010 4:38 AM

Thank you for your inspiration

Dear Mrs. Palatnik, Your video about your daughter Malky's bas mitzvah brought tears to my eyes. Not surprising because your book, Friday Night and Beyond, was a major link on my journey to become frum. I referred to the book many times and dreamed of creating a home dedicated to serving Hashem (esp on Shabbos)... Today, 14 years later, I am living that dream with my own family in a wonderful frum community in NJ. Thank you for having such a positive, meaningful and direct impact on my life! May you continue to share your gift with all the (soon to be frum and already frum) Yidden in the world. PS I will take your advice to heart when my daughters (one named Malky) become bas mitzvah. Mazel Tov! -DL

(15) Anonymous, October 17, 2010 9:30 AM

correction

One comment may have been misleading to those who don't know. Lori sd. that when a boy turns 13 that's when he starts to wear tefillin (I paraphrase here). Actually, boys begin with a hanachat tefillin (first laying of tefillin ceremony) a month before their bar mitzva and continue donning tefillin from that day. Boys, or their parents who heard the short video, may not realize that there is a lovely opportunity to take on the mitzva early, so as to be comfortable and prepared at the time of turning 13.

(14) Anonymous, October 15, 2010 7:15 PM

mazel tov! im"y i hope one day to be able to do some of the beautiful things you spoke of on my childrens bar/bat mitzvahs!

(13) Matityahu, October 13, 2010 5:36 AM

Missing the mark

Anonymous #3, I think you missed the mark on Lorie's message. I think that she IS speaking of the mitzot you mention. I think that while previously already teaching children all the miztvot of everyday as part of the learning in growing up (as in Orthodox practice), after this day, these mitzvot do not count to their credit (positive) or debit (negative) previous to this day. So if a child does not do a mitzvah required in the Torah, he/she is not held accountable. After bar mitzvah, he/she is. Lorie is taking the positive view of this, saying that now that he/she gets credit, why not to all he/she can on this day to get as much "credit" as he/she can by doing as many mitzvot as possible. After all, this should be the view of an adult Orthodox Jew anyway, no?

(12) Meira Lerman, October 13, 2010 1:58 AM

Mazal Tov! Have a lot of Simhah in a head!

(11) billy k, October 13, 2010 1:22 AM

Thanks for sharing Lori Palatnik

Dear Lori, Your little monologues are BEAUTIFUL. I loved the one about your Daughter's Bat-Mitzvah, and even though I am not technically Jewish, I try to keep Shabbat and observe the Festivals with my brothers. Please drop me a note some time if you like billy k (Rom828)

(10) Vicki Charles Lopow, October 13, 2010 1:08 AM

Mazal Tov

Yasher Koach and Mazal Tov to you, your daughter and family from Down Under. You should know you're a regular visitor to our home.

(9) Maria, October 12, 2010 7:23 PM

Bat mitzvah

No. I beg to differ from you, Lori. This won't be the last bat or bar mitzvah in the Palatnik family. Many more are yet to come, I'm sure. That is the lot of the just. May Hashem bless you, and may you see the grand children of your children! Mazal Tov!

(8) Jack Shattuck, October 12, 2010 6:36 PM

Mazel Tov for Daughter's bar mitzvah

Hatzlachah to you, the Rabbi, and your daughter!

(7) linda levin, October 12, 2010 4:22 PM

Mazel Tove on your daughters Bat Mitzvah! Linda & Ken Levin Englewood, Co.

(6) Miryam, October 12, 2010 4:20 PM

Mazal tov Lori!

Another gem from Lori Almost Live!

(5) Amy Mager, October 12, 2010 3:42 PM

Pls fix title on youtube piece - daughter is missing the t

Thank you - pls fix the spelling of daughter on youtube - it is missing a t . THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORDS

(4) Anonymous, October 11, 2010 9:05 PM

Celebrating Bas Mitzvah

That is how each of my daughters celebrated their bat mitzvah. TOn the day of their birthday each daughter invited a few friends over and had a small "birthday" party. The focus of the party was that each daughter baked challah with enough flour to make the brocha.

(3) Anonymous, October 11, 2010 6:17 PM

Don't forget about every-day mitzvot

Thank you for the thought provoking message. But while taking your child out, spending time and doing special mitzvot with them is a great idea - What about the mitzvot they do throughout their every-day schedule (saying brachot, learning torah, being nice to their friends...)? We don't want to give the message that only the "big" and "different" mitzot count. Now that they are personaly responsible (bar/bat mitzvah) those commandments count even more. I wish I had practical ideas of ways to celebrate these "regular" mitzvot on their special day. Mazal Tov to Malki - and thank you Mrs. Palatnik for always making me think.

(2) Iris Moskovitz, October 11, 2010 4:34 AM

Perfect timing for me to have seen this video.

My older of my two daughters, Mindel Leah is I"YH becoming Bat Mitzvah in about 31/2 months. You have given me some really terrific ideas. May the entire Palatnik family shep much nachas from your Bat Mitzvah Malki. Mazel Tov

(1) mamzerhakodesh, October 10, 2010 3:25 PM

Kudos, Lori!

Pretty cool. Very true.

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About the Author

Mrs. Lori Palatnik

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Lori Palatnik is a writer and Jewish educator who has appeared on television and radio, and is the author of "Friday Night and Beyond: The Shabbat Experience Step-By-Step," "Remember My Soul - What to do in Memory of a Loved One," and co-author of "Gossip: 10 Pathways to Eliminate It From Your Life and Transform Your Soul." She is a much sought-after international speaker, having lectured in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Central America, South America, South Africa and Israel, including featured talks at Yale, Brown and Penn. She lives in the Washington D.C. area, with her husband, Rabbi Yaakov Palatnik. Lori is the Founder of The Jewish Women's Renaissance Project, an international initiative that brings over 1,000 women to Israel each year from ten different countries on highly subsidized programs to inspire them with the beauty and wisdom of their heritage. She is the busy mother of five children, ages 24 to 14; and her son, Zev, just finished serving as a sharpshooter in the IDF. Her weekly video blog, "Lori Almost Live" is a popular feature on aish.com, viewed by over 50,000 people each month.

Follow Lori on Twitter, @LoriAlmostLive

My Daugher's Bat Mitzvah

What I do on my child's special birthday.

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