[1] " A girl of twelve years and one day and a boy of thirteen years and one day, who has brought two hairs, are considered adults for all the mizvot and must complete [the Yom Kippur] fast by ordinance of the Torah." Shulhan Aruh ("Set Table" Code of Jewish Law) Orah Hayyim, 716:2 [Back]
	[2] Barukh she'petarani mi-onsho shel zeh - Blessed is He who has free me from the punishment due this child. (Genesis Rabbah 63:14) [Back]
	[3] In 15th-century Europe, the custom evolved whereby the synagogue rite of passage was followed by a  se'udat mitzvah (festive meal), where the boy delivered his first talmudic discourse  (derasha) and received gifts which reflect his new status: religious books, phylacteries (tefillin), and in some communities a prayer shawl  (tallit) The medieval community strictly regulated and limited the extent of the festivities and the gifts, and provided for similar celebrations for poor boys at the community's expense. In many circles today, the ceremony is often followed by a lavish dinner-party and gifts tend to be quite lavish. [Back]
	[4] The custom of throwing candies is an eastern Sephardi custom that has become common in Israel in Israel and in North America among Ashkenazi congregations as well as Sephardi ones. [Back]
	[5] "And it shall be a sign to you upon your hand, and for a memorial between your eyes, that the Lord`s Torah may be in your mouth " (Exodus 13:9) "Place these words of Mine upon your heart and upon your soul, bind them for a sign upon your arm and let them be as frontlets between your eyes" (Deut. 11:18) The parchments contain four scriptural passages (Exodus 13:1-10; 13:11-16; Deut. 6:4-9, 11:13-21) which include the injunction to wear  tefillin. [Back]
	[6] In most Ashkenazic communities, it is customary to start wearing the  tallit after the wedding. The tallit is a large rectangular cloth worn during the morning and Musaf prayers to fulfill the  mizvah of  zizit on the four corners. On Yom Kippur, it is worn for the prayer of Kol Nidrei as well as the entire next day. The cantor wears a tallit when he leads the prayers, as well as one who is called up to the Torah. The tallit is wrapped around its owner in burial as well.  Tallitot are made of wool or silk. Some tallitot are decorated on the side covering the head with an  atarah, a gold- or silver-plated strip. Special ceremonial tassels  (zizit) are attached to the four corners of the tallit, in fulfillment of the biblical verse, "They shall be your  zizit, and you shall see them and remember all of God's commandments and obey them, and not stray after your heart and eyes which lead you to lust" (Numbers 15:39). Specific rules and symbolic meanings are associated with the way the zizit are made and knotted. [Back]