Questions relating to children under the age of 13 (for boys) or 12 (for girls). Children of this age are minors with respect to various rules, including the obligation to fulfill mitzvos (God's commands).
17
votes
4answers
330 views
How does one explain God to little kids?
As I understand it, the ability to understand abstract concepts develops gradually in kids and is certainly not all there when they first start having conversations. This comes into play when kids ...
15
votes
2answers
600 views
Apologetics for marriage at 3 years old
Are there contemporary apologetics for the Mishnah (Niddah 44b) that a girl of the age of 3 can be married by sexual relations? (It seems difficult to accept that such a thing is even allowed in ...
14
votes
4answers
583 views
14
votes
3answers
210 views
May a Katan (minor) perform Melachah (“work”) on Shabbath?
In my experience, I've noticed that many people take for granted that if one needs a Melachah to be performed on Shabbath, one may have a minor, especially one under the age of 3, perform what is ...
13
votes
6answers
349 views
Height of a mezuzah and children:
If a child cannot reach the upper third of the doorway and he is the primary occupant of said room, may the mezuzah be affixed lower than the upper third?
12
votes
3answers
225 views
Are parents responsible if their children damage in a store?
If a parent brings a child (defined as under 13 for a boy and under 12 for a girl) into a store, and that child damages an item, is the parent responsible to pay?
Would it matter if the child simply ...
11
votes
8answers
327 views
What is the source for the “Upsheirin”?
In some families/communities, little boys do not get their hair cut until they are three, and then there is a gathering for cutting their hair. The haircut is called an "upsheirin" or "chalakeh."
...
11
votes
1answer
104 views
At what age should we start teaching the distinction between Midrash and Text?
At a very early age children learn the history of the world and the Jews through the enthralling stories found in many varied sources.
They learn that the world was created in six days; that ...
8
votes
3answers
125 views
Proper age to take a child to Shul
What is the proper age for children to begin being taken to Shul?
8
votes
2answers
216 views
Is this site for Children?
A father asked me if this site is appropriate for children considering the fact that oftentimes incorrect answers are being posted. Children are very impressionable and as Chazal tell us, Shabeshtah, ...
8
votes
3answers
93 views
Mitzvot for ketanim?
Are there any mitzvot that kids under bar/bat mitzvah are obligated to keep? (not including for "educational purposes")
8
votes
3answers
223 views
Explaining non-Jewish holidays to children?
How should one explain non-Jewish holidays and churches to young children?
8
votes
1answer
516 views
Blowing bubbles on Shabbos
Is there any halachik problem with blowing bubbles on Shabbos? If so what melacha categories does it fall under? Does the age of the blower matter?
8
votes
1answer
80 views
Does the Levi who washes the hands of the Kohanim have to be over bar mitzvah?
The Leviim wash the hands of the Kohanim when they go up to bless the people. If a Levi is not available a first born (to the mother) can wash (according to the Askenazi custom) instead, Orach Chaim ...
7
votes
5answers
280 views
malacha from child
is one allowed to ask a child to do a malacha of shabbos? does your answer also apply to a non-Jew?
7
votes
1answer
159 views
3 year olds lighting a shabbat candle
When my eldest turned three her male cousin also turned three. Many of her friends and her cousin were getting Tzitzit. She asked for her own. We explained that boys wear TzitTzit and girls light ...
7
votes
2answers
289 views
Is there a good children's parsha book that's focused on pshat, not midrash?
Is there a good children's parsha book that's focused on pshat, not midrash?
Something like a Little Midrash Says, but based on just the psukim (simple verses), not all the medrish?
7
votes
2answers
155 views
Kid with Expensive Muktzeh Item in his Hand on Shabbos
If I have a little child with an Ipod (which is muktzeh) in its hand can I grab the hand and shake it out of its hand into a safe place to prevent the child from breaking it?
7
votes
1answer
892 views
Puzzles on Shabbat
Is it permitted to put together puzzles on Shabbat with children?
Does it matter what kind of puzzle it is (jigsaw vs. fit the piece in the wooden hole)?
Does it matter if there are words on the ...
6
votes
3answers
186 views
How do you vet a day school?
How do you go about investigating whether a particular day school is best for your kids? I am most interested in the behavior and attitude of the students and the professionalism of the teachers and ...
6
votes
1answer
73 views
If a father has to carry his sons aveiros why not his mitzvos?
If a father must carry the sins & punishments of his son (under bar mitzva) as we know he does from the brocha of "Baruch Shepatrani Meonshin shel zeh" does he — and if not, why doesn't he — ...
6
votes
2answers
462 views
What size hex nut will properly fit a standard chanukah candle?
I have many a childhood memory of "helping" to make a chanukiyah out of a block of wood and eight hex nuts glued down to it (often with 2 more stacked in the center for shamash); each hex nut was ...
6
votes
1answer
109 views
Can a Minor Convert Effect Yayin Nesach?
Per the answer to Are children adopted by Jews Jewish? a child that is adopted by Jewish parents when they reach adulthood (13/12) are given the choice of remaining Jewish.
If I know of a child that ...
6
votes
1answer
311 views
Can too many decorations render a sukkah invalid?
I've seen some sukkahs (especially ones where they've had big "make sukkah decorations" kids' projects) where there are tons and tons and tons of decorations hanging down from the schach. At what ...
6
votes
1answer
53 views
Why can't a minor's rights to eat while harvesting crops be waived?
The Torah grants workers who are harvesting a field to consume some of it while on the job.
The Mishna in Bava Metzia (7:6) points out that a worker can waive his Biblically-granted rights, and make ...
6
votes
0answers
88 views
Father being Matir Neder for himself: does it affect the family?
If a father is Matir Neder on a minhag (gebroktz, let's say) for himself for a valid reason, does that include his whole family? Are they now also permitted to eat gebroktz because that is now the ...
5
votes
2answers
114 views
Is it permitted to have a boy under barmitzvah age sing Anim Zemiros?
Is it permitted to have a boy under barmitzvah age sing the Shir Hakavod (or Anim Zemiros)? Why is it not like any other part of davenning where we use someone over barmitzvah?
5
votes
1answer
182 views
Can a 9 year old do Yibbum?
Back then was a 9 year old and 1 day boy allowed to do yebam to his dead brothers wife?
5
votes
4answers
177 views
Why does there seem to be different standards for future sinners?
In Bereshit (21:17) Rashi tells us that the Angels wanted G-d to kill Yishmael, but G-d said that He wouldn't judge him according to his future deeds, but rather according to his present state:
In ...
5
votes
1answer
72 views
Minor tying tzitzis
Some poskim say that a minor may tie tzitzis even for an adult (see Artzos HaChayim cited by Mishnah Berurah 14:4), as long as he is being supervised by an adult (gadol omed al gabav). Does this mean ...
5
votes
1answer
56 views
Does a child tear Kriyah at the Kosel?
Does a kid under Bar/Bas Mitzva have to tear Kriya when they go to the Kosel?
5
votes
1answer
145 views
tying tzitzis together on Simchas Tora
When I was a child in the 1980s, something the boys in my synagogue did on Simchas Tora was tie one person's talis to another, or sometimes to furniture. (Now that I'm older and in a different ...
5
votes
3answers
170 views
Giving milk and meat to a baby
We have a one-year-old, BH. Is it OK to give him milk and then meat and vice versa without waiting in between?
5
votes
1answer
59 views
Can one stand a child in an aron kodesh in order for the child to kiss the sifrei torah?
Can you place (stand) a 2 year old child on a shelf in an Aron Kodesh which is on the same level as the Sifrei Torah in order for the child to look at and kiss the Sifrei Torah?
5
votes
2answers
174 views
Start of the Upsherin ceremony
When did it become popular to have a ceremony for a boys Upsherin, his first haircut when he reaches the age of three?
5
votes
1answer
104 views
Passing an infant across a table
Is there a minhag that one should not pass a child over a table to another person to hold? In my family we would pass a child from person to person all the way around the table, but nobody could ever ...
5
votes
1answer
99 views
Is a child born to a kidnapper also considered kidnapped?
According to Torah law if a man kidnaps a woman and has a child with her is that child now considered kidnapped as well? The question being has the man now violated the prohibition of kidnapping ...
5
votes
2answers
184 views
Why is age 3 the age at which a girl is able to have intercourse?
In msh210's answer to this question of mine, he stated that:
women...who physically could be [intimate with men], which is those who had reached their third birthday.
In comments, he mentioned ...
5
votes
0answers
49 views
How does a recent bar mitzva “complete the weekly portion with the community”
When a person becomes bar mitva during the year, 98% of the time the community has already read 1 or even 50 weekly portions.
Does the bar mitzva need to make up those portions?
Would it matter if ...
4
votes
4answers
301 views
Why is the foreskin removed?
Why is the foreskin removed? God gave it men, did God also tell them to have it removed?
4
votes
2answers
176 views
arachin: dependance on age and sex
Why is the erech (Vayikra 27:1–8) of a woman less than that of a man? And why does erech depend on age? Sources, please.
4
votes
1answer
76 views
Midrash on children and the letter shapes?
I've heard about a midrash that discusses a day when little children took over the study hall and, by interpreting the shapes of the Hebrew letters, articulated many of Judaism's most powerful ...
4
votes
2answers
79 views
Selling Chometz to a young gentile
May the sell of chometz be done with a young gentile that in Judaism would be considered a "katan" in terms of halacha and therefore perhaps wouldn't be able to have his buying and selling be "valid" ...
4
votes
2answers
116 views
Why not focus on halacha in elementary education?
From the Mishna B'rura's introduction to the rules of Shabas:
…But by what means can we arrive at this level: that one keeps Shabas in all its details? The advice on this is that one urge himself ...
4
votes
1answer
57 views
Starting the Seder quickly
It says in SA OC Siman 472 that one should hurry to start the Seder in order that the children shouldn't fall asleep. If the person doesn't have any children is there still a reason to hurry to start ...
4
votes
1answer
57 views
May a child make a Berachah on a Pasul set of 4 species?
May a child make a Berachah on a Pasul set of 4 species that their parents gave them to learn how to make the Berachah and do the Mitzvah?
4
votes
1answer
85 views
Source in Tosafos for playing ball on Yom Tov
I know there is a Tosafos in Beitza 12a that discusses playing ball on Yom Tov, but I remember learning another Tosafos which said something like "for children under nine it would be permitted on ...
4
votes
1answer
42 views
Child Lighting Menorah in Shul
May a Child light the Menorah in Shul being that it is not the real lighting?
4
votes
1answer
133 views
Should one say amen to an unnecessary bracha made by a child on the autism spectrum?
If a very verbal (often too verbal) 12 year old child on the autism spectrum has trouble speaking appropriately and particularly likes to say a bracha when he wants to and not necessarily when it's ...
4
votes
0answers
66 views
an adult's responding to a child's sneeze with a blessing, or vice versa
The halacha states (Mishnah Brurah 230: 7) that one should respond to a sneeze with a blessing and the person who sneezed and was blessed should return with a blessing in kind. this is not done if you ...
