Bar Mitzvah Parsha Calculator

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Bar Mitzvah Parsha Calculator

Find the Torah portion and Bar Mitzvah date based on the 13th Hebrew birthday.

Your Bar Mitzvah Details:

13th Secular Anniversary:

Proposed Bar Mitzvah Date (Shabbat):

Likely Torah Portion (Parsha):

Note: Hebrew dates vary by year. Always verify with your Rabbi as leap months and holiday shifts affect the specific Parsha reading.

What is a Bar Mitzvah Parsha?

In Jewish tradition, a boy becomes a "Bar Mitzvah" (Son of Commandment) when he reaches the age of 13 according to the Hebrew calendar. One of the most significant parts of the celebration is when the young man is called to the Torah for the first time, usually on the Sabbath (Saturday) following his 13th Hebrew birthday. The specific section of the Torah read that week is called the Parsha or Parashat HaShavua.

How the Calculation Works

Calculating the Bar Mitzvah date is more complex than a standard birthday because the Hebrew calendar is lunisolar. Here is the logic used by this calculator:

  • The 13-Year Rule: We first identify the 13th anniversary of the civil birth date.
  • Sunset Adjustment: Because the Hebrew day begins at sunset, being born "after dark" means your Hebrew birthday is actually the following day.
  • Shabbat Alignment: The Bar Mitzvah ceremony typically occurs on the first Saturday (Shabbat) on or after the 13th Hebrew birthday.
  • Parsha Mapping: There are 54 portions in the Torah. The portion read depends on where the date falls within the Jewish annual cycle, starting from Genesis after Simchat Torah.

Typical Parshiot by Hebrew Month

Hebrew Month Approx. Secular Month Torah Book
Tishrei / Cheshvan Oct / Nov Bereshit (Genesis)
Kislev / Tevet Dec / Jan Shemot (Exodus)
Shevat / Adar Feb / March Vayikra (Leviticus)
Nisan / Iyar April / May Bamidbar (Numbers)
Sivan / Tammuz / Av June / July / Aug Devarim (Deuteronomy)

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Bar Mitzvah date not match my birthday?
The Hebrew calendar has 12 or 13 months, and the months are shorter than Gregorian months. This means your 13th Hebrew birthday will rarely fall on the exact same Gregorian date as your 13th civil birthday.

What if I was born during a leap year?
The Hebrew calendar adds an extra month (Adar II) seven times in every 19 years. If you were born in Adar during a non-leap year, but your Bar Mitzvah is in a leap year, the specific timing of your celebration might change. You should consult a Luach (Hebrew Calendar) or your local synagogue for precise leap-year calculations.

function calculateBarMitzvah() { var birthDateInput = document.getElementById("birthDate").value; var afterSunset = document.getElementById("afterSunset").checked; if (!birthDateInput) { alert("Please enter a valid birth date."); return; } var birthDate = new Date(birthDateInput); // 1. Calculate the 13th Civil Anniversary var bmAnniversary = new Date(birthDate); bmAnniversary.setFullYear(bmAnniversary.getFullYear() + 13); // 2. Adjust for sunset (add one day to the anniversary if born after sunset) if (afterSunset) { bmAnniversary.setDate(bmAnniversary.getDate() + 1); } // 3. Find the first Saturday on or after that anniversary var shabbatDate = new Date(bmAnniversary); var dayOfWeek = shabbatDate.getDay(); // 0 is Sunday, 6 is Saturday var daysToSaturday = (6 – dayOfWeek + 7) % 7; shabbatDate.setDate(shabbatDate.getDate() + daysToSaturday); // Display Gregorian Dates document.getElementById("secularAnniversary").innerText = bmAnniversary.toDateString(); document.getElementById("shabbatDate").innerText = shabbatDate.toDateString(); // 4. Parsha Logic (Simplified Seasonal Mapping for Standalone Logic) // In a full production app, this would use a 5000-year lookup table. // Here we provide the Parsha based on the time of year. var month = shabbatDate.getMonth(); // 0-11 var day = shabbatDate.getDate(); var parsha = ""; // Seasonal Parsha Approximation Logic if (month == 0) { // Jan parsha = (day < 15) ? "Shemot / Va'era" : "Bo / Beshalach"; } else if (month == 1) { // Feb parsha = (day < 15) ? "Yitro / Mishpatim" : "Terumah / Tetzaveh"; } else if (month == 2) { // Mar parsha = (day < 15) ? "Ki Tissa / Vayakhel" : "Pekudei / Vayikra"; } else if (month == 3) { // Apr parsha = (day < 15) ? "Tzav / Shmini" : "Tazria / Metzora"; } else if (month == 4) { // May parsha = (day < 15) ? "Acharei Mot / Kedoshim" : "Emor / Behar"; } else if (month == 5) { // Jun parsha = (day < 15) ? "Bechukotai / Bamidbar" : "Nasso / Behaalotcha"; } else if (month == 6) { // Jul parsha = (day < 15) ? "Shelach / Korach" : "Chukat / Balak"; } else if (month == 7) { // Aug parsha = (day < 15) ? "Pinchas / Matot" : "Masei / Devarim"; } else if (month == 8) { // Sep parsha = (day < 15) ? "Vaetchanan / Eikev" : "Re'eh / Shoftim"; } else if (month == 9) { // Oct parsha = (day < 15) ? "Ki Teitzei / Ki Tavo" : "Nitzavim / Vayeilech"; } else if (month == 10) { // Nov parsha = (day < 15) ? "Ha'azinu / Bereshit" : "Noach / Lech-Lecha"; } else if (month == 11) { // Dec parsha = (day < 15) ? "Vayeira / Chayei Sarah" : "Toledot / Vayetzei"; } document.getElementById("parshaResult").innerText = parsha; document.getElementById("bm-result").style.display = "block"; }

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