Plural of mitzvah; Jewish commandments or good deeds, especially the coming-of-age ceremony for a young person (bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah).
From Hebrew 'mitzvah' (commandment), from the root 'tzavah' (to command). The word entered English from Yiddish and Hebrew, especially in American English in the 20th century.
Bar and bat mitzvah literally mean 'son/daughter of the commandment'—it's when a young person becomes responsible for following Jewish law! The phrase shows that in Hebrew, responsibility itself is expressed as being 'of' or 'with' the law.
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