Halacha2goThe one minute halacha

A tenth man is needed for a minyan. There is a child present, but we don’t know whether he is already Bar Mitzvah, thirteen, and therefore eligible to be counted as part of the minyan. If the boy’s father says that his son is Bar Mitzvah, we can certainly believe him; however, if someone other than the boy’s father says that he is thirteen, there is a machlokes haposkim (a difference of opinion among rabbinic authorities) whether we may take his word. The common custom is to rely on others besides the father, as well as on the boy himself if he says that he is already Bar Mitzvah. Poskim question the custom of trusting the boy himself. There are a number of justifications for this practice, including the fact that the child would be afraid to lie because this is a milsa d’avida l’igluya (a fact that will eventually become known). However, we should only trust a child who is meyushav bedato (a settled, calm child), if he is stating his age with certainty, and who is a yerei Shamayim (G-d-fearing), and can therefore be trusted not to say something that isn’t true.