Age or Stage

6. AGE OR STAGE?

The explanation:

The nature of vows uttered during “the twelfth year for a female minor and the thirteenth year for a male minor” — where “If they know for Whose sake they took the vow... their vows are binding” — can be understood in two ways:

• The novelty lies in their age: When it comes to vows, we don’t need to wait until the age of maturity (thirteen years and one day). Instead, even a minor who is twelve years and one day old can make a binding vow. The reason he must still be examined — “If they know for Whose sake they took the vow” — is simply to remove a possible impediment: Since the rule is that “If they do not know, their vows and their statements are of no consequence” — and he is still a minor — we must ensure that he is not lacking in knowledge.
• The novelty lies in their knowledge: When it comes to vows, a lesser level of knowledge is sufficient. The requirement that one must be at least twelve years and one day old is merely an indicator. This age serves as a sign that he has reached the age where it’s possible to have enough knowledge to utter a vow properly (as opposed to before this age, when even rudimentary knowledge is absent).