[Avodah] Does Bat Mitsva girl continue counting during Sefira

[Aryeh Frimer via Avodah]

            As you know, the question of whether a Bar Mitsva boy continues counting Sefira is the topic of much discussion and Bar Mitzva derashot. Sefardi Poskim tend to assur, Ashkenazi tend to be lenient.  But one of the major arguments in favor of a BAR mitsva boy continuing to count is that before Bar Mitzvah he was rabbinically obligated (mi-derabanan) because of Hinnukh.
I was recently asked about what to advise a BAT Mitsva girl who has been carefully counting every night - under the same conditions.  It would seem that in contradistinction to a minor male, there is no obligation of hinnukh on minor females to count sefira.  Indeed, a parent has no obligation of hinnukh on mitsvot that will not be obligatory when the child becomes an adult. Hence, a parent need not train his daughter in mitsvot aseh she-haZeman gramman.  See R. Yehoshua Neuwirth, The Halachoth of Educating Children, Jerusalem: Feldheim, 1999) Dinim Kelaliyyim, parag. 2, p. 2;  R. Barukh Rakovsky, ha-Katan ve-Hilkhotav, I, ch. 2, no. 7.
            So I think that - even according to the lenient Ashkenazic sources - it would be assur [berakha le-vatala] for a Bat Mitsva Girl to count with a Berakha after her Bat Mitsva.  But she should definitely continue counting (without a Berakha) because counting is the ikkar mitsva - not the berakha.
            If someone has sources or solid grounds to be meikeil - I'd be happy and thankful to hear them.
                        Kol Tuv
                                    Aryeh
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Prof. Aryeh A. Frimer
Chemistry Dept., Bar-Ilan University
Ramat Gan 5290002, ISRAEL
E-mail (office): Aryeh.Frimer at biu.ac.il<mailto:Aryeh.Frimer at biu.ac.il>

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