Berakhot 47b
ברכות מ״ז ב — ד"ה נָשִׁים וַעֲבָדִים וּקְטַנִּים אֵין מְזַמְּנִין עֲלֵיהֶן
Berakhot 47b:13
Discusses the participation of a minor in zimun and records the relevant tannaitic and amoraic positions. This is a primary Talmudic analogue for whether a child can have a formal role in a mitzvah gathering.
נָשִׁים וַעֲבָדִים וּקְטַנִּים אֵין מְזַמְּנִין עֲלֵיהֶן. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי: קָטָן הַמּוּטָּל בַּעֲרִיסָה מְזַמְּנִין עָלָיו. הוּא דְּאָמַר כְּרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי. דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָמְרוּ קָטָן הַמּוּטָּל בַּעֲרִיסָה אֵין מְזַמְּנִין עָלָיו, אֲבָל עוֹשִׂין אוֹתוֹ סְנִיף לַעֲשָׂרָה. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: קָטָן פּוֹרֵחַ — מְזַמְּנִין עָלָיו. תַּנְיָא נָמֵי הָכִי: קָטָן שֶׁהֵבִיא שְׁתֵּי שְׂעָרוֹת — מְזַמְּנִין עָלָיו, וְשֶׁלֹּא הֵבִיא שְׁתֵּי שְׂעָרוֹת — אֵין מְזַמְּנִין עָלָיו, וְאֵין מְדַקְדְּקִין בְּקָטָן. הָא גוּפָא קַשְׁיָא, אָמְרַתְּ: הֵבִיא שְׁתֵּי שְׂעָרוֹת — אִין, לָא הֵבִיא — לָא. וַהֲדַר תָּנֵי אֵין מְדַקְדְּקִין בְּקָטָן. לְאֵתוּיֵי מַאי? לָאו
We also learned in the mishna that women, slaves, and minors are not included in a zimmun. Rabbi Yosei said: A minor lying in a cradle is included in a zimmun. The Gemara responds: Rabbi Yosei stated his opinion in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, as Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Although a minor lying in a cradle is not included in a zimmun, one may make him an adjunct to complete an assembly of ten people, enabling them to invoke God’s name in a zimmun. With regard to a minor’s inclusion in a zimmun, Rabbi Yoḥanan said: A mature minor, i.e., one who is still a minor in terms of age, but is displaying signs of puberty, is included in a zimmun. That opinion was also taught in a baraita: A minor who grew two pubic hairs, a sign of puberty, is included in a zimmun; and one who did not grow two hairs is not included in a zimmun. And one is not exacting with regard to a minor. The Gemara comments: This baraita itself is difficult. You said that a minor who grew two hairs, yes, he is included, one who did not grow two hairs, no, he is not included, and then it taught that one is not exacting with regard to a minor. What does this last clause come to include? Is it not


