Mazel tov, its a BOY! The Jewish law is for the baby boy to be circumcised. We will cover the how, what, why and where in this article. Circumcision is a ceremony that must take place on the eighth day. If the baby is sick on that day, it becomes the doctors option.
The rite of circumcision welcomes the male child into the covenant of Abraham and Isaac. This practice is over 4,000 years old and has become so ancient and so ingrained that until recently, it would have been unthinkable not to perform a bris.
Photo: Gomco Clamp
What Is A Bris?
A bris ceremony has two parts: the actual circumcision, and the naming. A rabbi joins the parents and close friends along with a specially trained person known as a ‘model’.
The first part involves the mohel. Before doing this ceremony, a sterile gauze pad is dipped in alcohol and put in the child’s mouth to suck to reduces any feeling of pain. Then the mohel puts a clamp over the tip of the penis and draws up the skin then uses the izmel, a ‘knife’ which is a metal blade – a cutting instrument – to remove the skin.
The second part of the ceremony involves the rabbi who gives the blessing, and gives the child his Hebrew name. This is usually an emotional part of the ceremony since it involves the naming of the child. The tradition of European Jews – the Ashkenazic people – has been to name the child after a deceased close relative or friend. They believe that this symbolizes a way to pass along our traditional names. Sephardic Jews often name the child after a living person.
Magen Clamp
During the naming ceremony, seven honors are given to close family members and friends, who must be Jewish, by the parents of the male child. The first one, the ‘kvatterin’, goes to the godmother who receives the child from the mother and then passes the child to the godfather, ‘kvatter’. The godfather then puts the baby on the chair of Elijah, ‘kisei shel eliyahu’. The child is then given to the father imikisei l’yad ha-aav’. Then the father gives the baby to the person who is to hold the baby during the bris, ‘Sandek’. After the bris, the sixth person who gets the baby for the blessing and the naming is ‘Omed Al Harocho’. Lastly the baby who is probably crying aloud is given to the seventh person who says the blessing.
Some History
The Jewish rite of brit milah, ‘covenant of circumcision’ as it is said in Genesis and translated in the Art Scroll series Tanach “This is My covenant which you shall keep between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and that shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. At the age of eight days every male among you shall be circumcised, throughout your generations -0 he that is born in the household or purchased with money shall surely be circumcised. Thus, My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. An uncircumcised male who will not circumcise the flesh of his foreskin – that should shall be cut off from its people; he has invalidated My covenant.”
Abraham was circumcised when he was 99 years old. While recuperating, on the third day, he was in great pain, yet even being very old and in pain. Abraham lifted his eyes and saw three men. He did not realize it, but they were really angels. Abraham ran toward them. He only offered them a little bread and water, but he gave them a meal fit for a king. Afterwards, an angel spoke to Abraham. He told them that by next year, he and Sarah will become pregnant and have a baby boy. He was circumcised on the eighth day of his life and he was taught to circumcise his sons on the eighth day of their lives and “we continue to do this dor l’dor, from generation to generation, … and this is why we are here: to continue this contract with your son…”
Most circumcisions use either of the two following methods – the ‘Magen cramp’ which involves pulling the foreskin through the opening then cutting the skin. The other, called a ‘Gomco clamp’, involves putting a thimble-like device over the tip of the penis, drawing up the skin around the thimble, then removing the skin.
What If…
If the child is sick, the usual 8th day tradition can be rescheduled.
It is considered a major honor if the child is born on try Sabbath. If the child, however, is not delivered through natural methods i.e. cesarean section on the Sabbath, the bris ceremony can not take place until the following day. When a method that is not considered natural is selected, there is control over when it can take place so for a “nonnatural” method to take place on the Sabbath is not considered appropriate.
Males wanting to convert to Judaism have to be circumcised as part of their conversion ceremony.
Opposition?
Generally circumcision is not controversial although there are some people who oppose circumcision because they think it is a traumatic experience for the child. They think circumcision should be abolished on the grounds that it was antiquated and barbaric. Most medical authorities, however, disagree stating that millions of Jews and non-Jews have been circumcised without any ill effect.
Finding A Mohel
Before the baby is born, the parents may want to ask their friends and local Rabbi for suggestions, even if the parents do not know whether the child will be a male.
The mohel is a person who has received specialized training in the medical and ritual aspects of the bris. Jewish law specifies that one should choose a mohel who is noted not only for his technical skills but also for his reputation. Your local rabbi will usually be able to refer you to a mohel.
