Bris on Shabbos

Question

Motivated by the Muktzeh review going on( at least it seems to be what simcha man is doing) at this site. What is allowed and or minhagim of a bris on Shabbos what the status of the Knife mukteh or not and what to do after the cutting the foreskin is it Muktzah and such can you carry the baby and where do we find sources for it?

Answer 1

The main sources for the halachos of a bris on Shabbos are:

• ch. 19 of Masechta Shabbos
• Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 331 and Yoreh De'ah 266

The knife: in Y.D. 266:2 Rema says that the mohel may carry it (within an area where one is allowed to carry on Shabbos) and put it away safely, since it wasn't muktzeh at the beginning of Shabbos.

The foreskin: in Y.D. 265:10 the Mechaber writes that it is placed into dirt, "and if it is Shabbos, this must be prepared the day before." So the implication is that it can indeed be handled for this purpose after the milah.

The baby: you can't carry him in a place where there is no eruv (O.C. 331:6, Y.D. 266:2 - actually, in both places it's talking about bringing the knife to the baby, but the same principle applies in reverse). In some cases it seems that you'd be allowed to ask a non-Jew to carry the knife (or the baby), but that's a question for a rav to decide.

Answer 2

The Yad Shel Shlomo Beitzah 3.16 holds that a Milah knife is not Muktza since Ein Muktza L'Chatzi Shabbos and once you clean it off it can be used for other needs.

The Taz disagrees since he says no one is going to use a Milah knife for other purposes since it might get ruined plus no one would use it for food as it cut foreskin.

The Magen Avraham 311.5 says the Mohel intended to use it therefore it is not Muktza for him, however it is Muktza Machmas Chisoron Kis once he finished the Bris and puts it down.

http://www.dafyomi.co.il/beitzah/halachah/bt-hl-026.htm