Questions tagged [brit-milah]

Questions about circumcision (brit-milah in Hebrew)

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What is the reciprocal term for "sandak"? [closed]

What is the reciprocal term for "sandak", if there is one? That is, if I am a baby's sandak, he is my _____?
CanisNebula's user avatar
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Use of phrase ברוך הבא - Version #2

Inspired by The previous version of my question I noticed that in Nusach Ashkenaz, ברוך הבא is said at both a Brit as well as when the Chattan (groom) walks down the aisle toward the Chuppah. ...
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Who performed the bris of Abraham?

It is clear that Abraham understood the Torah, and that he waited to enact his bris until commanded, but who performed it? Did he do it himself, or was someone else instructed to do it, to serve in ...
Zachariah's user avatar
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2 answers
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Is it okay to do a Brit Shalom instead of Brit milah?

Brit shalom is basically Brit mila without the circumcision, is that okay according to Halacha?
user12119's user avatar
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Why are there few female circumcisers these days?

This article cites varying opinions regarding the use a mohelet - woman circumciser. There are opinions allowing it, though. Excerpt: There is a controversy in tractate Avodah Zarah 27a regarding ...
DanF's user avatar
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Brit milah during shloshim

I understand that someone observing shloshim should not attend a seudat mitzvah. I was wondering what happens if someone observing shloshim has a baby boy who is due for a bris. Does the parent ...
Daniel's user avatar
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Traditions what to do with removed foreskin

In Germany we recently started a debate, whether foreskin-amputation of children (not only Jews, but Muslims as well) has to be forbidden according to our fundamental laws. Some magazine illustrated ...
user unknown's user avatar
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Source for not being a Shochet and Mohel

I am looking for the source of a minhag that a shochet should not be a mohel because of an incident where the mohel/shochet recited "al hashechita" and the infant died afterwards. I recall that as an "...
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Naming an orphan

In light of the recent story in the news of a baby born an orphan. :( Who names him (and performs the bris)? I assume the grandparents, but is there any tradition of which side has priority? (I am ...
Ariel's user avatar
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Is a child allowed to circumcise his father?

Assume that the father is a Gentile who married a Jewish woman. The child, who is Jewish, obviously, becomes a mohel. Years, later, the father decides to convert, so he needs a brit. Is the son ...
DanF's user avatar
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Where and when is the earliest attestation of the word "mohel"? [closed]

Where is the earliest attestation of the word mohel for one who performs the act associated with a ritual circumcision? When was it written? What language is it? [Inspired by Why is there a ה in &...
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Per the claim that Abraham kept the whole Torah, why didn't he circumcise Ishmael and all his slaves earlier?

"Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, and his son Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. Thus Abraham and ...
Al Berko's user avatar
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Why does Eliyahu appear at a brit milah?

There's really not much to add here... What's the connection between Eliyahu and the Brit Milah? We have a kiseh shel eliyahu (Chair of Eliyahu) and we mention his name when the infant is placed on ...
DanF's user avatar
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Is it forbidden for a noachide (Non-Jew) to be circumcised?

I heard Rabbi Immanuel Schochet bring this up in a lecture as an off hand comment, that circumcision is bodily mutilation, and thus the only reason why Jews can do it, is because it they are ...
Anon's user avatar
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C-Section Different for Bris

Why is it that a baby born on Shabbos via C-Section cannot have a bris 8 days later [on Shabbos]? Source: Twin Bris conundrum
yydl's user avatar
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Eating the foreskin at a brit milah

Yalkut Yosef (siman 79 in דין בשר האדם) discusses a minhag brought down by Mar'eh HaYeladim (מערכת ה' אות י) which says: "it is a segulah for a woman to become pregnant [with a boy] if she takes ...
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Born Circumcised

We know that Iyov, Adam, Shes, Noach, Shem, Yaakov, Yosef, Moshe, Shmuel, Dovid, Kalev ben Dovid, & Yirmiyahu were all born circumcised (which is a very rare occurrence). My nephew was also just ...
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Differences of Timing of Se'udah for Brit and Pidyon Haben

Last night, I attended a pidyon haben - a somewhat rare occasion to attend because of various "regulations" on who qualifies for a pidyon. I noticed during the approximately 10 times I have attended ...
DanF's user avatar
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What is the perceived effect of circumcision on sexuality?

My understanding so far : Jews circumcise their sons at the age of 8 days in order to mark an alliance between the newborn and God, and this tradition has carried on for thousands of years. It is also ...
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Does the Torah Address the Issue of Circumcision on the Sabbath?

Question - a Reference Request from Scripture: Does the written Torah, (or Scripture), ever address the issue of Circumcision on the Sabbath? Does Scripture indicate whether Sabbath Restrictions ...
elika kohen's user avatar
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Difference Between Brit and Medical Circumcision

I have recently encountered a number of non-Jews who were protesting circumcision in front of the U.S. White House. While I found most of their notions somewhat absurd, I was given pause to question ...
Mikhael's user avatar
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Brit Milah on 8th day v/s delays

This question pertains to how necessary it is to perform a bris on the 8th day from birth. I know that, if the baby is sick, it can be delayed (to a non Shabbat/Yom Tov day). This question relates to ...
D A's user avatar
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3 answers
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How do Jews handle when a baby dies due to circumcision?

This is a real question. I personally know of two cases. One is a friend of mine in USA. The other is in UK via my wife on a professional basis, where I was able to read the coroner's report. This is ...
Stewart's user avatar
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1 answer
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What is the Halacha regarding Tachanun and Brit in the same shul?

I don't have the ArtScroll weekday Siddur in front of me, now, but essentially, it said that one does not say Tachanun in a shul where a Brit will occur during that day. If a Brit occurs anywhere in ...
DanF's user avatar
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Source for putting the orlah in earth/sand specifically from Israel after a bris?

A Mohel in America once asked me to bring some earth/sand from Israel to America for him to bury the orlahs (foreskins) in after doing a Bris. Does anyone here know of a source for putting the orlah ...
RibbisRabbiAndMore's user avatar
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2 answers
275 views

Seudas Pidyon HaBen and Bris Milah together

If someone had a baby boy and the bris was pushed off until what came out to be the day of the Pidyon HaBen. Can the 2 seudas, one for the Bris and the other for the Pidyon HaBen be made together as ...
Yehoshua's user avatar
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Is the name of God associated with bris milah?

I recall learning, but have no source for, the fact that part of what is achieved by the bris milah process is a form of etching (part of?) the name of God into the makom ha'milah. What is the source ...
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Converting a baby - When to do Circumcision

I know that one can convert an infant (and if he doesn't recant when he becomes of age, the conversion is retractively chal) but what about milah? For a Jewish child, milah before the 8th day isn't a ...
rosends's user avatar
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Twin Bris conundrum [closed]

Twin brothers are born from the same mother on the very same morning. Both are perfectly healthy. Yet, the proper day for one’s bris mila is 8 days later, while the proper day for the other one’s bris ...
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2 answers
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Explanation for episode with Moshe's near death at the hotel

Exodus 4:24-26 describes one of the strangest stories in the Chumash. Moshe was on his way to save the Jewish people, and the Torah says that he stayed with his wife and children in a hotel. Next, we'...
robev's user avatar
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On the relative densities of liquids

The Mishna, Shabas chapter 19, describes beating wine with oil (to make a healing ointment for a circumcision) as something that can be done a day in advance and therefore may not be done on Shabas. ...
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Teaching Torah to circumcised non-Jews

In his supercommentary to Rashi Genesis 7:2, R. Yissechar Ber Eilenberg cites the following from his teacher R. Mordecha Yaffe: וטעם שאסור ללמוד תורה לגוי הוא מפני הערלה שבו ויש בו סוד שלא להכניס ...
Alex's user avatar
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What is the maximum age for Metzitza?

Part of the bris ceremony is metzitza. I was told that after a certain age (of the boy) it is not done (meaning an adult who gets a bris does not get metzitza). Is this true? What is the age? Source ...
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Were Benei Noach chayiv in Priah u'Reviah and Bris Milah before Sinai?

The Gemara in Sanhedrin 59a says that any mitzvah given to Benei Noach and repeated at Har Sinai, generally speaking, was given to both groups. Thus, both groups are given the issur of Avodah Zarah, ...
DonielF's user avatar
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Were those who were not circumcised in the wilderness debarred from celebrating Pesach?

Were those who were not circumcised in the wilderness debarred from celebrating Pesach? The uncircumcised were not admitted to Passover celebrations—Exodus 13:5 and Joshua 5 seem to indicate that ...
Morris Munns's user avatar
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Use of phrase ברוך הבא

Based on what I have seen I Nusach Ashkenaz siddurim such as Art Scroll and Birnbaum, among some others, I noticed the phrase ברוך הבא is used at the beginning of a Brit (circumcision) when welcoming ...
DanF's user avatar
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Who says צִוָּה vs. צַוֵּה at a b'ris?

The passage "על כן בשכר זאת קל חי חלקנו צורנו צוה להציל ידידות שארנו משחת" is part of one of the blessings recited at a b'ris mila. Pische S'shuva (Yore Dea 265:4) cites a difference of opinion as to ...
3 votes
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Circumcision of Yishmael's descendants

In Bereishit 17:13 we are commanded to circumcise all children born in our households and all servants bought for money, consequently Abraham performed it on Yishmael too. This is one reason why ...
Kazi bácsi's user avatar
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3 votes
3 answers
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Haftarah for a B'rit Milah?

Rema Orach Chayyim 428:8 mentions a custom to read a special haftarah for a shabbat following a wedding. Was there ever a custom to read a special haftarah for a shabbat on which a b'rit milah took ...
Joel K's user avatar
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4 answers
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Why are the Pesach sacrifice and Brit Milah so closely connected?

During a Brit, last week, Rabbi Pesach Krohn mentioned how special it is when someone has a brit during Pesach as there is a close connection of these two events. Indeed, I found these connections: ...
DanF's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
871 views

Does a transgender male convert require a Hatafas Dam Bris?

Suppose a transgender male (born female) who's undergone bottom surgery and tattooing to make his genitalia look more masculine decided to convert to Orthodox Judaism. Would such a person be required ...
user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
577 views

People born circumcised?

In this discussion, it's stated: "There is a minor tractate in the Talmud called Brit Millah which lists all the people born circumcised." Can anyone point me towards a copy of this tractate ...
Zarka's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
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Milah Without P'ri'ah

If a Jewish boy received a milah without p'ri'ah by a Jewish doctor, halakhically does he need to get more cutoff later in life? Preference for Sephardic sources. When I asked a Rabbi he said there ...
Aaron's user avatar
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3 answers
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Postponing circumcision: what consequences?

I am an atheist (not Jewish) and my soon-to-be wife is Jewish (Ashkenazi of Polish ascent). She doesn't practice, and she says she is not a believer. We are French and live in Paris. This may or may ...
frenchatheist's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
341 views

Why does the mohel say the brocha at the bris?

Optimally, a father should circumcise his own sons. Optimally, an aliyah should read the Torah when called up. When we are called up for an aliyah, we say the brocha and the baal koreh reads for us. ...
yoel's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
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How do you count days for brit milah (circumcision)?

My understanding is circumcision should be performed on the eighth day. Does this include the day the child was born? So if born on Monday, would circumcision be on the following Monday, or should it ...
Tahlor's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
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Why were women doing Brit Milah to their sons?

Unintentionally bumped into this verse (Macabbees A) that appears to be historically authentic: והנשים אשר מלו את בניהן הומתו על פי המלך. (And women who circumcised their sons were executed) Do ...
Al Berko's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
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Bris when the mother isn't observant?

I heard of a Hassidic rabbi performing a Brit Milah on a child whose father is Orthodox but whose mother is not. The mother is Jewish but not observant. Why is it ok for an Orthodox rabbi to perform ...
Shabbatai's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
991 views

Bris on Shabbos

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 ...
whiskey's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
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Does a mohel say Tachanun during mincha if he did a brit in the morning?

In a shul where a mohel is present for a brit, he (nor others in the minyan) say Tachanun. Usually, a brit is done after Shacharit. Someone (not a mohel) told me, recently, that when a mohel has doen ...
DanF's user avatar
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