First
and foremost a Jewish circumcision in Hebrew is called "Brit
Milah" literally means "Covenant of Circumcision".
It is the sign to indicate the eternal covenant that God established
with Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 17). It was then reiterated
through Moses at Mount Sinai about 500 years later: "And
on the 8th day he shall have his foreskin circumcised"
(Leviticus 12:3).
When God chose Abram to be the founder of the chosen nation, He
commanded him to circumcise himself. Afterwards, God changed his
name to Abraham. Ever since, every Jewish father has his son circumcised
on the eight day after his baby is born.
Baby girls don't have a corresponding ceremony, because a woman
in the greatest esteem. It is the Jewish mother who conveys the
Jewish status and birthright upon her child, guaranteeing the future
of the entire Jewish people. Jewish tradition tells us a newborn
girl is considered "complete" as were a newborn boy would
need to be circumcised to reach completeness.
God assured Abraham, as long as there would be human beings in the
world, there would always be Jews. This covenant between God and
Abraham was sealed through the act of circumcision. History has
proven time and again that even the most powerful nations on earth
are bound eventually to vanish into extinction -- e.g., the Egyptians,
the Hittites, the Philistines, the Babylonians, the Assyrians, the
Greeks, the Romans, the Holy Roman Empire, the British Empire, the
Ottoman Empire, and the Philistines... And yet the Jewish people
still remain strong and vibrant. Today, by performing the act circumcision,
Jews perpetuate the covenant and make their children a part of that
eternal promise.
This explains why the mark of circumcision is made on the reproductive
organ -- it symbolizes the idea that the Jewish People's seed will
never be destroyed. Judaism views body and soul as holy partners
in serving God. Therefore, the Bris is performed on the most physical
part, for all of man is holy before his Creator. The circumcision
joins the forces of body and soul together in serving God
Why
the 8th day?
Kabala explains that seven days represent
the physical world of creation. Thus, when a child has lived for
eight days, he has transcended the physical to the metaphysical.
The covenant joining body and soul, physical and spiritual, can
now take place. A Bris has no meaning when performed before the
eighth day.
The moment of the Bris has a great spiritual effect upon the child
and therefore Jewish law specifies that the Mohel (who performs
the Jewish circumcision) should be a religious person who has mastered
the set of Jewish laws regarding circumcision and received extensive
practical training. It has therefore been the tradition that a Rabbi,
cantor, or spiritual leader will also serve the community as a Mohel.
During the actual Bris it is an auspicious time for prayer. The
baby's cry is a pure cry, which pierces the heavenly gate, and therefore
the gate is open for other prayers.
Interesting Studies:
Furthermore, the torah teachesus
that every good-deed that we perform (whether we understand the
purpose or not) have so many countless physical and spiritual
benefits. A circumcision has been known
to offer virtually complete protection from penile cancer. According
to a recent review article in the New England Journal of Medicine,
none of the over 1,600 persons studied with this cancer had been
circumcised in infancy. In the words of Cochen and McCurdy, the
incidence of penile cancer in the U.S. is "essentially zero"
among circumcised men.
Several studies reported that circumcised boys were between 10-to-39
times less likely to develop urinary tract infections during infancy
than uncircumcised boys. In addition, circumcision protects against
bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections and a variety of other
conditions related to hygiene. The extremely low rate of cervical
cancer in Jewish women (nine-to-22 times less than among non-Jewish
women) is thought to be related to the practice of circumcision.
As a result of studies like these, a number of prestigious medical
organizations have recognized the benefits of circumcision, and
the California Medical Association has endorsed circumcision as
an "effective public health measure."
For this reason a person who underwent a medical circumcision,
without intent to fulfill this commandment, should undergo a subsequent
procedure performed with specific intent to fulfill this mitzvah.
This subsequent procedure is relatively painless, involving only
the drawing of blood from the reproductive organ, but done in
the name of Bris Malay.
Many times, men who are coming back to their Jewish roots discover
that they did not have a Bris done by a traditional mohel. In
this situation, they are required to have a drop of blood drawn
from the circumcision area and a proper Jewish naming ceremony.
This is called htafas dom.
On the eighth day after the
baby is born, between sunrise and sunset is the appropriate time
for the Bris ceremony. (I.e. if a baby is born at 11:30 AM on
Monday, the Bris should take place the following Monday - eight
days later). Many people choose earlier on the 8th day, simply
not to delay a good-deed.If
the baby is not so well, it should be delayed jugged by a Rabbi.
Jewish law considers the baby's health as an utmost priority.
If a baby is born during the evening anytime after sunset, Jewish
tradition considers the next day to be the first day of the count.
(I.e. if a baby is born at 11:30 PM Monday evening, Monday evening
is considered part of the following Tuesday. So the Bris should
take place the following Tuesday during the day
A Bris may only take place on Sabbath (Saturday) and Jewish Holidays
when the following criteria are met.
-The
baby was born the previous Sabbath (or eight days before the Jewish
Holidays)
-The baby was born naturally (and not cesarean section).
-The Bris must otherwise be postponed to the next possible date
(i.e. Sunday or the next day that isn't a Jewish holiday).
THE
CIRCUMCISION CEREMONY IS DIVIDED INTO BASIC STEPS
We
begin with preparation.
Kvatterin (colloquially-Godmother)
Kvatter (colloquially-
Godfather) |
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The Kvatterin and Kvatter
are commonly a couple seeking to have a child, as it's
said that since they are involved in bringing this infant
to his bris, they, too will be blessed with children.
Calling the Kvatterin:
I.
The
Mohel (who performs the Jewish circumcision)
wrapped in a tallit
calls in the
Kvatter to the sanctuary.
The Kvatterin passes the infant from mother to the kvatter.
The
kvatter brings the infant into the sanctuary to begin
the ceremony.
When the infant is brought into the room, everyone stands
and greets him with the words "Baruch Haba"
- "Blessed
is the one arriving"...
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Hebrew: |
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English: |
Blessed
is the one arriving!
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Pinchas, the
son of Elazar, the son of Aaron the Kohen, has
turned My wrath away from the children of Israel
when he displayed anger among them in My behalf,
so that I did not wipe out the children of Israel
in My anger. Therefore say: I grant him My covenant
of peace: |
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II.
Kisay Shel Eliyahu - The person
who will place the baby on The Chair of Elijah.
The Kvatter passes the
infant to the person who will place the baby on The Chair
of Elijah.
Elijah the prophet comes to every Jewish Bris, there are two
primary reasons for this.
1. Elijah was a champion for the mitzvah of Bris in his day,
he was given the privilege to share in every Bris.
2. Elijah will herald the messianic era.Since each child
has the potential to help bring the Messiah, Elijah comes
to greet the child who can help him bring the messianic era
to all mankind.
Once the child is placed on the chair, the Mohel
recites the following...
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Hebrew: |
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English: |
This
is the Seat of Elijah the Prophet, may he be
remembered for good.
For Your deliverance I hope, O Lord. I have
hoped for Your deliverance, Lord,
and I have performed Your commandments. Elijah,
angel of the Covenant, here is yours before
you; stand at my right and support me. I rejoice
in Your word, like one who finds great spoil.
Those who love Your Torah have abounding peace,
and there is no stumbling for them. Happy is
the man You choose and bring near to dwell in
Your courtyards; we will be satiated with the
goodness of Your House, Your Holy Temple: |
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III.
Sandak -
Wrapped in a tallit is usually the father, a grandfather,
a very close friend or
a very respected Torah scholar.
Someone then takes the baby
from the Chair of Elijah, and puts the baby into the lap
of the Sandak. The Sandak sits on a nearby chair. The ceremony
will be done on the Sandak's lap.
The mohel asks the father if he may act as the father's
proxy for this special commandment of circumcision (the
father has the right to perform the circumcision himself.
Usually, the father appoints the mohel as his proxy, since
it requires many details).
The Mohel then recites the following blessing...
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Hebrew: |
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| English: |
Praised
are You, Adonai our God, who rules the universe,
whose mitzvot add holiness to our lives and
who gave us the mitzvah of circumcision.  (Amen
- All) |
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Here
the Mohel circumcises the baby. There are
several steps to the act of circumcision: cutting of the
foreskin, moving aside the remaining skin
(p'riah) and squeezing blood (metzizah, usually with a sterile
narrow tube). Usually the baby will cry briefly but quiet
down almost immediately. The mohel soothes the baby
either by offering him either a finger to suck on, a pacifier,
or a bit of wine.
IV.
Immediately after the circumcision is performed the father
recites the following blessing...
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Hebrew: |
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| English: |
Praised
are You, Adonai our God, who rules the universe,
whose mitzvot add holiness to our lives and
who gave us the mitzvah to bring our son into
the covenant of Abraham our father and Sarah
our mother. |
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V.
All
respond loudley...
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Hebrew: |
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| English: |
Amen!
- Just
as he has entered into the Covenant, so may
he enter into Torah, into marriage, and into
good deeds: |
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VI.
The Mohel completes the
Bris and the infant is taken from the Sandek's lap and given
to the Sandek standing.
VII. The
Mohel or a guests that you wish to honor takes
the cup of wine in his right hand and recites the following
blessing...
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Hebrew: |
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| English: |
Blessed
are You, Lord our God, King of the universe,
who creates the fruit of the vine:(Amen
- All)
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe,
who sanctified the beloved one from the womb,
set His statute in his flesh, and sealed his
descendants with the sign of the holy Covenant.
Therefore, as a reward of this (circumcision),
the living God, our Portion, our Rock, has ordained
that the beloved of our flesh be saved from
the abyss, for the sake of the Covenant which
He has set in our flesh. Blessed are You Lord,
who makes the Covenant(Amen
- All) |
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VIII.
Sadek
Shane -
Baby naming
The person honored with the
giving of the name recites the following...
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Hebrew: |
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| English: |
Our
God and God of our fathers, preserve this child
for his father and mother, and his name in Israel
shall be called
(baby's Hebrew name)
the son of
(baby's father's Hebrew
name) May the
father rejoice in his offspring, and his mother
be glad with the fruit of her womb, as it is
written: "May your father and mother rejoice,
and she who bore you be glad." And it is
said: "I passed by you and saw you weltering
in your blood, and I said to you: You shall
live through your blood; and I said to you:
'You shall live through your blood.'" And
it is said: "He has remembered His Covenant
forever, the word which He has commanded to
a thousand generations; the Covenant which He
made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac; He
established it for Jacob as a statute, for Israel
as an everlasting Covenant." And it is
said: "Abraham circumcised his son Isaac
when he was eight days old, as God had commanded
him." Give thanks to the Lord for He is
good, for His kindness is everlasting.
Give thanks to the Lord
for He is good, for His kindness is everlasting.
May this little infant (baby's
Hebrew name) the
son of (baby's
father's Hebrew name) become
great. Just as he has entered the Covenant,
so may he enter into Torah, into marriage, and
into good deeds. |
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After
naming the child, the person who recited the blessings drinks
some wine.
IX. The
Mohel blesses the infant...
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Hebrew: |
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| English: |
May
He who blessed our fathers, Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob, Moses and Aaron, David and Solomon, bless
this tender infant
(baby's Hebrew name)
and send him a complete
recovery, because he has enter the covenant
, just as he entered the covenant, so may he
entered into Torah, to marriage canopy, and
to good deeds; and
let us say, Amen |
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X.
Now the Mohel and father recite
the following prayer:
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Hebrew: |
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| English: |
Sovereign
of the universe, may it be Your will that this
(circumcision) be regarded and accepted by You
as if l had offered him before the Throne of
Your Glory. And You, in Your abounding mercy,
send through Your holy angels a holy and pure
soul to
Father
says:
(baby's
Hebrew name) my
son |
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Mohel
Says:
(baby's
father's Hebrew name)
the son of (baby's
Hebrew name) |
who
has now been circumcised
for the sake of Your great Name. May his heart
be open as the portal of the Great Hall in the
Temple in Your holy Torah, to learn and to teach,
to observe and to practice; grant him long life,
a life imbued with the fear of sin, a life of
wealth and honor; and fulfill the desires of
his heart for good. Amen, and so may it be Your
will. |
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XII.
The kvatter takes
the infant from the sandak and
hands him to the kvatterin, who hands him back to the mother.
Everyone present is always invited to a festive meal
which now takes place.
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