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Resources:  Lifecycle Events:  Birth

 

Today, circumcision—the removal of all or part of the foreskin covering the glans of the penis—is routine for many babies, whether Jewish or not. For non-Jews it is most often performed for hygienic reasons. But for Jews, circumcision is a ritual with deep religious and cultural significance. Brit milah, which literally means "covenant of circumcision," symbolizes the child's entry into the community of Israel and is a reminder of the covenant between God and the Children of Israel.

The ritual of circumcision is the most widely observed commandment among Jews, both past and present. Indeed, the pages of history are filled with stories of Jews who, during times of persecution, risked everything, even their lives, to fulfill the mitzvah of brit. Where did the practice of ritual circumcision come from? And why would so many follow the commandment, especially when risking so much?

History & Meaning

Circumcision is not a Jewish invention. Circumcision was practiced in antiquity, thousands of years before there were Israelites.

It has been posited that the practice may have derived from the ancient Egyptians. However, unlike the later Israelites, the Egyptian procedure was not performed on infants but on adolescent males as an initiation rite into adulthood; it was reserved for the priestly class and royalty; and a single incision was made in the foreskin, rather than removing the foreskin. It seems more likely that the Israelites adopted the practice from ancient Syria. In Upper Syria, figurines have been uncovered which date from around 2800 BCE and which represent warriors who have undergone circumcision identical to the type the Israelites would practice a thousand years later. That the Torah tells us Abraham came from this area is highly suggestive.

Although the origins of the practice may be lost to history, the significance the Israelites attached to it are very clear. Circumcision, performed on the organ of generation, is a fertility rite. But for the Israelites, this fertility rite was not performed on adolescents as a passage into manhood, but on infants as a covenant with God. To the Israelites, fertility and the perpetuation of the Israelite nation was not connected with sex or puberty but with a promise made by God.

Today circumcision is not unusual, when a majority of infants undergo the medical procedure. But in the past circumcision was almost exclusively a Jewish rite, distinguishing the circumcised male as unique and different from other males, a literal "cutting into the flesh" of the covenant with God and a setting apart of the male as a member of the tribe of Israel. In the Diaspora, Jews who lived in unfriendly countries were often threatened with persecution and even death for practicing circumcision. That the ritual continued to be observed by nearly all Jews demonstrates its power and importance. The circumcised male bears the sign of God's covenant on his body, a mark which identifies his personal destiny with that of his people and which places him within a continuum that stretches back to Abraham and forward into the future.

For Jews today, just as for the ancient Israelites, circumcision is a physical sign of the covenant between God and the Jewish people, as well as a symbol of the beginning of the Hebrew nation and the Israelites as a people. Through brit milah, the infant boy is brought into the nation of Israel.

The Eighth Day

Brit milah is performed on the eighth day of a child's life, during the daytime, even when the day falls on Shabbat or a festival. The eighth day is chosen because the Torah says Abraham circumcised Isaac on the eighth day. There are numerous explanations for why the Torah specifies this particular day. It has been suggested that the passage of one Sabbath lends the child the necessary spiritual strength for the ceremony. Another explanation is that the infant who has lived through his first week, or first unit of time, is considered viable. It is also significant that, medically, coagulation is established in infants by the eighth day.

The bris is performed during the day because the Torah specifies Abraham circumcised Isaac on the eighth day, which is taken literally to mean between sunrise and sunset. In the most traditional families, the ceremony takes place as early as possible in the day, to show enthusiasm for the ritual. If the ceremony must be performed at night, Orthodox rabbis say an additional drop of blood should be drawn from the organ during the day.

When calculating the specific day of the bris, remember that the Jewish day begins at sundown, rather than at midnight. Therefore a baby born on Tuesday morning will have a bris during the day on the following Tuesday; for a baby born after sundown on Tuesday, the bris should be held during the day on Wednesday.

Unusual Circumstances

Jewish law provides for a number of exceptions to the strictures regarding brit milah.

Medical Postponement

A brit milah may be postponed when the health of a child dictates a delay. In this case the ceremony takes place seven days after a physician pronounces the child fit for the procedure. A brit postponed for any reason, including health reasons, cannot be performed on Shabbat or a festival.

Absence of Foreskin

When a baby is born without a foreskin or has been circumcised in the hospital before the eighth day, such as with adoption, a hatafat dam is performed. A pinprick of blood is taken from the penis as a symbolic circumcision. This ritual is not permitted on Shabbat or a festival.

Adoption

When a male child is adopted, the adoptive father has the same responsibility to circumcise the child as he would a natural child. If the child is not Jewish (that is, was born of a non-Jewish mother, whether the natural father is Jewish or not), his conversion must first be approved by a beit din (a rabbinic court). Then a brit milah is held or, if the child has already been circumcised, a hatafat dam brit is performed. The conversion is considered complete with the performance of a mikveh (a ritual bath), which is typically held when the child is one year of age, although many rabbis will be comfortable with holding the mikveh ceremony at any age before Bar Mitzvah.

Naming

In addition to the circumcision, it is customary to give a baby boy his Hebrew name during the brit ceremony. (Girls are named in the synagogue in a special naming ceremony—see Simchat Bat). The naming is part of the circumcision service because the Torah says that God changed Abram's name to Abraham after he fulfilled the covenant of circumcision. There are no formal rules regarding the choosing of names, but custom often plays a role. (See What's in a Name? and our Hebrew Baby Name Finder for more on naming children.)

The Mohel

The obligation to circumcise an infant rests with his father. If the father is qualified, he is responsible for performing the circumcision. If not, he appoints a delegate to act for him. Today most brit milah are conducted by mohalim. A mohel is a religious, observant Jew who has been specially trained in the operative, as well as the theoretical aspects, of the Jewish ritual. (See Dr. Alan Singer's It's a Boy! for advice on choosing a mohel and preparing for the brit milah.)

There are instances when it is impossible for a mohel to perform the ritual—for instance, when there is no mohel in the community. In such cases liberal Judaism permits a physician who knows the procedure and the prayers and who is an observant Jew to perform the circumcision. Customarily, a rabbi is present to conduct the service. However, it is worthwhile to note that circumcision by a physician, even with a rabbi present, is not considered valid by many Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Jews unless that physician is certified as a mohel by one of the major branches of Judaism.

Participants

The father is the one traditionally responsible for the circumcision and is always present if possible. Historically, the mother had no role in the bris and stayed in another room. Today most mothers wish not only to be present but to participate equally in the ceremony. The parents should stand beside the mohel during the ceremony, indicating that he is acting as their delegate.

It is customary to have the circumcision take place with a minyan (a quorum of 10 Jewish people), but this is not necessary.

Honored Roles

The parents may wish to choose three people to participate in the ceremony in honored roles. The kvatterin (similar to a godmother) takes the baby from the mother and hands him to the kvatter (similar to a godfather). The kvatter hands the baby to the sandak, the most honored participant and the one who holds the baby and assists the mohel during the ceremony. Typically, the sandak is the infant's grandfather, uncle or other close male relative or friend. In liberal Judaism, a woman may also be the sandak.

Setting the Stage

Traditionally, two candles are lit in the room where the bris will take place. A chair is placed in the room for the prophet Elijah, who is said to be the angel of the covenant and the guardian of children. At some britot, the sandak may sit in Elijah's Chair, holding the child on his lap during the circumcision. If not, a waist-high table topped with a pillow on which to lay the infant should be provided.

It is customary for everyone to remain standing during the ceremony, except the sandak if he is seated in Elijah's Chair. It is also customary for the father, mohel and sandak to wear talitot during the ceremony.

The Ceremony

The brit ceremony can be as personal as the parents (and the mohel) wish. Many people find the ceremony more meaningful with the addition of music, poems, statements or readings.

The following outlines the basic form of the ceremony and its essential elements. Note that, although they are given here in English, at a brit milah the following blessings and prayers are always said in Hebrew, with only the most important parts translated into English.

Calling the Kvatterin

The mohel calls out, "Kvatter." The mother hands the infant to the kvatterin, who brings him into the room. When the infant is brought into the room, everyone stands and greets him with the words "Barukh haba" ("May he who comes here be blessed").

The kvatterin then hands the baby to the kvatter.

The mohel recites: "The Holy One, praised be God, said to our father Abraham: 'Walk before Me and be perfect.' I am ready and willing to perform the precept which the Creator, source of all blessings, commanded us concerning circumcision."

Elijah's Chair

The mohel takes the child from the kvatter and places him in the Chair of Elijah or on the sandak's lap if the sandak will hold the child during the circumcision.

The mohel recites: "This chair is devoted to Elijah the prophet, may his remembrance be for the good. For Your salvation I have waited, O Lord. I have hoped for Your salvation, O Lord, and Your commandments have I fulfilled. Elijah, the angel of the covenant, is before You. You stand at my right and sustain. I have hoped for Your salvation, O Lord. I rejoice at Your word, as one finds great truth in Your words. Great peace have they who love Your law; and there is no stumbling for them. Happy are they whom You choose and bring near that they may dwell in Your courts."

Those present respond: "May we be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, the holy place of Your temple."

Circumcision

If a table is used, the mohel then places the child on the pillow, with the sandak assisting by holding the child's arms and legs firmly.

The mohel recites: "Praised be You, O Lord our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who has sanctified us by Your commandments, and commanded us concerning the rite of circumcision."

The mohel determines the place where the cut should be made and puts a shield in place. A special knife called izmal or, more frequently now, a surgical scalpel is used. One or both parents may hand the knife to the mohel and stand beside the baby as he performs the circumcision. A sterile dressing is then applied.

The parents recite: "Praised be You, O Lord our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who has sanctified us by Your commandments and commanded us to enter our sons into the covenant of Abraham and Sarah, our ancestors."

Those present respond: "As he has entered into the covenant, so may he enter into a life of Torah, to the nuptial canopy and to good deeds."

Naming

The mohel holds up a kiddush cup and recites:

Praised are You, O Lord our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who has created the fruit of the vine.

Praised are You, O Lord our God, source of all blessings, who has sanctified the well-beloved (Isaac) from the womb and has set Your statute in his flesh and has sealed his offspring with the sign of the holy covenant. Therefore, because of this, O living God, our Portion and our Rock, deliver from destruction the dearly beloved of our flesh, for the sake of the covenant You have set in our bodies. Praised are You, O Lord our God, who has made the covenant.

Our God and God of our ancestors, preserve this child to his father and to his mother and let his name be called in Israel __________ son of ________. Let the parents rejoice in their offspring, and let them be glad with their children; as it is written: "Let the father and the mother rejoice, and let them that bore this infant be glad." And it is said: "And I passed by you, and I saw you weltering in your blood, and I said unto you: 'In your blood you shall live.' Yea, I said: 'In your blood you shall live.'" (A drop or two of wine is put in the mouth of the infant.) And it is said: "God has remembered the covenant forever, the word which God commanded to yours and all generations; (the covenant) which He made with Abraham, and His oath unto Isaac, and confirmed the same unto Jacob for a statute, to Israel for everlasting covenant." And it is said: "And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God commanded him." O give thanks unto the Lord; for God is good; for God's loving-kindness endures forever. The little child, ____--____, may he become great. As he has been entered into the covenant, so may he be introduced to the study of Torah, to the nuptial canopy, and to good deeds.

The mohel then continues:

Creator of the universe. May it be Your gracious will to regard and accept this (performance of circumcision), as if I had brought this boy before Your glorious throne. And You, in Your abundant mercy, through Your holy angels, give a pure and holy heart to ___________, the son of ________, who was just now circumcised in honor of Your great Name. May his heart be wide open to comprehend Your holy Law, that he may learn and teach, keep and fulfill Your laws.

May He who blessed our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and our mothers Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah, bless this tender infant who was circumcised, and may He grant him a perfect cure. May his parents deserve to raise him up to the study of Torah, to the nuptial canopy, and good deeds. Let us say, Amen."

The kvatter then takes the baby from the sandak and hands him to the kvatterin, who hands him back to the mother.

Sendat Mitzvah (Festive Meal)

The brit milah is customarily followed by a festive meal. After the meal, birkayt hamazon may be recited with special blessings for child.