Welcome to the Bris Website
Years ago when most Jews lived in fairly close communities and were more observant of religious rituals, couples having a baby found it easy to get information about having a bris if the baby was a boy. Now with many young Jewish couples living far from their parents and home communities and with less knowledge and observance of Jewish customs, such information is less readily available. That is why this web site has been written. Its goal is to provide clear, accurate information about all aspects of the modern bris ceremony. The information in this book will help couples (1) make decisions about having a bris, (2) choose a mohel, and (3) understand the medical and religious aspects of this significant family event.
Henry Michael Lerner, M.D.
Assistant Clinical Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology (Retired)
Harvard Medical School
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- The biblical background of the bris
- The history of the bris ceremony
- Timing of the bris: Why the eighth day?
- Rules and customs concerning a bris
- Why should I have my son circumcised at all?
- Choosing between a home bris and a hospital circumcision
- Twins and other multiple births
- The “mixed couple”—when one partner is not Jewish
- Medical reasons for postponing or not doing a bris
- How should the baby be dressed for his brit milah ceremony?
- What should attendees wear to a bris?
- Cameras, videos and other high tech
- Is it appropriate to bring small children to a bris?
- Should one bring a baby gift to a bris?
- What supplies do you need to have at a bris?
- Explaining the brit milah ceremony to non-Jewish guests
- Honors at a bris
- The Chair of Elijah
- The brit milah service
- The mohel
- Choosing a mohel
- How much does a mohel charge? How do you pay the mohel?
- What do you have to do to get the baby ready for his bris?
- The circumcision procedure
- Anesthesia and circumcision complications
- Metzitzah
- Burial of the foreskin
- Aftercare
- Hatafat dam brit
- Naming the baby
- Brit Bat—Jewish birth ceremonies for girls
- The redemption of the firstborn son: Pidyon Ha-Ben
- Special circumstances
- Fetal demise/stillborn
- Biblical passage from Genesis which outline the origin of the brit milah ceremony
- Glossary
Note
Because some readers will read only certain sections of this web page, there is some built-in repetition of aspects of the explanation of the brit milah ceremony.
Additionally, the terms “bris” and “brit milah” are used interchangeably in describing the Jewish ritual circumcision ceremony. “Bris” is the shkenazic/Yiddish traditional pronunciation for “brit”.