The Brit Milah Service

The brit milah service is remarkably straightforward and simple. It consists of a series of prayers that both explain the Biblical origins of the ceremony and ask God’s blessing on the new baby and his family.

Even before the ceremony begins, however, the mohel will set up all the equipment he or she needs for the circumcision. This consists of the instruments for the circumcision itself, an infant restraint board if one is to be used, gauze, ointment, and alcohol wipes.  Wine is poured into both the kiddush cup and into a little dish containing a pacifier that will be used to comfort the baby during the circumcision procedure.   

At some point prior to the beginning of the ceremony most mohels will go with the parents to a private area and give the baby a local anesthetic, lidocaine, via injection at the base of the penis.  This very brief procedure usually results in the baby having a pain-free circumcision.  Babies who get this “ring block’ anesthesia are usually relaxed and do not cry during the circumcision part of the brit milah ceremony.  The exact same treatment is given to babies who have their circumcisions done in the hospital.   

Just before the ceremony begins the sandek is seated in a chair at the side of the table next to the Chair of Elijah and next to where the mohel will work.  The kvetter and/or kvetterin are waiting just across the room holding the newborn baby the mother has given to them.

The mohel—or if present, a clergy member—calls the guests to order.  The mohel may remind the audience that the ambience of a brit milah ceremony, while joyous, should still be dignified and that guests should act with the same comportment and degree of attentiveness as they do in synagogue. In today’s era of high-technology, guests are asked to turn off their cell phones and all other noisemaking devices. If parents have prepared their own brit milah booklet, it is distributed at this time. Sometimes musical prayers are sung to set the mood for the service.

The service now begins. The mohel motions the kvatter/kvatterin to approach to where the mohel and sandek are positioned.  The mohel then encourages the assembled guests to say in unison and enthusiastically “baruch habah—”blessed is the one arriving!”

The prayer service then begins.  This includes:

— The discussion of the Chair of Elijah and Elijah’s role in the coming of eternal peace

— The passage from Genesis 17: “you shall keep my Covenant….” followed by a resuscitation of the events that followed:  God’s directing Abraham to enter into a special Covenant with Him that will be applicable to all future generations in exchange for having Abraham and all of his household circumcised and agreeing to fulfill the role of being a sacred people unto God. The removal of the foreskin of all Jewish males—circumcision—is described as an everlasting physical sign of this connection between God and the Jewish people.

Depending on how the mohel designs his or her service, at this point there might be:

1. An explanation of the significance of the brit milah laws and ceremony
2. A discussion of the significance of the eighth day for performing a bris
3. Remarks about the medical nature of circumcision or the analgesia used

As with many Jewish occasions, such a teaching—a drosh—is always appropriate at a bris.  

The circumcision is the next part of the ceremony.  The mohel explains that it is actually the father’s obligation to perform his son’s circumcision—but that since most fathers are not surgically trained, the father will have a mohel—his representative—fulfill the mitzvah of removing the foreskin.   Once it is confirmed that the mohel will be acting as a substitute for the father, the father recites the blessing—in English or in Hebrew—acknowledging that he is fulfilling the obligation to have his son circumcised:

I am ready to fulfill the mitzvah of having our son circumcised as the Blessed Creator commanded us in the Torah:  “Throughout your generations every male among you shall be circumcised when he is eight days old.”

The circumcision is now performed.  The mohel places the baby on the infant restraint board or, in some cases, on the lap of the sandek.  The sandek will place in the baby’s mouth the pacifier dipped in wine from the bowl that had previously been placed on the mohel’s worktable.  Both the sucking on the pacifier and the sugar from the wine have a tremendous calming influence on the child.  

Often the mohel will talk or tell a story to the assembled guests while he or she does the circumcision.  Sometimes, if clergy are present, the rabbi or cantor will lead a song while the mohel is working. 

Just prior to the actual cutting off of the foreskin, the mohel says the circumcision blessing:  

Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has sanctified us with  commandments and has given us the commandment concerning circumcision.

The father then says:  

Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has sanctified us with  commandments and has commanded us to make our sons enter the Covenant of Abraham and Sarah.

The mohel concludes this part of the ceremony with a prayer expressing a wish for the baby’s speedy recovery from his circumcision and for the good health of the mother and baby.  The last segment of this blessing looks ahead to the baby’s growth and future life: 

May his parents raise him to the study of Torah, the building of loving relationships, and the practice of good deeds.

The site of the circumcision is dressed by the mohel and the baby is removed from the restraint board.  He is now handed to the mother who at this point is often giddy with relief that the circumcision itself is over. 

Now begins the naming ceremony where, for the first time, the child’s Hebrew name is announced to the community. If clergy is present, they will often do this part of the ceremony.

The ceremony starts with the prayer leader—mohel or clergy— reciting what is basically a prayer of thanksgiving:

May the father rejoice in his offspring, and his mother be glad with the fruit of her womb

The parents then read the Parents’ Prayer:  

We pray for the well-being of our son.  As we have brought him before you this day, so may he always be in Your presence.  Guard him, protect him, love him as deeply as we do.  Grant him a life of blessing filled with length of days, good health, loving relationships, and a legacy of good deeds.

As noted above, there are three wishes for the newborn boy that are prayed for repeatedly in the brit milah service:  

1. That the child become an avid student of Torah (and all knowledge)
2. That the child enter into a worthy marriage/partnership
3. That the child will grow into an individual who will lead a life committed to the practice of good deeds

These are, in fact, the traits most valued in Judaism: study of the laws that promote life and community as expressed in words of the Torah, leading a righteous and charitable life, and participating in the life of the world by marrying, having children, and raising future generations who will also share these cherished values.

At this point in the service the floor is turned over to the parents who can discuss why they chose the names for the baby they did and to thank their guests for coming.  This is the time for family members to talk about the significance of the birth of this child for them, to tell family stories, and to celebrate in whatever way they see fit the marvelous arrival of this new child.    

The specific closing prayers of the brit milah ceremony are up to each mohel and/or clergy member. Often there will be three closing blessings:

—The shehecheyanu, a blessing thanking God for allowing friends and family to gather together for this simcha, this happy celebration.

—The blessing over wine.

—The priestly benediction invoking God’s blessing on this growing family.

More traditional Jews will at this point acknowledge the mohel’s role with a handshake and the Yiddish words “yashur koach”, which means roughly “may you go from strength to strength”.

Now comes that very important and explicitly commanded part of the brit milah ceremony: the serving of the festive meal!  The biblical origin of this is described in Genesis 21:8:

Abraham made a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned. 

This is interpreted to mean “when Isaac was circumcised”.  It is the only meal explicitly described in the Torah that follows the performance of a mitzvah. 

The food served can be anything from bagels and cream cheese served buffet style to a fully catered meal. Often traditional Jewish food is served such as lox and bagels, cold cuts, hot kugel, and fruits and salads.