S.7 #8 | Bris: the ancient Jewish tradition of circumcision

I had the honor of attending a bris - a circumcision of a baby boy on the 8th day of his life. In this episode, you will learn about the history of this ancient Jewish tradition and what the ritual entails. 

Mentions: 

Bris or Brit Milah - the Jewish covenant of circumcision, performed on a baby boy’s eighth day of life by a trained mohel to welcome him into the covenant of Abraham.

Kvatters - usually a husband-and-wife team, who serve as messengers to bring the baby from the mother’s arms to the side of the room where the circumcision will be performed.

Sandek - the person honored with holding the baby on their lap during the circumcision ceremony, acting as a "godfather" or guardian 

mi sheberach - a traditional Jewish prayer for healing, requesting divine blessing, restoration, and strength for those ill or in need of recovery 

Siman Tov uMazel Tov - celebratory song

Mohel - a trained Jewish professional who performs the ritual circumcision

Transcript

Today’s episode concludes season 7. I will be going out of town, G-d willing, to some exotic places and will need time to reflect on my Jewish adventures and report them back to you! If you are in need of some inspiration in the meantime, find me on Instagram or TikTok at lovetohealpodcast.

Let’s get started! I recently had the honor of attending a bris- the circumcision of a Jewish boy. And even though it was not my first bris, this time it was very different because I actually understood the what, why, and how, and the whole event made a whole lot more sense now that I’ve attended classes with our rabbi for a couple of years and studied on my own. The bris was for our rabbi’s newborn grandson. His daughter Mushkie was a guest on this podcast twice in this season and guess what, when I interviewed her, she was pregnant with her 7th baby and our whole community couldn’t wait to find out the gender because…wait for it…she had 6 sons, no girls, and this baby turned out to be a boy as well, so this bris was her 7th one! Yes, you heard me right, 7th!

Before I get into the beautiful ceremony and party I attended, let me give you some background information, which is available by the way on Chabad.org. A bris, which is actually a Yiddish word, is the Jewish ceremony of circumcision, marking the covenant between God and the Jewish people. It symbolizes the covenant established between God and Abraham in Genesis - this was the very first bris in Jewish history, when G-d asked Abraham to circumcise himself at the age of 99 and to circumcise his son Ishmael who was 13 at the time. After this, G-d promised Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son, and after Isaac was born, G-d instructed Abraham to circumcise his newborn on the 8th day. This made Isaac the first Jew to be circumcised on the 8th day of life. 

Bris, or Brit Milah in Hebrew, is considered one of the oldest and most important traditions, welcoming a newborn into the Jewish community. It is performed by a trained expert known as a mohel, and the ritual is often followed by a festive meal.

The safety of the newborn is very important, so during the pre-brit consultation, the mohel will inspect the child. If he suspects that the bilirubin count is high or sees any other cause for concern, the circumcision is delayed until he (and the pediatrician) are absolutely sure that there is no health risk.

The circumcision typically takes place in the home of the parents or in the synagogue. 

According to mystic tradition, Elijah the Prophet was very critical of the Jewish people. “I vow,” said G‑d to Elijah, “that whenever My children make this sign in their flesh [i.e., whenever there is a circumcision], you will be present, and the mouth which testified that the Jewish people have abandoned My covenant will testify that they are keeping it.” It is for this reason the sages instituted that there be a seat of honor for Elijah at every circumcision.

Sometimes described as the Jewish “godfather,” the sandak (often a revered rabbi or beloved relative) is honored with holding the baby during the brit milah. The sandak is typically seated with the baby on his lap for the duration of the brief ceremony.

A few drops of sweet red wine are given to the baby during a circumcision to soothe and calm them immediately following the procedure, often acting as a mild sedative or comforting agent.

Following the circumcision, a prayer is said for the baby in which his Jewish name is used (and thus announced) for the very first time. It is customary for the parents to keep the baby’s name a secret until this time.

Like a wedding, the circumcision is celebrated with a festive meal. During this meal, people may give speeches on Torah topics, especially the significance of the mitzvah, the birth of the baby, or the name chosen.

As much as we study and internalize the beautiful significance of brit milah, it remains beyond our understanding. It expresses the bond that we have with G‑d, which transcends the human mind. Through placing a sign of our bond to G‑d at the place of human reproduction, we make the act of procreation into something sacred, spiritual, and special—beyond the natural. This is one reason the bris is held on the eighth day. Seven signifies the rational, natural order of things (seven heavens, seven days of the week, etc.). Eight is the leap beyond the limits of our world and a peek into the infinite.

Ok, Now I can tell you about the bris I attended. The event took place at 5pm on a Tuesday in our synagogue. Since Mushkie works at the synagogue, she knows all of our community, which is why she invited everyone, especially all the families with young children so they could experience what a bris is.

The social hall was beautifully decorated, similar to what you would see at a baby shower. I wasn’t sure if a gift was expected, or money, or something else, so I asked our rebbetzin, and she said it’s just like any baby gift, it’s up to the person. My husband, chose to gift the newborn’s father a kosher bottle of bourbon - the two occasionally get together to try new bottles, and this occasion called for a new bottle. As for me, I decided to go shopping for the baby with my 5 year old daughter, who had a blast picking out the cutest clothes and toys for the baby. Had we chosen to gift money, we would have gifted an amount in multiples of 18, which represents life.

As soon as we arrived, we sat at the table closest to the stage. First we saw the parents of the baby there, our rabbi, the mohel who performs circumcision and the sandek — the person honored with holding the baby on their lap during the ceremony, in this case Mushkie’s uncle. Often it is a grandfather or an esteemed individual, but it is the Sandek who provides comfort and stability, representing a spiritual bond and the passing of tradition. The parents took the microphone and welcomed us, the guests, to their 7th bris. After this, Mushkie’s sister and brother in law came out carrying the baby on a white pillow. The person bringing out the baby is called a kvatter - traditionally it is a man, who carries a baby boy into the room where the bris ceremony takes place, and then passes him to the sandek. Right before starting the ritual, the mohel turned to Muhskie’s husband Shimon and jokingly offered him the knife with which to perform the circumcision. Shimon, also jokingly, motioned for him to do his job and at that moment the mohel turned his back to us and began the ritual. By the way, the knife used in the ceremony is a specialized, extremely sharp surgical knife designed for a fast, precise, and less traumatic, almost painless procedure. During the circumcision, which lasted about 30 seconds, we sang celebratory songs like Siman Tov uMazel Tov. Then, once the ritual was over, Mushkie announced the name of the baby, because in Jewish tradition the bris is accompanied by the naming ceremony. The chosen name was Shneur Zalman in honor of the founder and first Rebbe of Chabad by the same name and also in honor of Mushkie’s great grandfather, who was a rabbi here in Cleveland, Ohio.

Now that we knew the name, everyone was given a printed paper with three prayers to say together. The first one had the English translation and said the following: Just as he has entered into the Covenant, so may he enter into Torah, into marriage, and into good deeds”. The second prayer did not have a translation, it was transliterated however and read: Hodu La-Adonai Kee Tove, Kee L’olam Chasdo, which I later found out means: Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness endures forever.

And the third prayer read: May He who blessed our fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses and Aaron, David and Solomon bless this tender infant for the family has pledged charity in his merit towards a Bikur Cholim society. In this merit, may the Holy One, blessed be He, hasten to send a complete recovery and may he be raised to Torah, to marriage, and to good deeds; and let us say Amen.

This third prayer is called “mi sheberach” and it is a public prayer or blessing for an individual or group, most often recited in synagogue when the Torah is being read. Because it is not an officially mandated prayer, there is a lot of room for creativity regarding whom to bless or how they can be blessed. That’s why there are mi sheberachs for just about any person in need of some divine goodness. It’s important to note here that when we petition G‑d to bring blessing or healing, it is customary to do so in merit of charity pledged, which is why the parents of the newborn pledged charity to an organization that cares for the sick. Before hearing about Bikur Cholim at the bris, I didn’t even know such an organization existed. It turns out that Bikur Cholim is Cleveland’s safety net for Jewish families in medical crisis. Since 1988, Bikur Cholim has honored the mitzvah to visit and extend aid to the sick. They help fellow Jews in need in Cleveland and families traveling great distances to seek treatment in the major medical centers of our city. 

Once all the prayers were recited, it was time to enjoy the dinner, which is considered a mitzvah after the bris. Although my heart ached when I heard the baby cry during the moment of circumcision, I never heard the baby cry again that evening. He was completely peaceful and already asleep when the parents came down with him from the stage to join the festivities. Mushkie said that’s why she loves the Jewish tradition of circumcising with the parents by the baby’s side because then the mother can hold the baby right after the procedure and comfort him.

In conclusion, what can I say, I wish I had given my son a traditional bris, but eight years ago I was as far from Judaism as one could be and I was even on the fence about circumcision in general. Thankfully my mother in law pressured me into circumcising my son at the hospital. Now it’s my hope that my children will carry on the bris tradition through their own kids.

If you enjoyed this episode and know someone who might be interested in the topic of bris, please share it. Thank you for listening and until next time!

Mentions: 

Bris or Brit Milah - the Jewish covenant of circumcision, performed on a baby boy’s eighth day of life by a trained mohel to welcome him into the covenant of Abraham.

Kvatters - usually a husband-and-wife team, who serve as messengers to bring the baby from the mother’s arms to the side of the room where the circumcision will be performed.

Sandek - the person honored with holding the baby on their lap during the circumcision ceremony, acting as a "godfather" or guardian 

mi sheberach - a traditional Jewish prayer for healing, requesting divine blessing, restoration, and strength for those ill or in need of recovery 

Siman Tov uMazel Tov - celebratory song

Mohel - a trained Jewish professional who performs the ritual circumcision