- What is Bris Milah?
- Who can be a
Mohel?
- Why isn't
there a corresponding ceremony for a girl?
- My wife and I are both
Gentiles however we would like a Mohel to perform the circumcision?
- Is
there an obligation to circumcise a child that was born to a Gentile
mother and a Jewish father?
-
Is there a gift that is appropriate for the Bris?
The word itself means "Covenant of Circumcision". It is the
sign attesting
to the everlasting covenant that G-d established with Abraham and his descendants
(Genesis
17). It was then reiterated through Moses 500 years later: "And on the 8th
day he shall have his foreskin circumcised" (Leviticus 12:3).
The Mohel who performs the ritual circumcision is a person
who has received specialized training in the medical and ritual aspects of
the bris. The moment of the bris has a great spiritual effect upon the child
and therefore Jewish law specifies that one should choose a Mohel who is
noted not only for his technical skills but also for his level of piety. It
has therefore been the tradition that a Rabbi, cantor, or spiritual leader
will also serve the community as a Mohel.
Why isn't there
a corresponding ceremony for a girl?
Tradition holds the Jewish woman in the greatest esteem.
It is the Jewish mother who conveys the Jewish status and birthright upon
her child, ensuring the future of the entire Jewish people. Tradition tells
us that a newborn girl is considered "complete" with regard to the
spiritual benefits attained through a Bris Milah.
My wife and
I are both Gentiles however we would like a Mohel to perform the
circumcision?
When circumcision is performed on a gentile it is
usually done for medical reasons. A Mohel is one that performs
circumcision only for ritual reasons, therefore the Mohel generally does
not perform circumcision on gentiles.
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The obligation is for a Jew to circumcise his Jewish
child. However the Jewish law states that Judaism follows the mother and if
the mother is non-Jewish then unless there is a proper conversion (to the
mother) the child is not Jewish and does not require circumcision.
As a good friend it may be thoughtful to come to the
Bris with a gift. A nice gift may be something like an infants outfit or
perhaps the parents have set up a baby gift registry.
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