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1)
It is customary to remain awake and study Torah near the child all night
during the night before the bris.
This night is called the Wach Nacht.
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Postponing the Bris
Even for a Remote Possibility of Danger |
2)
The Tzemach Tzedek ruled that
even when there is a remote possibility that the child is not yet strong
enough, the Torah requires that the bris
be postponed until he becomes strong enough. This must not be treated
lightly.
We
also know the psak din of the Tzemach Tzedek regarding a child whose skin is too red — even when
in doubt, we must wait until seven days after he returns to normal.
The Rebbe instructed the secretary, R. Chaim Yehudah Krinsky that also
when the child is jaundiced, we must wait until seven days after he
returns to normal. He added: “It is possible to postpone the bris;
it is not possible to bring even one Jewish soul back to life.”
3)
It is a Jewish custom to refrain from taking a pregnant woman as Kvatterin.
4)
According to what the Tzemach Tzedek
did in actual deed: in a place where there are two mohelim
— one a simple person but highly skilled, and the other elderly and
familiar with the kavannos,
etc., but less skilled — one must take the expert one, for that is
helpful in the actual operation [rather than merely in the spiritual
aspects].
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A Sandek for Two
Brothers |
5)
It is a Jewish custom (mentioned by the Rama)
not to honor one person as sandek
for two brothers.
This does not apply to the local rabbi, who can be honored as sandek for more than one child of the same parents.
6)
I have not seen it done among Anash
for a father to serve as sandek
twice for his sons.
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The Sandek
Wearing a Tallis |
7)
It once happened that the Rebbe Rayatz went to a bris
in order to serve as sandek;
he ordered his tallis to be
taken along, and he then put it on without a blessing
(this was several hours after the prayers).
The Rebbe would also do that.
8)
When the Rebbe was a sandek he
wore his hat, and the tallis was
around his shoulders.
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Should Two Chairs
be Set Up at a Bris —
One for Eliyahu
and One for the Sandek? |
9)
Is it our custom to set up two chairs at a bris
milah? I never heard clearly [from my father-in-law] what our custom
is, but I am nearly certain
that when I attended a bris
where my father-in-law was the sandek
(in Warsaw) there was only one chair.
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It is Forbidden to Circumcise
Using a “Gomke” |
10)
Regarding the circumcision of Jewish children using the device known as a
“gomke” — beyond the fact that this profanes the holiness of this mitzvah, which must be done specifically by hand, by a Jew who
observes mitzvos; and beyond the
fact that this causes pain and suffering to the child — it is simply
forbidden to do this. Not only on Shabbos
when this may involve a transgression punishable by stoning, but even on
weekdays. It is clear that a milah
performed properly according to law [i.e., without a gomke] will have the
spiritual effect of promoting long life.
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Tearing the Mucous Membrane |
11)
One must exert one’s utmost influence to ensure that the mucous membrane
is torn
as a separate operation [from cutting the foreskin].
12)
Suction must be done only by mouth
(and this poses no danger of disease, God forbid). Experience tells
us that we have been doing the suction by mouth for thousands of years,
and no sickness was ever caused by it (G‑d forbid). One who wishes
to change this practice bears the burden [of proof that it is necessary
and proper], and children should not be given to him to circumcise. One
who keeps a mitzvah will know no
evil occurrence.
13)
When it is unavoidable (i.e., if
he does it by mouth he will be dismissed from his position) the suction
may be done through a glass tube. Some insert cotton wool into the tube
and suck through the cotton. The reason for inserting the cotton is that
it aids sterility and prevents the passage of bacteria. What I mean is
that some cotton is inserted into the tube in such a way that it does not
interfere with the vacuum caused by the mouth of the person doing the
suction, and the blood passes through the sterile cotton.
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Circumcision
Under General Anesthesia |
14)
In the case of circumcision for one who has already passed his bar mitzvah,
and it is proposed to do it under medication that results in general
anesthesia — It seems that it is also possible to inject elsewhere
(usually the spine). This temporarily removes all sensation of pain, but
does not put the patient to sleep and he remains in full possession of all
his faculties (and thus he remains fully obligated in this mitzvah).
The difference between these two procedures [and preference for the
second] is obvious.
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Delaying the Bris
Until After Minchah so
that Many More
Can Attend — Regarding the Rejoicing |
15)
Regarding what you ask me, whether to discourage the custom to delay the bris so that many more can attend: Since milah is best accompanied by rejoicing (as cited in several places
regarding the rejoicing at a bris),
this supersedes the requirement that ”those who are enthusiastic about
it do a mitzvah at the earliest
possibility.” For this reason, when Tishah BeAv is postponed [from
Shabbos to Sunday] the milah is
delayed until after Minchah (for
then the fast may be interrupted).
We see from experience that the degree of rejoicing depends upon the
number of people attending, and sometimes there is even sadness when some
are unable to attend.
In
the present case, there is an additional point depending on it — a
chassidic farbrengen. Certainly,
at this occasion they will speak about Torah and mitzvos
and Chassidus; in the final
analysis, it is G‑d Himself “who has commanded us to do all these
statutes, in order to fear ...”
16)
I have not heard of specific days on which a postponed bris should be done; in fact, it is implied in several references
that there are no special days. It should not be postponed (more than
necessary) without good reason.
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Circumcision on Yom Kippur |
17)
If a bris on Yom Kippur takes
place outside the synagogue, it is done following the Torah reading. In
such case, the Torah scrolls are returned to the ark before
people leave the synagogue, because there will be a long pause before the Mussaf
service.
For
the same reason, when people return to the synagogue and the Kaddish is recited before the Mussaf
service, it is proper to recite a chapter of Tehillim before saying the Kaddish.
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One Need Not Endeavor to
Circumcise Twin Brothers at the
Same Time when Only One is Healthy |
18)
Whether the bris should be
postponed until both can be done together? — I do not understand the
rationale for such an idea. It must be done for one child whenever he
reaches full health, and for the second child whenever he becomes healthy and strong, even if they will not be at the same
time.
19)
When the child is brought to the synagogue, they recite: Blessed
is he who has entered ... Happy
is the man You choose ... And the L‑rd spoke ... Pinchas ben Elazar
... My covenant of peace.
20)
When the child is placed upon the Seat of Elijah, the Mohel
says: This is the Seat of Elijah ...
21)
The mohel recites the following
blessing: Blessed are You,
Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with
His commandments and commanded us concerning circumcision.
22)
The father of the child recites the following blessing between cutting the
foreskin and tearing the mucous membrane:
Blessed are You, Lord our
God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His
commandments and commanded us to enter him into the Covenant of Avraham
Avinu.
23)
Those present respond: Just as he
has entered into the Covenant, so may he enter into Torah, into marriage,
and into good deeds.
24)
After the foreskin has been cut off properly, the mohel
should quickly tear the mucous membrane and perform the suction, then take
the cup [of wine] and say: Blessed
are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who creates the
fruit of the vine.
25)
In the blessing ... who sanctified
the beloved one from the womb...,
when saying the words khmvk
vum the
word vum
should be pronounced with a chirik
[tzivah].
26)
[Next comes the recitation of] Our
God and God of our fathers, preserve this child ... and his
name in Israel shall be called ...
27)
A child is given to drink of the wine over which the blessing has been
made, or he [who recited the blessings] should drink it himself. After the
circumcision, the mohel and the
father of the infant recite the following prayer: Sovereign
of the universe... May He who blessed... pledged charity for his sake for
bikkur cholim...
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Reciting the Blessing
of Shehechiyanu |
28)
It is our custom not to recite the blessing of Shehechiyanu
at a bris.
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Circumcising a Convert
whose Father is Jewish |
29)
If a Jew cohabits with a non-Jewish woman, and a son is born to them, and
the father brings him to be circumcised: he is not to be circumcised as a
convert with his father’s permission. But if the mother wishes that the
child be converted, then in my opinion he must be converted under the
auspices of a beis din.
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Circumcising a Convert
Under General Anesthesia |
30)
When circumcising a convert: since this milah
is not an independent mitzvah at
all, but merely a prerequisite [to the conversion], all opinions would
agree that he may be put to sleep.
(The Text):
למול
את הגרים |
31)
When circumcising a convert, the text of the first blessing is ohrdv
,t kunk
(“to circumcise the converts”).
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Reciting a Chassidic Discourse |
32)
It is the custom of Anash that
during the feast of a bris milah
the child’s father recites a chassidic discourse relating to the subject
of bris milah.
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Advance Payment for Tuition |
33)
When he was invited to a bris,
it was my saintly father-in-law’s was custom to donate a sum of money to
the yeshivah at the beginning of the feast. He would declare that this
was a down payment for the tuition for when the infant grows older.
34)
It is customary that at the end of the Grace After Meals we recite the
passages beginning with injrv
for bris milah (as printed in
the Siddur), after which we
continue with ...ubfzh
tuv injrv.
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