Day
of Brit
At Syrian circumcisions a large
tiered tray is filled with flowers and candles. Guests place contributions
on the tray and, following the brit, the tray is sold to the
highest bidder. The money bid, along with that on the tray is then donated
to charity. Some use this "money of blessing" to begin anew
financial endeavor (e.g., to start a business, to buy a home), as an omen
for success.
At Persian circumcisions, a large tray of apples is placed on a
table and young couples are encouraged to partake. Assumedly this custom
is based on the Midrash that when Pharaoh ordered the midwives to kill all
newborn Jewish males, the Jewish women hid in the apple orchards. There,
Heavenly emissaries assisted them with the birth and subsequent care of
the baby. This is alluded to in the verse; Under the apple tree I
begot you (Song of Songs 8:5; Rashi to Sotah 11b). Thus,
apples are propitious for easy labor and delivery.
In many communities the father bestows upon his son the blessings: May
God make you like Ephraim and Menashe (Genesis 48:20). Some add: May
it be His will that you be a brother to seven and also to eight. This latter blessing is a play on Ecclesiastes 11:2,
and is an allusion to the princes of Menashe and Ephraim who were the
seventh and eighth tribal leaders to bring their offerings at the
inauguration of the Mishkan [Tabernacle] in the Wilderness (see Numbers 7:48, 54). This custom is based upon Targum Yonasan to Genesis 48:20 who
paraphrases: This blessing will be conferred by a father on
the day of his son's circumcision (R' Yaakov HaCozer).
Moroccan Jews place a dish of sand near the mohel to signify
that the child should be as fruitful as the grains of sand, as it is
written: And the count of the Children of Israel will be like the sands
of the sea, which cannot be measured nor counted (Hosea 2:1).
This sand is also used to cover the excised foreskin.
Throne
of Elijah
At Syrian circumcisions a
special ornate curtain bearing the name of Elijah the Prophet is draped
over the chair designated as the Throne of Elijah.
In Moroccan families, on the night prior to the brit, the
Throne of Elijah is brought from the synagogue to the home of the infant
where it is decorated with many colorful fabrics. During the brit, the sandak sits on the Throne of Elijah as he holds the infant.
In sefrou, Morocco, the Throne of Elijah was placed near a mezuzah in the home of the child. This was considered auspicious for long life
for the child, as alluded to by the juxtaposition of On the doorposts
of your house,.. In order to prolong your days (Deuteronomy 11
:20-21). Unlike other parts of Morocco, in sefrou the sandak did
not sit on the Throne of Elijah but on a separate chair next to it.
Spanish Jews drape the chair
set aside for Elijah with purple and gold braided material to give it the
appearance of a throne. It is placed next to the sandak and a Chumash or Siddur is placed on it as a reminder that it represents
Elijah's presence and is not to be used by anyone else.
At
the Brit
In many communities an infant
is brought to the synagogue where his brit is to take place,
accompanied by musical instruments. The women ululate in high staccato
sounds that sound like "Ielelelelelelele," a chant of joy in
many Middle Eastern countries. (Zichron. Brit LaRishonim, p. 178).
It is customary to bring the baby in on a large pillow draped with
colorful scarves and shawls of exquisite lace and embroidery.
Among some sephardim the family name is included in the naming of
the child (e.g., if the family name is Haddad, the child is given the name
Moshe ben Gavriel Haddad).
It is customary to smell fragrant spices following the blessing
over the wine. At Moroccan circumcisions dried rose petals are
traditionally used for this purpose. Some explain the custom for smelling
spices as an allusion to the verse in Genesis 2:7, regarding the
creation of Adam: And God blew into his nostrils the soul of life and
man became a living soul. Zohar (Shelach) writes that a Jewish
male attains his soul [connection of the soul] at his brit. Therefore
the sense of smell is used, which is reminiscent of the original infusion
of the soul into man (see Ohel David III, Psalms 44:23).
Others see the use of fragrances as an allusion to the Midrash, which
relates that when Abraham circumcised the members of his household, he
piled their foreskins into a heap. The odor of the foreskins rose to
heaven and was as appreciated by God as the fragrance of the incense
burned on the Altar at the Temple (see Midrash Shir HaShirim 4:6
a,ld Yalkut Shimoni, Lech Lecha §82).
