A bris, or brit milah, is a Jewish ceremony where male babies are circumcised on the eighth day of life. It is a significant event where the child is welcomed into the Jewish community and given a Hebrew name. The ceremony is performed by a mohel and includes a ritual meal. Guests are invited to join in the prayers and meal, and it is an honor to be invited.
A bris is a religious ceremony held on the eighth day of life for male Jewish children. During the ceremony, the child is welcomed into the covenant made between the Children of Israel and God. The key event is the circumcision performed on the newborn, although the ceremony also includes the announcement of the child’s Hebrew name and a subsequent ritual meal for finish the ceremony.
In Hebrew, the bris is known as the brit milah. The term is Yiddish, derived from the Ashkenazi Hebrew bris milah. This ceremony is spelled out quite clearly in the Hebrew Bible: Jewish boys must be circumcised to be considered part of the Jewish community. Men who convert to Judaism must also undergo a bris. It is so important that the ceremony be held on the Sabbath or on a Jewish holiday if the appointed day falls on one of these days.
During the ceremony, the child is held by a sandek, a close friend of the child’s family who could become a mentor. Many families give this honor to someone who has no children, symbolizing the hope that the sandek will one day have children. Traditionally, the child lies on the sandek’s lap on a ritual bench.
To be considered official, a bris must be performed by a mohel, a devout Jew who has been trained to perform the ceremony. Circumcision is performed with a surgical scalpel, as blood sampling is part of the ceremony. Traditionally, the wound was orally aspirated after the bris was completed, although due to concerns about the potential for disease transmission, most Jewish sects allow the use of a glass tube so that it does not Verify oral-genital contact.
If a child has already been circumcised, or if circumcision would be dangerous, as in the case of a haemophiliac, a stick of ritual blood known as a hatafat dam brit may be used as a substitute for the bris. The ceremony may also be delayed for health reasons if the baby’s doctor or mohel thinks the bris could be dangerous, such as in the case of premature or jaundiced babies.
Being invited to a bris is a great honor, as this ceremony is an important event in the life of a Jewish man. Guests typically join in the ritual prayers said during the ceremony and the meal that follows. Since Jewish families traditionally do not accept gifts before a child is born, it is not uncommon for gifts to be presented at this time, although guests are not required to do so.
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