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Brit milah (Hebrew: בְרִית מִילָה literally: "covenant circumcision"), also berit milah (Sephardi), bris milah (Ashkenazi pronunciation) or bris (Yiddish) is a religious ceremony within Judaism that welcomes infant Jewish boys into a covenant between God and the Children of Israel through ritual circumcision performed by a mohel ("circumcisor") in the presence of family and friends, followed by a celebratory meal (seudat mitzvah).

Biblical origin

According to the Hebrew Bible, in the Book of Genesis 17:1-14, circumcision was enjoined when God says "Walk before Me and be perfect" to the Biblical patriarch Abraham to be followed by his descendants as "a token of the covenant" concluded with him by God for all generations. It is also when his name is changed from "Abram" to "Abraham" by God:

'Abram was 99 years old. God appeared to him and said, 'I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be perfect. I will make a covenant between Me and you, and I will increase your numbers very much.' Abram fell on his face. God spoke to him , saying, 'As far as I am concerned, here is My covenant with you: You shall be the father of a horde of nations. No longer shall you be called Abram. Your name shall become Abraham, for I have set you up as the father of a horde of nations. I will increase your numbers very, very much, and I will make you into nations - kings will be your descendants. I will sustain My covenant between Me and between you and your descendants after you throughout their generations, an eternal covenant; I will be a God to you and to your offspring after you. To you and your offspring I will give the land where you are now living as a foreigner. The whole land of Canaan shall be eternal heritage, and I will be a God to .' God said to Abraham, 'As far as you are concerned, you must keep My covenant - you and your offspring throughout their generations. This is My covenant between Me, and between you and your offspring that you must keep: You must circumcise every male. You shall be circumcised through the flesh of your foreskin. This shall be the mark of the covenant between Me and you. 'Throughout all generations, every male shall be circumcised when he is eight days old. those born in your house, as well as bought with cash from an outsider, who is not your descendant. both houseborn and purchased with your money must be circumcised. This shall be My covenant in your flesh, an eternal covenant. The uncircumcised male whose foreskin has not been circumcised, shall have his soul cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.' Genesis 17:1-14

As well as in Leviticus 12:3:

On the eighth day, foreskin shall be circumcised.

The penalty of non-observance was karet, "excision" from the people as noted in Genesis 17:14. Conversion to Judaism for non-Israelites in Biblical times necessitated circumcision otherwise one could not partake in the Passover offering (Exodus 12:48) or marry into a Jewish family (Genesis 34:14-16).

History

The original form of circumcision practiced by Jews has traditionally existed since the time of Abraham. The rite of milah, initially consisted of cutting off only the tip of the foreskin, the part that extends past the glans in the normal male infant. A more extensive form, involving periah (clearing the glans) was commenced after the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.

Two thousand years ago, Jewish hellenists, wanting to assimilate into Greek society, obliterated the sign of their circumcisions by finding ways to lengthen them, to make it look as if they had not been circumcised at all. This practice was unacceptable to the Jewish community at large.

Reason

As with many commandments, the Torah gives no specific reason why the covenant had to be remembered through circumcision.

The 1st century Jewish philosopher Philo stated that circumcision "represents the excision of the pleasure of sex, which bewitches the mind". A similar view is voiced by the 12th century Jewish scholar Maimonides once argued that one of the purposes of the Brit milah was to reduce sexual behavior and to weaken the sexual bond between man and woman (Guide for the Perplexed part III, chapter 49).

Kvatter

The name of Kvatter among Ashkenazi Jews is for the person who carries the baby from the mother to the mohel. The origins of the term are not clear, but it is likely to be a Yiddish erroneous combination of the words "Kavod" ("honor" in Hebrew) and "Tier" ("door" in Yiddish), meaning "The person honored by bringing the baby". The traditional custom is to honor as the Kvatter a young newly-wed couple (without children of their own yet) as a merit for having a baby. The young woman (Kvatterin) carries the baby from the mother and then hands it over to her husband.

Metzitzah

Alternately spelled mezizah, mean "suction".

By mouth

Metzitzah b'peh ("suction by mouth") is a Halakhic practice in Haredi and Hasidic circles in which the mohel has mouth-to-genital contact during ritual circumcision of baby boys. After the mila, the mohel then sucks the baby's penis once to draw blood, much in the same fashion as medical science once prescribed for snakebite. The mohel spits the blood into a receptacle provided. Afterwards the circumcised penis is bandaged, and the operation considered complete.

Some have feared that the practice may spread diseases to the babies from the mohel's mouth (such as herpes), but most mohelim are aware of this and ensure that their mouths are sanitized and washed out by rinsing with alcohol to disinfect the mouth.

The foundation for the ritual of metzitzah b’peh is found in Mishnah Shabbat 19:2, which lists metzitzah b’peh as one of the four steps involved in the circumcision rite.

Rabbi Moses Sofer (known as "the Chatam Sofer) observed that the Mishnah states that the rationale for this part of the ritual was hygenic — i.e., to protect the health of the child. He also cited a passagefrom the Talmud Tractate Nedarim 32a as a warrant for the position that metzitzah b’peh was not an obligatory part of the circumcision ceremony.

As a result of these texts, the Chatam Sofer contended that Jewish tradition instituted metzitzeh b’eh solely to prevent danger to the infant and stated that metzitzah b’peh was not a required part of the circumcision ceremony.

On the other hand, the Maharam Shik, one of the most prominent students of the Chatam Sofer, states in his book on halachic guidance, She’eilos U’teshuvos Maharam Shik Orach Chaim 152, that the Chatam Sofer gave the ruling in that specific instance only and that it may not be applied elsewhere.

In addition, Rabbi Chaim Chizkiya HaLevi Medini the Sdei Chemed elaborates more on what prompted the Chatam Sofer to give the above ruling:

He tells the story, that a student of the Chatam Sofer - a Rabbi - needed the ruling in defense to a law the government - in his place of rabbinical authority - wanted to establish that would-have permitted doctors only to perform Brit milah and without metzitzah b’peh because of the concern of giving AIDS to the baby, so he asked the Chatam Sofer to give him permission to do Brit milah without metzitzah b’peh. and when he presented the defense in court they marked down his words and published it as if the Chatam Sofer gave it as a general ruling.

He then adds, nevertheless it is my opinion that the Chatam Sofer never even wrote this letter it is a forgery in my opinion and even if the letter was written by the Chatam Sofer he surly didn’t give it as a general ruling, given that it was not printed in his book on halachic guidance which was the custom with all halachic rulings intended for the public.

Recent controversy

Controversy arose in New York City when health officials announced that in December of 2005 that they suspected that two infants who underwent the procedure had been infected with herpes and that one of them had subsequently died . As the of the date of this writing, Jan/2006, there has been no confirmation that the mohel was the source of these infections.

By tube

Most mohels have given up on the traditional practice of direct contact. The Modern Orthodox way is a modified procedure in which a tube separates the penis of the baby and the mouth of the rabbi, so the rabbi's mouth does not have direct contact with the baby's penis.

In addition three studies in Israel, Canada and the United States have documented 11 cases of genital herpes.

1. Rubin LG, Lanzkowsky P. Cutaneous neonatal herpes simplex infection associated with ritual circumcision. Pediatric Infectious Diseases Journal. 2000. 19(3) 266-267.
2. Distel R, Hofer V, Bogger-Goren S, Shalit I, Garty BZ. Primary genital herpes simplex infection associated with Jewish ritual circumcision. Israel Medical Association Journal. 2003 Dec;5(12):893-4
3. Gesundheit B, Grisaru-Soen G, Greenberg D, Levtzion-Korach O, Malkin D, Petric M, Koren G, Tendler MD, Ben-Zeev B, Vardi A, Dagan R, Engelhard D. Neonatal genital herpes simplex virus type 1 infection after Jewish ritual circumcision: modern medicine and religious tradition. 2004. Pediatrics. 114(2):259-63

Conversion and exceptions

A Brit milah could be circumvented with Dam Brit, or foregone altogether with a Milah L'Shem Giur:

Hatafat dam brit

Medical circumcision alone, in the absence of the brit milah ceremony, does not fulfill the requirements of the mitzvah. In the case of a Jew who was circumcised outside of a brit milah, or an already-circumcised convert, the mohel draws a symbolic drop of blood from the penis.

Hatafat dam brit (heb. דם ברית "Drop of the blood Covenant") refers to the fulfillment of the mitzvah of a brit milah.

Blood

A brit milah is not considered complete unless blood is actually drawn. This is not the intentional spilling of blood, as circumcision opponents might allege. The standard medical methods of circumcision through constriction do not meet the requirements of the halakhah for brit milah, because they cause hemostasis, i.e., they stop the flow of blood. A brit milah, to be conducted properly, requires the use of a specialized surgical knife, called an izmel, which does allow for dam brit.

Unlike the traditional Jewish method, when circumcision is performed by a urologist or other surgeon the foreskin is removed by constriction, either with the use of clamps or a synthetic ring. This non-Jewish method works by crushing the skin until it is severed. The nerve endings and the blood vessels are severed in the same manner, causing pain and hemeostasis.

Role in conversion

There are reasons not to perform a circumcision when a man has converted to Judaism. A circumcision is not possible if a convert was already circumcised prior to conversion, or if he has a medical condition (such as hemophilia) which would cause a circumcision to potentially endanger his life. In these situations, a brit milah can not be performed, and instead a single drop of blood is extracted, in a practice called hatafat dam brit (Heb. הטפת דם ברית).

Milah l'shem giur

• A Milah L'shem giur ("Circumcision for purpose of conversion") is a private brit milah that is a "conditional act":
  • If anyone else is present, other than the biological parents and the beth din ("Jewish court"), it is considered "in front of the community" and invalid.
  • It does not have to be performed on a particular day, though it would be considered surgical malpractice (in the US) for the mohel to perform a circumcision after the child is 30 days old.
  • The child is not technically Jewish, and does not receive a Hebrew name.
  • This is usually performed for a boy whose mother has not converted, but with the intention that the child be raised Jewish. Should the mother convert, and if the boy has not yet reached his third birthday, the child may be immersed in the mikveh with the mother, after the mother has already immersed, to become Jewish. If the mother does not convert, or did not immerse in the mikveh, or the boy was too old, then the child may choose of their own accord to become Jewish as a Bar Mitzvah.
  • At Bar Mitzvah, if a Milah l'shem giur had been performed when the boy was an infant, it would remove the obligation to undergo either a full brit milah or hatafat dam brit.
  • If the mother does not convert to Judaism, the child may be immersed in a mikveh, or body of natural waters, to complete the child's conversion to Judaism. This can be done before the child is even one year old. This conversion of a child to Judaism without the conversion of the mother is allowed by halakha ("Jewish law"), but only under the condition that the child be raised as a Jew in a single-faith household. Technically the conversion is valid until the boy reaches the age of 13. At that time he has the option of renouncing his conversion and Judaism, and the conversion will then be considered invalid. If he does not make such a statement it is accepted that the boy is halakhically Jewish.

Social context

According to the Hebrew Bible, it was "a reproach" for an Israelite to be uncircumcised (Joshua 5:9.) The name arelim ("uncircumcised" ) is used opprobriously, denoting the Philistines and other non-Israelites (I Samuel 14:6, 31:4; II Samuel 1:20) and used synonymously with tameh (unclean) for heathen (Isaiah 52:1). The word arel ("uncircumcised" ) is also employed for "unclean" (Leviticus 26:41, "their uncircumcised hearts"; compare Jeremiah 9:25; Ezekiel 44:7,9); it is even applied to the first three years' fruit of a tree, which is forbidden (Leviticus 19:23).

However, the Israelites born in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt were not circumcised. Joshua 5:2-9, explains, "all the people that came out" of Egypt were circumcised, but those "born in the wilderness" were not. Therefore Joshua, before the celebration of the Passover, had them circumcised at Gilgal.

Deuteronomy 10:16 says: "Circumcise the foreskin of your heart," suggesting that ethical acts (among people) are as important as spiritual acts (between people and God). The prophetic tradition emphasizes that God expects people to be good as well as pious, and that non-Jews will be judged based on their ethical behavior. Thus, Jeremiah 9:25-26 says that circumcised and uncircumcised will be punished alike by the Lord; for "all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart."

Recent views

Historical view

Recent historians maintain that the "limited" form of circumcision, with only the removal of the tip of the prepuce, was actually practiced up to the time of the Syrian-Greek occupation, when the procedure was extended to make it impossible for men to "undo" their circumcision. There is no basis for this view in classical rabbinic sources, which state that the "extended" form of circumcision was introduced at Mount Sinai.

The anti-circumcision movement

The anti-circumcision movement has not made significant inroads into any of the Jewish denominations. However, a small number of contemporary Jews choose to not circumcise their sons. They are assisted by a small number of Reform and Reconstructionist rabbis, and have developed a welcoming ceremony that they call the Brit Shalom ("Covenant Peace") for such children.

This ceremony is not officially approved of by the Reform or Reconstructionist rabbinical organizations. Rabbis in these movements strongly recommend circumcision for all male infants, and for all men who convert into Judaism. In contrast with Orthodox Judaism and Conservative Judaism, these formerly liberal denominations generally have made this a strong "recommendation" as opposed to an "obligation" (or "requirement"). Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism have often accepted medical circumcisions performed by doctors as sufficient to fulfill the commandment of brit milah. However, in recent years these movements have begun stressing the religious and ritual nature of circumcision and have begun training their own experts (mohalim) in this ritual. Brit Shalom is most fully accepted in Humanistic Judaism.

In Israel there are several secular groups such as Kahal that advocate against or supply information that is critical of circumcision.

See also

• Circumcision in the Bible
• Zeved habat (welcoming ceremony for girls)
• Redemption of First-born (Pidyon ha-ben)
• Brit shalom
• Vacht Nacht (Ceremony the night before the Brit Milah)

References

1. Sdei Chemed vol.8 page 238

External links

Sources that favor the brit milah

• Jewish Ritual Circumcision (About.com)
• Circumcision (Jewish Virtual Library)
• Bris milah - Beautiful or barbaric? (Aish.com)
• Brit Milah - Ritual Circumcision in Judaism (Chabad.org)
• Review of rabbinic sources and responsa on converting minors to Judaism by Rabbi Avram Reisner
• Advocating Circumcision Today - A pro-circumcision site containing details about the ceremony of Brit Milah and its history.
• Circlist.org- A pro-circumcision site with a cultural examination of a bris.

Sources against or warning about the brit milah

• Jewish Circumcision.org - An anti-circumcision site that advocates for Jews to abandon the Brit Milah.
• Noharmm.org - An anti-circumcision article from a "Jewish feminist" perspective.
• City Risking Babies' Lives… - Controversy over metzitza be'peh.
• Af-Mila - An Israeli anti-circumcision organization.
• Jews Against Circumcision - A group of Jews that advocates for Brit Shalom.

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