Jewish Calendar 2009-2010/5769-5770

The following is a list of Jewish holidays which affects the scheduling of the Brit Milah ceremony.

There are two main concerns:

1. If you live in an area where there is no reliable, observant local Mohel available within walking distance of the brit, and your son's brit coincides with the Sabbath or a Jewish holiday, rather than have someone ride or drive on that Sabbath or holiday, it is religiously preferred to delay the brit to the next available weekday. Rabbi Shron can perform the brit at Kehilath Israel Synagogue on Shabbat or a Jewish Holiday.
2. If your baby is born by caesarian section and the day of the brit coincides with the Sabbath or major festival, the correct and proper day for the brit is the next regular weekday. Before informing your family and friends, make sure you have confirmed with Rabbi Shron the correct day for the Brit Milah.

The Torah tells us that the brit should take place on the eighth day. That is, during the daylight hours only, never at night and never before the eighth day--they would not qualify as brit milah. But the eighth day is not an absolute. There are times when a brit cannot happen on the eighth day. If the baby is not well, the brit is delayed until he is well. There are times when a brit should not happen on the eighth day. There are certain situations and circumstances when I will advise the family not to make the brit on the eighth day. As an observant Jew, I can't advise a family to do something that goes against Jewish law and custom. On the contrary, I want the best for them. I also advise them that they may get significant opposition from family members and possibly even from their rabbi who may not agree with this approach or who may not be familiar with the intricacies of the Jewish laws and religious values that we are trying to balance. Religiously, it is better to delay the brit to the ninth or tenth day rather than have the bris on the eighth day just for the sake of having it on the eighth day. The goal is a proper and kosher brit at the highest level with the desire to avoid any unnecessary religious conflicts.

Traditionally, a Mohel is a religiously observant rabbi or cantor who underwent extensive training (i.e. a multi-year apprenticeship), who is dedicated to the brit as a religious endeavor, who has performed thousands of britot and who follows all of the Jewish laws and customs. Today, there are many doctors who have taken a two day or thirty five hour mini-course. They know how to circumcise and have learned some of the blessings and customs. But, they are not religiously observant. They do not necessarily follow the Jewish laws and customs or obligate themselves to the very high religious standards which define what a mohel is. They may call themselves mohalim, but by traditional standards, are not. For example, anyone who will perform a brit before the eighth day, perform a bris at night, schedule a brit for their convenience or drive to a brit on a Shabbat or holiday is automatically disqualified and should not be hired to perform a brit. Conversely, a doctor who is Sabbath observant will not become a mohel because there are inherent religious and ethical conflicts which discourage this. There is a very good analogy. A judge who is Jewish, but not an observant Jew is qualified to perform a civil wedding ceremony; he is not religiously qualified to perform a Jewish wedding ceremony. Similarly, a Jewish doctor is perfectly qualified to perform a circumcision, but a Jewish doctor who is not religiously observant is not qualified to perform a brit. This is very confusing to those families who are not aware of the very high religious standards that are required in order to qualify as a mohel. The religious observance of the individual is an indicator that the standards will be maintained and the brit will be properly performed in accordance with the Jewish laws and customs.

If you live in an area where there is no properly trained, religiously observant, non-medical mohel available, it is religiously preferred to delay the bris until you can obtain the services of a properly trained, religiously observant, mohel.