Brit milah 4768 225373558 2008-07-13T10:09:57Z Pikipiki 831097 /* Traditional view */ <!-- ATTENTION! PLEASE READ BEFORE EDITING. Hi, and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently subjected to vandalism and the insertion of personal opinions. You will not accomplish anything by vandalizing or failing to use [[WP:RS|reliable sources]] at Wikipedia. If you wish to try test editing, you may do so in our sandbox located at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Sandbox Thanks! This page is frequently scrutinized and debated. If you wish to edit this article with factual, neutral information, scroll down. --> {{infobox Halacha |image=[[Image:Covenant of Abraham.JPG|250px]] |caption=''According to Jewish Law, Brit milah must</br>be performed on every Jewish male'' |verse={{bibleverse||Genesis|17:1-14|HE}}, {{bibleverse||Leviticus|12:3|HE}} |talmud= |mishnah= |rambam= |sa = |codes=}} '''Brit milah''' ([[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]: {{lang|he|בְּרִית מִילָה}} [bə'rī<u>t</u> mī'lā] literally: "covenant of [[circumcision]]"), also '''berit milah''' ([[Sephardi Jews|Sephardi]]), '''bris milah''' ([[Ashkenazi Jews|Ashkenazi]] pronunciation) or '''bris''' ([[Yiddish language|Yiddish]]) is a religious [[ceremony]] within [[Judaism]] to welcome infant [[Jew]]ish [[boy]]s into a [[covenant]] between [[Names of God in Judaism|God]] and the [[Children of Israel]] through ritual [[circumcision]] performed by a ''[[mohel]]'' ("circumciser"), on the eighth day of the child's life unless health reasons force a delay, in the presence of family and friends, followed by a celebratory meal (''[[seudat mitzvah]]''). ==Biblical origin== {{main|Circumcision in the Bible}} [[Image:Isaac's circumcision, Regensburg c1300.jpg|thumb|250px|"Isaac's Circumcision", Regensburg Pentateuch, c1300]] According to the [[Hebrew Bible]], in the [[Book of Genesis]] 17:1-14, circumcision was enjoined when [[Names of God in Judaism|God]] said "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 [again], 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 [your] eternal heritage, and I will be a God to [your descendants].' God [then] 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. [This shall include] those born in your house, as well as [slaves] bought with cash from an outsider, who is not your descendant. [All slaves,] 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<ref>http://bible.ort.org/books/pentd2.asp?ACTION=displaypage&BOOK=1&CHAPTER=17</ref> As well as in [[Leviticus]] 12:3: :''On the eighth day, [the child's] foreskin shall be circumcised.''<ref>http://bible.ort.org/books/pentd2.asp?ACTION=displaypage&BOOK=3&CHAPTER=12</ref> The penalty of non-observance is ''karet'', "excision" from the people or being cut off from the community by God, 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). Today, as in the time of Abraham, it is required of converts in [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] and [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative]] [[Judaism]]. (Genesis 34:14-16). ==Origin== ===Traditional view=== According to rabbinic opinion, circumcision existed as a rite since the time of [[Abraham]], and the present form of circumcision (Milah, pri'ah, metziztah) was introduced in the [[Oral Torah]] - Rabbi Chaim Chizkiyahu Midini.<ref>[http://dhengah.org/metzitzah4dummies/metzitzah4dummies.htm Mereches Hameztiztah from the Sdei Chemed]</ref>, Shailos and Teshuvos Yehuda Ya'aleh - Rabbi Yehuda Assad, Shailos and Teshuvos Maharam Shick - Rabbi Moshe Shick, Shailos and Teshuvos Binyan Tzion - Rabbi Yaakov Etlinger - Vol 1:23 & 24. ==Reasoning== As stated in the above : ''"God [then] 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. [This shall include] those born in your house, as well as [slaves] bought with cash from an outsider, who is not your descendant. [All slaves,] 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."'' ''Brit milah'' is considered to be so important that should the eighth day fall on [[Shabbat|the Sabbath]], actions that would normally be forbidden because of the sanctity of the day are permitted in order to fulfill the requirement to circumcise. ==Ceremonial== ===Kvatter=== [[Image:Göttingen-Beschneidungswerkzeuge.02.JPG|thumb|right|150px|Set of implements used in the performance of ''brit milah'', displayed in the [[Göttingen]] city museum]] The name of ''Kvatter'' or ''Kvatterin'' (female) among [[Ashkenazi Jews]] is for the person who carries the baby from the mother to the father, who in turn carries him to the [[mohel]]. This honor is usually given to a couple without children, as a merit or charm that they should have children of their own. The origins of the term may simply be a corruption of "Gevatter", a [[German language|German]] word for [[godparent|godfather]]<ref>http://beritmila.org/Glossary.html</ref>, but it is also said to be a [[Yiddish language|Yiddish]] erroneous combination of the words "Kavod" ("honor" in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]) and "Tor" ("door" in Yiddish), meaning "The person honored by bringing the baby". Another source is a mix of [[Hebrew]] and [[Yiddish]] meaning 'like the father'. ===Metzitzah=== Less commonly practised, and more controversial, is metzitzah b'peh, (alt. ''mezizah''), or oral suction,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?artid=11539 | title = City Risking Babies' Lives With Brit Policy: Health Experts | accessdate = 2007-04-19 | last = Nussbaum Cohen | first = Debra | date = [[October 14]], [[2005]] | publisher = [[The Jewish Week]] }} </ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?artid=11833&print=yes | title = City Challenged On Ritual Practice | accessdate = 2007-04-19 | last = Nussbaum Cohen | first = Debra | coauthors = Larry Cohler-Esses | date = [[December 23]], [[2005]] | publisher = [[The Jewish Week]] }} </ref> where the ''[[mohel]]'' sucks blood from the circumcision wound. The traditional reason for this procedure is to promote healing,<ref>[[Talmud Bavli]] Tractate Shabbos 133b: Rav Pappa said, “A mohel who does not perform metzitzah endangers the baby and is dismissed.” </ref><ref>{{cite journal | first = Mordechai | last = Halperin | authorlink = Mordechai Halperin | coauthors = <small>(translated by Yocheved Lavon)</small> | title = Metzitzah B’peh Controversy: The View from Israel | url = http://www.ou.org/jewish_action/article/8987 | journal = [[Jewish Action]] | volume = 67 | issue = 2 | publisher = [[Orthodox Union]] | id = {{ISSN|0447-7049}} {{OCLC|5763983}} | pages = 25, 33–39 | date = Winter 2006 | accessdate = 2007-02-15 | quote = <small>The original technique for the performance of metzitzah employs the human mouth. The mohel brings the baby’s organ into his mouth immediately after the excision of the foreskin and sucks blood from it vigorously. This action lowers the internal pressure in the tissues of the organ, in the blood vessels of the head of the organ and in the exposed ends of the arterioles that have just been cut. Thus, the difference between the pressure in the blood vessels in the base of the organ and the pressure in the blood vessels at its tip is increased. This requirement has deep religious significance as well as medical benefits.…The Gemara states that the requirement of metzitzah stems from medical considerations; it is meant to minimize risk to the infant’s life and health</small> | doi = 10.1542/peds.114.2.e259 | pmid = 15286266}} </ref> although the practice has been implicated in the spreading of herpes to the infant.<ref name = "Gesundheit">{{cite journal | last = Gesundheit | first = B. | coauthors = et al. | year = 2004 | month = August | title = Neonatal Genital Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Infection After Jewish Ritual Circumcision: Modern Medicine and Religious Tradition | journal = Pediatrics | volume = 114 | issue = 2 | pages = e259&ndash;e263 | id = {{ISSN|1098-4275}} | url = http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/114/2/e259.pdf | doi = 10.1542/peds.114.2.e259 <!--Retrieved from URL by DOI bot--> | format = PDF | accessdate = 2006-06-28 }} </ref> ''Metzitzah b'peh'' ("suction by mouth") is a practice in certain [[Haredi Judaism|Haredi]] and [[Hasidic Judaism|Hasidic]] circles in which, after removing the foreskin, the [[mohel]] sucks out the blood from the wound to clean it. The ''mohel'' spits the blood into a receptacle provided. Afterwards the circumcised penis is bandaged, and the ''brit'' is considered complete. Because the practice may spread diseases to the babies from the mohel's mouth (such as [[herpes]]), most ''mohelim'' ensure that their mouths are sanitized and washed out by rinsing with [[alcoholic beverage|alcohol]] to disinfect the mouth.<ref>Cp. Shabtai, David and Raymond Sultan "Medical Risk Taking in Halacha" in ''Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society'', 2006. See also the rabbinic principle, [[The Lord protects the simple]].</ref> However, because alcohol may not kill a virus such as herpes, washing the mouth with alcohol alone is not regarded as a sufficient protective measure. Today, if it is performed, the mohel generally uses a sterilized glass tube.<ref name = "RCAMetzitzah">{{cite web | url = http://www.rabbis.org/news/article.cfm?id=100605 | title = Metzitza Be'Peh - Halachic Clarification | accessdate = 2007-04-06 | date = [[June 7]], [[2005]] | publisher = [[Rabbinical Council of America]] | quote = <small>The poskim consulted by the RCA…agree that the normative halacha undoubtedly permits the third view [using a glass tube], and that it is proper for mohalim to conduct themselves in this way given the health issues involved in the fourth view.…However, although Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik also generally prohibited metzitza be’peh with direct oral contact, he did not ban it by those who insisted upon it, and neither does the RCA advocate any such ban. Those who wish to follow their customs in accordance with the above-noted authorities are certainly entitled to do so, but the RCA is firmly of the opinion that in light of current realities and medical knowledge it is proper, and preferable, to use a tube.</small> }} </ref><ref name = "Hartog">{{cite news |first = Kelly |last = Hartog |url = http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=13676 |title = Death Spotlights Old Circumcision Rite |publisher = [[The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles]] |date = [[February 18]] [[2005]] |accessdate = 2006-11-22 |quote = <small>Metzizah b’peh — loosely translated as oral suction — is the part of the circumcision ceremony where the mohel removes the blood from the baby’s member; these days the removal of the blood is usually done using a sterilized glass tube, instead of with the mouth, as the Talmud suggests.</small> }}</ref> However, the practice has become a controversy in both secular and [[Jewish medical ethics]]. The foundation for the ritual of metzitzah is found in [[Mishnah]] Shabbat 19:2, which lists metzitzah as one of the four steps involved in the circumcision rite. Rabbi [[Moses Sofer]] (known as the "''Chasam Sofer''") observed that the Talmud states that the rationale for this part of the ritual was hygienic — i.e., to protect the health of the child. As a result of these texts, the Chasam Sofer contended that Jewish tradition instituted metzitzeh solely to prevent danger to the infant and stated that metzitzah was not required to be applied orally, but nevertheless made the leniency conditional upon doctors testifying that the metzitzah with a sponge would accomplish the same purpose as oral suction. His letter was published in Kochvei Yitzchok.<ref>http://www.thejewishweek.com/top/editletcontent.php3?artid=4591</ref> On the other hand, Rabbi Moshe Schick, the [[Maharam Shik]], one of the most prominent students of the Chasam Sofer, states in his book of Responsa, She’eilos U’teshuvos Maharam Shik (Orach Chaim 152,) that the Chasam Sofer gave the ruling in that specific instance only and that it may not be applied elsewhere. He also states (Yoreh Deah 244)that the practice is possibly a Sinaitic tradition, i.e., [[Halacha l'Moshe m'Sinai]], and one is required to have [[Mesiras nefesh]] for the practice. In addition, Rabbi Chaim Chizkiya HaLevi Medini the [[Sdei Chemed]] printed a 50 page section called [http://dhengah.org/metzitzah4dummies/metzitzah4dummies.htm Ma'areches Hametzitzah], also claiming the practice to be Halacha l'Moshe m'Sinai, quoting R' Yehudah Assad and others. He also elaborates more on what prompted the [[Chasam Sofer]] to give the above ruling:<ref>Sdei Chemed vol.8 page 238</ref> He tells the story, that a student of the [[Chasam Sofer]] - Rabbi Elazer Hurvitz, The author of responsa Yad Elazer and Chief Rabbi of Vienna at the time, (The incident is mentioned in responsa 54)- needed the ruling in defense of a governmental attempt to ban bris milah completely if it included Metztitzah b'peh, because of the concern of spreading disease to the baby. He therefore asked the [[Chasam Sofer]] to give him permission to do Brit milah without metzitzah b’peh and when he presented the defense in court they erroneously recorded his testimony to mean that the [[Chasam Sofer]] stated it as a general ruling. He then adds, "Nevertheless it is my opinion that the [[Chasam Sofer]] never even wrote this letter. It is a forgery, in my opinion, and even if the letter was written by the [[Chasam Sofer]] he certainly didn’t state it as a general ruling, given that it was not printed in his book of halachic responsa, as was the custom with all halachic rulings intended for the public." Included in the [http://dhengah.org/metzitzah4dummies/metzitzah4dummies.htm Kuntres Hamiliuim] at the end of [http://dhengah.org/metzitzah4dummies/metzitzah4dummies.htm Ma'areches Hametzitah] is a pronouncement by several hundred noted Hungarian and Russian Rabbis not to change the procedure, as well as statements by doctors at that time (circa 1890) that Metzitzah was not a danger if performed as prescribed in shulchan orech. ====Medical controversy==== [[Image:Chair of Elijah.JPG|thumb|200px|"Chair of Elijah" used during the brit milah ceremony]] Metzitzah b'peh was implicated in the transfer of [[Herpes simplex virus|herpes]] from [[mohel]]im to eight Israeli infants, one of whom suffered brain damage.<ref name = "Gesundheit" /><ref>[http://my.webmd.com/content/article/91/101352.htm?lastselectedguid=%7B5FE84E90-BC77-4056-A91C-9531713CA348%7D Rare Circumcision Ritual Carries Herpes Risk]</ref> When three New York City infants contracted herpes after metzizah b'peh by one mohel and one of them died, New York authorities took out a restraining order against the mohel requiring use of a sterile glass tube, or pipette.<ref name = "NewmanNYT">{{cite news | first = Andy | last = Newman | title = City Questions Circumcision Ritual After Baby Dies | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/26/nyregion/26circumcise.html?ex=1164344400&en=31f8462c34a55f16&ei=5070 | publisher = [[The New York Times]] | date = [[August 26]], [[2005]] | accessdate = 2006-11-23 }} </ref><ref name = "Hartog" /> However, the mohel's attorney argued that the New York Department of Health had not supplied conclusive medical evidence linking his client with the disease.<ref name = "NewmanNYT"/><ref name = "Lohud">{{cite web | url = http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060621/NEWS03/606210352/1197/ | title = State offers new guidelines on oral-suction circumcision | accessdate = 2006-06-28 | last = Clarke | first = Suzan | date = [[June 21]], [[2006]] | publisher = [[The Journal News]] | archiveurl = http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:ZOCO6Lzh7NsJ:www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article%3FAID%3D/20060621/NEWS03/606210352/1197/RSS01+www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article%3FAID%3D/20060621/NEWS03/606210352/1197/RSS01&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1 | archivedate = 2007-08-20 }} </ref> In September 2005, the city withdrew the restraining order and turned the matter over to a chasidic rabbinical court.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?artid=11412 | title = City: Brit Case To Bet Din | accessdate = 2006-11-23 | last = Nussbaum Cohen | first = Debra | date = [[September 23]], [[2005]] | publisher = [[The Jewish Week]] }} </ref> In February 2006, after the rabbinical court had not met a deadline of 1 December 2005 for a decision on this case, Dr. Thomas Frieden, the Health Commissioner of New York City, wrote, "There exists no reasonable doubt that ‘metzitzah b'peh’ can and has caused neonatal herpes infection.…The Health Department recommends that infants being circumcised not undergo metzitzah b'peh."<ref>{{cite news | first = Debra | last = Nussbaum Cohen | title = Controversy rages in New York over circumcision practice | url = http://www.jewishledger.com/articles/2006/02/23/news/news02.txt | publisher = The Jewish Ledger | date = [[February 23]], [[2006]] | accessdate = 2006-11-23 }} </ref> In May 2006, the Department of Health for New York State, issued a protocol for the performance of metzitzah b'peh.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/communicable/herpes/newborns/circumcision_protocol.htm | title = Circumcision Protocol Regarding the Prevention of Neonatal Herpes Transmission | accessdate = 2006-11-23 | year = 2006 | month = November (revised) | publisher = Department of Health, New York State }} </ref> Dr. Antonia C. Novello, Commissioner of Health for New York State, together with a board of rabbis and doctors, worked, she said, to "allow the practice of metzizah b'peh to continue while still meeting the Department of Health's responsibility to protect the public health."<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/communicable/herpes/newborns/2006-05-08_letter_to_rabbis.htm | title = Dear Rabbi Letter | accessdate = 2006-11-23 | last = Novello | first = Antonia C. | date = [[May 8]], [[2006]] | publisher = Department of Health, New York State | quote =<small>The meetings have been extremely helpful to me in understanding the importance of metzizah b'peh to the continuity of Jewish ritual practice, how the procedure is performed, and how we might allow the practice of metzizah b'peh to continue while still meeting the Department of Health's responsibility to protect the public health. I want to reiterate that the welfare of the children of your community is our common goal and that it is not our intent to prohibit metzizah b'peh after circumcision, rather our intent is to suggest measures that would reduce the risk of harm, if there is any, for future circumcisions where metzizah b'peh is the customary procedure and the possibility of an infected mohel may not be ruled out. I know that successful solutions can and will be based on our mutual trust and cooperation.</small> }} </ref> ====By tube==== In three studies done in Israel, Canada, and the USA, oral suction following circumcision has been implicated in 11 cases of neonatal herpes.<ref>Rubin LG, Lanzkowsky P. Cutaneous neonatal herpes simplex infection associated with ritual circumcision. Pediatric Infectious Diseases Journal. 2000. 19(3) 266-267.</ref><ref>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. [http://www.ima.org.il/imaj/ar03dec-14.pdf 2003 Dec;5(12):893-4]</ref><ref name = "Gesundheit" /> Because of the risk of infection, most rabbinical authorities have ruled that the traditional practice of direct contact should be replaced by using a glass tube between the wound and the [[mohel]]'s mouth, so there is no direct oral contact. The [[Rabbinical Council of America]], the largest group of Orthodox rabbis, endorses this method.<ref>[http://www.rabbis.org/news/article.cfm?id=100605 Metzitza Be'Peh - Halachic Clarification Regarding Metzitza Be'Peh, RCA Clarifies Halachic Background to Statement of March 1, 2005 ]</ref> The RCA paper states: ''"Rabbi Schachter even reports that Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik reports that his father, Rav Moshe Soloveitchik, would not permit a mohel to perform metzitza be’peh with direct oral contact, and that his grandfather, Rav Chaim Soloveitchik, instructed mohelim in Brisk not to do metzitza be’peh with direct oral contact. However, although Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik also generally prohibited metzitza be’peh with direct oral contact, he did not ban it by those who insisted upon it,...". '' The sefer Mitzvas Hametzitzah<ref>The book was originally published in German, ''Die Ausübung der Mezizo'', Frankfurt a.M. 1906; It was subsequently translated into Hebrew, reprinted in Jerusalem in 1966 under the title "''Mitzvas Hametzitzah''" and appended to the back of Dvar Sinai, a book written by the author's grandson, Sinai Adler.</ref> by Rabbi Sinai Schiffer of Baden, Germany, states that he is in possession of letters from 36 major Russian (Lithuanian) rabbis that categorically prohibit Metzitzah with a sponge and require it to be done orally. Among them is Rabbi Chaim Halevi Soloveitchik of Brisk. It is interesting that of all the students of Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik and the many times he was asked to be sandek, only Rabbi Schachter seems to remember this prohibition. ==Conversion and exceptions== {{Judaism}} A ''Brit milah'' could be circumvented with ''Dam Brit'', or foregone altogether with a ''Milah L'Shem Giur'': ===Medical considerations=== If a boy is born [[premature baby|prematurely]] or has some other serious medical condition the Bris is generally postponed. The brit may only take place when a doctor or the parents deem the child healthy enough. Additionally, the Talmud explicitly notes that a male child is relieved of his responsibility to undergo circumcision if he has had three older brothers die due to complications from the procedure. This is mentioned specifically in the context of some [[korbanot|sacrifices]] in which a [[kohen|priest]] was prohibited from participating if he was uncircumcised for this reason. ===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'' (''[[Hebrew language|heb.]]'' [[w:he:הטפת דם ברית|דם ברית]] "Drop of the blood [of the] 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. 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 ''[[wiktionary:Izmel|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 hemostasis. The expressly ritual element of circumcision in Judaism, as distinguished from its non-ritual requirement in [[Islam]], is shown by the requirement that a child who either is born [[Aposthia|aposthetic]] (without a foreskin) or who has been circumcised without the ritual must nevertheless undergo a ''Brit milah'' in which a drop of blood (''hatafat-dam'', הטפת דם) is drawn from the penis at the point where the foreskin would have been or was attached.<ref>[[Shulchan Aruch]], [[Yoreh De'ah]], 263:4</ref> ===Role in conversion=== There are reasons not to perform a circumcision when a man has [[Conversion to Judaism|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 cannot be performed, and instead a single drop of blood is extracted, in a practice called ''hatafat dam brit'' ([[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]:{{lang|he|הטפת דם ברית}}). ===''Milah l'shem giur''=== A ''Milah L'shem giur'' is a "Circumcision for the purpose of conversion". In [[Orthodox Judaism]], this procedure is done by adoptive parents for adopted children who are being converted as part of the adoption. The conversion of an infant is valid in both [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] and [[Conservative Judaism]] 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. He must be informed of his right to renounce his conversion if he wishes. If he does not make such a statement it is accepted that the boy is halakhically Jewish. [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] rabbis will generally not convert a non-Jewish child raised by a mother who has not converted to Judaism. <ref>Rabbi Paysach J. Krohn, ''Bris Milah'' [[Artscroll|Mesorah Publications Ltd]], 1985, pp.103-105</ref> The laws of conversion and conversion-related circumcision in [[Orthodox Judaism]] have numerous complications, and authorities recommend that a rabbi be consulted well in advance. In [[Conservative Judaism]], the Milah l'Shem giur procedure is also performed for a boy whose mother has not converted, but with the intention that the child be raised Jewish. This conversion of a child to Judaism without the conversion of the mother is allowed by [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative]] interpretations of [[halakha]] ("Jewish law"). Conservative Rabbis will authorize it only under the condition that the child be raised as a Jew in a single-faith household. 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, 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. If the child did not immerse in the [[mikveh]], or the boy was too old, then the child may choose of their own accord to become Jewish at age 13 as a [[Bar Mitzvah]], and complete the conversion then. <ref>[http://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/teshuvot/docs/19861990/reisner_conversion.pdf Rabbi Avram Israel Reisner, On the conversion of adoptive and patrilineal children, [[Rabbinical Assembly]] [[Committee on Jewish Law and Standards]], 1988]</ref> **It does not have to be performed on a particular day. **The ceremony does not override and is not performed on [[Shabbat]] or [[Jewish Holidays]]. **In Orthodox Judaism, there is a split of authorities on whether the child receives a [[Hebrew name]] at the Brit ceremony or upon immersion in the [[Mikvah]]. According to ''Zichron Brit LeRishonim'', naming occurs at the Brit with a different formula than the standard Brit Milah. The more common practice among [[Ashkenazic]] Jews follows Rabbi [[Moshe Feinstein]], with naming occurring at immersion. Where the procedure was performed but not followed by immersion or other requirements of the conversion procedure (e.g., in [[Conservative Judaism]], where the mother has not converted), if the boy chooses to complete the conversion at [[Bar Mitzvah]], a ''Milah l'shem giur'' performed when the boy was an infant removes the obligation to undergo either a full brit milah or ''hatafat dam brit''. ===Social context=== According to the [[Hebrew Bible]], it was "a reproach" for an [[Israelite]] to be uncircumcised ([[Book of Joshua|Joshua]] 5:9.) The name ''arelim'' ("uncircumcised" [plural]) is used opprobriously, denoting the [[Philistines]] and other non-Israelites ([[Books of Samuel|I Samuel]] 14:6, 31:4; II Samuel 1:20) and used synonymously with ''tameh'' (unclean) for heathen ([[Book of Isaiah|Isaiah]] 52:1). The word ''arel'' ("uncircumcised" [singular]) is also employed for "unclean" ([[Leviticus]] 26:41, "their uncircumcised hearts"; compare [[Book of Jeremiah|Jeremiah]] 9:25; [[Book of Ezekiel|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. [[Book of Joshua|Joshua]] 5:2-9, explains, "all the people that came out" of [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]] were circumcised, but those "born in the wilderness" were not. Therefore Joshua, before the celebration of the [[Passover]], had them circumcised at Gilgal specifically before they entered Canaan. Abraham, too, was circumcised when he moved into Canaan. The opinion ascribed to Joshua contradicts the fact that in [[Book of Exodus|Exodus]] 4:26, Moses and his wife did not know about circumcision. [[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." ==Reform Judaism== In contrast with traditional [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]], [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative]] and [[Masorti]] Judaism, denominations within [[Progressive Judaism]], consistent with their view that traditional ritual law imposes no obligations binding on modernity, have generally made this a recommendation as opposed to an obligation or requirement, consistent with the movement's stressing of autonomy of its members and clergy. Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism have often accepted medical circumcisions performed by doctors as sufficient to fulfill the commandment of ''brit milah''. In recent years a traditionalist element within these movements has begun stressing the religious and ritual nature of circumcision, as part of a growing trend towards wider acceptance of tradition, and as an example [[Reform Judaism]] has started training their own experts (''[[mohel|mohalim]]'') in this ritual.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F07E6DC1639F93BA15755C0A9679C8B63 | title = Reform Rabbis' Vote Reflects Expanding Interest in Rituals | accessdate = 2007-10-03 | last = Niebuhr | first = Gustav | date = [[June 28]][[2001]] | publisher = [[The New York Times]] }} </ref> <ref>{{cite web | url = http://beritmila.org/ | title = Berit Mila Program of Reform Judaism | accessdate = 2007-10-03 | date = 2007 | publisher = National Association of American Mohalim }} </ref> . ==Academic opinions== The ''Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion'', hypothesizes that the present form of circumcision, involving ''periah'' (peeling back the [[foreskin]]), was commenced during the Second Temple period. According to this hypothesis, 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.<ref>Werblowsky, R.J. Zwi & Wigoder, Geoffrey (1997) The Oxford Dictionary of the Jewish Religion. Oxford: Oxford University Press</ref> This practice was unacceptable to the Jewish community at large, and led to the complete removal of the foreskin to expose the glans. The frenulum may also be cut away at the same time, in a procedure called [[frenectomy]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.phimosis-circumcision.com/welcome.html | title = MALE INITIATION AND THE PHIMOSIS TABOOS | accessdate = 2007-10-05 | last = Stuart | first = Robin | date = July, 2007 | publisher = APPLIED RESEARCH on CIRCUMCISION (Arc) }} </ref> Talmud professor [[Daniel Boyarin]] has proposed two explanations for circumcision. One is that it is a literal inscription on the Jewish body of the name of God in the form of the letter "yud" (from yesod"). The second is that the act of bleeding represents a feminization of Jewish men, significant in the sense that the covenant represents a marriage between Jews and (a symbolically male) God.<ref>Boyarin, Daniel. "`This We Know to Be the Carnal Israel': Circumcision and the Erotic Life of God and Israel," Critical Inquiry. (Spring, 1992), 474-506.</ref> ==The anti-circumcision movement and ''brit shalom''== {{main|Genital integrity|Brit shalom}} The genital integrity movement, which condemns circumcision as genital mutilation,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.icgi.org/ | title = International Coalition for Genital Integrity | accessdate = 2007-10-03 | date = [[October 1]][[2007]] | publisher = ICGI - Genital Integrity }} </ref> has not made significant inroads into any of the Jewish denominations with the notable historical exception of [[Reform Judaism]]. Many founding leaders of the Reform movement took a very ''rejectionist'' view of Jewish practice and discarded traditions and rituals, including ceasing circumcision, which was decried as barbaric.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/The_Origins_of_Reform_Judaism.html | title = The Origins of Reform Judaism | accessdate = 2007-11-03 | author = adapted from Shamash | date = 2007 | publisher = Jewish Virtual Library }} </ref> Some contemporary Jews choose not to circumcise their sons.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN22970720071003?pageNumber=1 | title = Jewish "intactivists" in U.S. stop circumcising | accessdate = 2007-11-03 | last = Chernikoff | first = Helen | date = [[October 3]] [[2007]] | publisher = Reuters }} </ref> They are assisted by a small number of [[Reform Judaism|Reform]] and [[Reconstructionist Judaism|Reconstructionist]] rabbis, and have developed a welcoming ceremony that they call the ''[[brit shalom]]'' ("Covenant [of] Peace") for such children, also accepted by [[Humanistic Judaism]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.circumstitions.com/Jewish-shalom.html | title = Celebrants of Brit Shalom | accessdate = 2007-10-03 | last = Reiss, MD | first = Dr. Mark | date = 2006 | publisher = [[Brit Shalom]] }} </ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.jewsagainstcircumcision.org/brisshalom.htm | title = Providers of Brit Shalom | accessdate = 2007-10-03 | last = Goldman, PhD | first = Ron | date = 2006 | publisher = [[Jews Against Circumcision]] }} </ref> This ceremony of ''brit shalom'' is not officially approved of by the Reform or Reconstructionist rabbinical organizations, who make the recommendation that male infants should be circumcised, as well as all men who convert into Judaism,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://urj.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=8320&pge_prg_id=29839&pge_id=3450 | title = B'rit Milah: A Jewish Answer to Modernity | accessdate = 2007-11-03 | last = Glickman | first = Mark | date = [[November 12]] [[2005]] | publisher = [[Union for Reform Judaism]] }} </ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www4.jrf.org/showdt&rid=322&pid=15 | title = Bo: Defining Boundaries | accessdate = 2007-11-03 | last = Cohen | first = Rabbi Howard | date = [[May 20]] [[2002]] | publisher = Jewish Reconstructionist Federation }} </ref> though circumcision of converts is not mandatory in either movement.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.jewishcalgary.org/page.html?ArticleID=63645 | title = The Conversion Process | accessdate = 2007-11-03 | last = Epstein | first = Lawrence | date = 2007 | publisher = Calgary Jewish Community Council }} </ref> However, the connection of the Reform movement to an anti-circumcision, pro-symbolic stance is a historical one. From the early days of the movement in Germany, some classical Reformers hoped to replace ritual circumcision "with a symbolic act, as has been done for other bloody practices, such as the sacrifices."<ref> Katz, Jacob (1998) Divine Law in Human Hands: Case Studies in Halakhic Flexibility. Jerusalem: Hebrew University ISBN-13: 978-9652239808</ref> As a result, many European Jewish fathers during the nineteenth century chose not to circumcise their sons, including [[Theodore Herzl]].<ref>Stewart, Desmond (1974) Theodore Herzl. New York: Doubleday ISBN-13 978-0385088961</ref> In the US, an official Reform resolution in 1893 abolished circumcision for converts,<ref>Meyer, Michael "''Berit Mila'' within the History of the Reform Movement" in Barth, Lewis (1990) ''Berit Mila'' in the Reform Context. New York: Berit Milah Board of reform Judaism</ref> and this ambivalence towards the practice has carried over to classical-minded Reform Jews today. In Rabbi Elyse Wechterman's essay ''A Plea for Inclusion'', she argues that, even in the absence of circumcision, committed Jews should never be turned away, especially by a movement "where no other ritual observance is mandated". She goes on to advocate for an alternate covenant ceremony, ''brit atifah'', for both boys and girls as a welcoming ritual into Judaism.<ref>Mark, Elizabeth Wyner (2003) The Covenant of Circumcision. Lebanon, NH: Brandeis ISBN 1-58465-307-8</ref> With a continuing negativity towards circumcision still present within a minority of modern-day Reform, Judaic scholar Jon Levenson has warned that if they "continue to judge ''brit milah'' to be not only medically unnecessary but also brutalizing and mutilating...the abhorrence of it expressed by some early Reform leaders will return with a vengeance", proclaiming that circumcision will be "the latest front in the battle over the Jewish future in America."<ref>Levenson, Jon (March 2000) "The New Enemies of Circumcision", ''Commentary''</ref> ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.geocities.com/circcentral CircCentral, an online museum of circumcision tools] * Jewish Encyclopedia entry [http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=514&letter=C] * [http://www.circumcision.net Everything you need to know, plus all relevant prayers and blessings.] *[http://www.initiationsociety.org The Initiation Society - The regulatory body for mohelim in the UK. Information on the ceremony and naming of the child, as well as a list of mohelim] *[http://www.brismilah.co.uk Bris Milah in the UK] *[http://judaism.about.com/library/3_lifecycles/bris/blbrit.htm Jewish Ritual Circumcision] (About.com) *[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/circumcision.html Circumcision] (Jewish Virtual Library) *[http://aish.com/literacy/lifecycle/bris_milah_beautiful_or_barbaric$.asp Bris milah - Beautiful or barbaric?] (Aish.com) (Orthodox perspective) * [http://www.chabad.org/article.asp?AID=144122 Brit Milah - Ritual Circumcision in Judaism] (Chabad.org) * [http://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/teshuvot/docs/19861990/reisner_conversion.pdf Rabbi Avram Reisner, on the conversion of adoptive and patrilineal children] (Responsum adopted by Conservative Judaism's Rabbinical Assembly regarding Conservative policy on infant conversions) *[http://www.act-now.org/ Advocating Circumcision Today] - A pro-circumcision site containing details about the ceremony of Brit Milah and its history. *[http://www.circlist.com/rites/bris.html Circlist.org]- A pro-circumcision site with a cultural examination of a bris. *[http://www.brityy.org/ Brit Yosef Yitzchak] - Misc practical resources for parents or adults seeking a Brit Milah; Overview of Bris Milah ceremony and laws; Pro-circumcision articles and information. Worldwide volunteer network of Mohalim. ===Metzizah b'peh=== {{commons cat|Brit milah}} *[http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?artid=11539 City Risking Babies' Lives…] - Controversy over ''metzitza be'peh''. *[http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/26/nyregion/26circumcise.html?ex=1164430800&en=bc45e46c19343c3e&ei=5070 City questions circumcision ritual after baby dies] New York Times article *Anne Miller, Staff writer, Times Union, "Rabbis, state sign health rules Safety protocol agreed to for ultra-Orthodox Jewish circumcision ritual", [[13 June]] 2006, excerpt at [http://www2a.cdc.gov/phlp/dailynews/default.asp?specific=313] *Rabbi Yonason Binyomin Goldberger. Translated by Rabbi Avrohom Marmorstein. ''Sanctity and Science - Metziza B'peh''. Feldheim. 1991. ISBN 0-87306-807-6 ([[Haredi Judaism|Haredi]] perspective. According to the publisher, "Contains a review of the latest scientific research demonstrating the safety and desirability of b'rit milah as performed by the traditional method.") *N. Daniel Korobkin. [http://www.ou.org/index.php/jewish_action/article/8976/ "Metzitzah B’peh Controversy: Rabbinic Polemics and Applying the Lessons of History"]. ''[[Jewish Action]]'', Winter 2006/5767 - Volume 67, No. 2. * [[Mordechai Halperin]]. [http://www.ou.org/jewish_action/article/8987 "Metzitzah B’peh Controversy: The View from Israel"]. ''[[Jewish Action]]'', Winter 2006/5767 - Volume 67, No. 2. {{Jewish life}} [[Category:Jewish law and rituals]] [[Category:Jewish observances]] [[Category:Hebrew words and phrases]] [[Category:Circumcision]] [[Category:Jewish medical ethics]] [[cs:Brit mila]] [[da:Brit milah]] [[de:Brit Mila]] [[es:Brit Milá]] [[fr:Brit milah]] [[it:Brit milà]] [[he:ברית מילה]] [[nl:Briet mila]] [[no:Brit Mila]] [[nn:Berít milá]] [[pt:Brit milá]] [[fi:Berit mila]] [[sv:Berit mila]] [[uk:Брит-мила]] [[yi:ברית מילה]]